Doctors are worried about the increase of ticks. These are blood-sucking bugs that carry germs. Their bites can pass on serious health problems like Lyme disease. Cases of Lyme disease in the UK rose 20 per cent between 2024 and 2025. A disease control centre has reported a huge rise in ticks. It said thirty-one million Americans get bitten annually. A biology professor said tick populations were increasing because of the changing climate.

Ticks are related to spiders. They have eight legs. After they fill themselves with blood, their bodies balloon. They can be the size of an apple seed. They get on humans and sink their mouthparts into our skin. Their saliva contains an anaesthetic. This numbs the bite area. People rarely feel anything. The ticks can drink a victim's blood for days. To avoid ticks, people should use insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and closed shoes.