Tick season is starting across the U.S., and experts are warning the bloodsuckers may be as plentiful as ever.

Another mild winter and other favorable factors likely means the 2024 tick population will be equal to last year or larger, some researchers say.

“It’s very bad and has only been getting worse,” said Susanna Visser of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

TICK BITES AND LYME DISEASE: WHAT TO DO IF A TICK BITES YOU OR YOUR PET

An increasing variety of ticks are pushing into new geographical areas, bringing unusual diseases. Exotic southern species like the Gulf Coast tick and the lone star tick are being detected in New York and other northern states, for example.

But the tick that experts warn of the most is a common blacklegged tick, which is found mainly in forests and spreads Lyme disease. Infection rates begin to peak in May, and U.S. health officials estimate nearly half a million Lyme disease infections happen annually.

Here’s a look at what’s expected this year and how you can protect yourself.

TICK FACTS

Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people. Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause illness, and they spread those germs when they bite.

There is no widely accepted estimate of how many ticks there are from one year to the next, but there is a scientific consensus that they are an increasingly common health hazard in large portions of the United States.

Blacklegged ticks — also known as deer ticks, since they feed on deer — are among the most common ticks in the eastern half of the U.S. They were plentiful centuries ago, then diminished when forests were cut down and deer were hunted, and rebounded alongside deer and wooded suburbs. The ticks have spread out from pockets in New England and the Midwest over a wider range.

Tick populations cycle throughout the year and their numbers depend on a few factors. They like warm, humid weather, and more can be seen after a mild winter. The more deer and mice available to feed matters, too.

Overall, the blacklegged tick population has been expanding for at least four decades, researchers say.

“This is an epidemic in slow motion,” said Rebecca Eisen, a CDC research biologist and tick expert.

2024 TICK SEASON FORECAST

Weather can play a role in the severity of a tick season.

Very cold, dry winters can whittle down tick populations, but recent winters have been mild — a trend some attribute to climate change.

As Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said: “Winters are no longer limiting the tick population.”

Ticks can withstand the heat but tend to almost hibernate when it’s a dry summer. That happened in Maine in 2020 through 2022, said Chuck Lubelczyk, a vector ecologist at the MaineHealth Institute for Research.

But last year was a very wet year, and tick activity multiplied in Maine — the state with the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country. Weather service predictions call for higher temperatures and precipitation, so “on paper, at least, it could be a very good year for the ticks,” Lubelczyk said.

In Wisconsin, adult ticks were out longer than usual due to a mild winter. The tick nymphs are starting to emerge, and a wet spring is setting the stage for the possibility that the population will be robust, said Xia Lee, an entomologist at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Ditto New York.

“It will be as bad as last year, or worse,” said Saravanan Thangamani, who studies ticks and tickborne diseases at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Not all ticks are infected with disease-causing germs — about 20% to 30% of the blacklegged tick nymphs that emerge in the Northeast and Midwest this spring and into summer will be carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, experts estimate.

Lyme disease symptoms tend to start between three and 30 days after a bite occurs and can include fever, headache, fatigue and a bull’s-eye-like rash. If you get bitten and develop symptoms, see a doctor to get treated with antibiotics.

HOW TO KEEP TICKS OFF OF YOU

Experts say the best thing to do is take steps to avoid a tick bite in the first place.

If you go outdoors, make note of wooded areas and where grassy properties start bleeding into wooded areas. Ticks tend to perch on ankle-level vegetation with their upper legs outstretched, waiting to latch on to an unsuspecting dog or human.

Try to walk in the middle of paths, wear light-colored and permethrin-treated clothing and use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.

HOW TO CHECK FOR TICKS

When you come inside, check for ticks. They can be found anywhere on the human body, but common spots include around the waist, behind the knees, between fingers and toes, on underarms, in the belly button and around the neck or hairline.

They are harder to see when they are young, so look carefully and immediately pull them off with tweezers.

The CDC does not recommend sending individual ticks to testing services for analysis, because a person might get more than one tick bite and the results from the tested tick may not be sufficient information.

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.

Use escape to exit the menu.

If you’ve been feeling hungrier than usual, it could be due to your sleeping habits.

Human hunger is tied to circadian rhythm, according to experts, which means not sleeping enough can cause a greater appetite.

Dr. Christopher Rhodes, a nutritional biologist in California, explained in a conversation with Fox News Digital that a body deprived of sleep “seeks out energy by way of food.”

AMERICANS NEED MORE SLEEP, LESS STRESS, EXPERTS SAY, AS GALLUP POLL REVEALS TROUBLING FINDINGS

“Sleep and eating are intimately linked due to their shared involvement in both metabolic signaling and your body’s circadian rhythms,” he said. 

“Just as we train our body on when to expect sleep, we also train it on when to expect food based on our typical mealtimes and dietary patterns throughout the day, which becomes part of our daily circadian cycles.”

Poor sleep disrupts hormonal signaling — particularly cortisol, which impacts “metabolic rate and the crucial hormones leptin and ghrelin,” according to Rhodes. 

These hormones are responsible for controlling hunger and the use of energy, he noted.

Extreme disruptions in circadian rhythm — like insomnia or “all-nighters” — can cause a “ripple effect” throughout the body, according to Rhodes.

“Sleep and eating are intimately linked.”

“[This] can throw our natural rhythms out of whack and cause issues with our biological signaling, changes in hormone levels, chemical signaling and neuronal function,” he said.

“In turn, these imbalances can cause excess hunger and cravings as our body, deprived of the energizing effects of sleep, seeks to compensate by taking in more energy from food,”

Staying up late at night can throw off the body’s natural rhythm, according to experts. (iStock)

Low-quality sleep can also contribute to poor cognition and reduced brain function, which reduces impulse control, the expert noted.

When these effects are combined with added cravings, and as the body “desperately seek[s] ways to fuel itself,” that can lead to excess food consumption, Rhodes warned.

Curbing cravings

While it may be difficult to ignore cravings, Rhodes suggested some healthy ways to break the cycle of increased hunger and poor sleep.

It’s best to avoid snacking at bedtime, he said, as energy from snacks can keep you awake.

TYPE 2 DIABETES A MUCH GREATER RISK FOR ‘NIGHT OWLS’ THAN FOR EARLY BIRDS, A ‘STARTLING’ NEW STUDY FINDS

“By and large, the best bedtime snack is none at all,” Rhodes said. “Food intake immediately before bed will cause a rush of nutrients and energy into your system, which can disrupt the natural circadian signaling that helps govern your sleep cycles.”

“Moreover, food before bed can often set off cravings for more food, which can further disrupt your sleep,” he continued. “Small snacks are typically not enough to meet our body’s satiety thresholds and can lead to more hunger throughout the night.”

“It’s best to avoid the canonical ‘midnight munchie’ foods like junk food, cookies, ice cream, pizza and especially alcohol,” the expert said. (iStock)

It’s best to eat at least four to six hours before falling asleep, according to Rhodes, to allow the body to fully metabolize food and store excess energy that could disrupt sleep.

“Focus on foods that have a low glycemic impact and are slow digesting — like lean proteins, healthy nuts or fibrous veggies — to avoid blood sugar spikes,” he said.

LACK OF SLEEP COULD BE A FACTOR IN A ‘SILENT EPIDEMIC,’ EXPERTS WARN

It’s also best to avoid the traditional “midnight munchie” foods like junk food, cookies, ice cream and pizza, he advised — “especially alcohol, as it has been shown to have particularly adverse effects on sleep quality.”

Despite the preconceived idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Rhodes suggested following your body’s natural hunger cues. 

“Breakfast is just another meal like any other, and not the end all be all of your daily well-being,” he said.

“If you don’t feel hungry in the morning, it’s best to just follow your body’s natural cues than to force yourself to eat a meal out of obligation,” Rhodes advised. (iStock)

“If you don’t feel hungry in the morning, it’s best to just follow your body’s natural cues than to force yourself to eat a meal out of obligation.”

There may be health benefits for some people who cut breakfast out of their diet, Rhodes mentioned, as studies have shown that intermittent fasting can have positive effects on blood glucose control, cognition and cholesterol levels.

WANT TO BE A MORNING PERSON? THESE 6 EXPERT TIPS MAY GET YOU THERE

One easy way to boost energy and satiety throughout the day is to drink hot green tea or other balanced energy drinks that contain caffeine and L-theanine, to “provide sustained energy without jitters or a crash,” Rhodes said.

You sleep how you eat

The food you choose to eat can determine the quality of your sleep, according to experts.

“Quality of sleep can be altered by a number of nutritional factors, including blood glucose spikes, total caloric intake, vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, supplements, meal timing and more,” Rhodes said. 

“Insomnia and poor sleep quality have been linked with a higher risk of obesity in many studies.” 

The food you eat can determine the quality of your sleep, according to experts. (iStock)

It’s also important to avoid deficiencies in vitamins A, C, D, E, K, calcium and magnesium, which can affect sleep quality.

“Of these, magnesium supplementation may be the most beneficial, as it’s estimated that 75% of Americans are currently deficient, and magnesium supplementation is well-known to promote calm and support sleep quality,” Rhodes added.

“Insomnia and poor sleep quality have been linked with a higher risk of obesity.”

The most important aspect of maintaining good sleep and eating habits, regardless of lifestyle, is staying as consistent as possible in your day-to-day schedule, according to Rhodes.

“Stabilizing your circadian rhythms will help to improve cognition, mood, hunger signaling and sleep quality by avoiding the hormonal, chemical and neuronal disruptions that can be caused by inconsistent circadian signaling,” Rhodes said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Eating the same meals in the same amounts at the same time every day and maintaining a consistent sleeping schedule will help retrain your body’s circadian rhythms and signaling, so that your atypical work and eating hours will become normal to your body.”

The expert suggested large batch meal prepping as a way to cut down on time spent cooking while also ensuring a “healthy, consistent meal” on hand when needed.

Meal prepping is a great way to save time and ensure nutritious food intake, Rhodes said. (iStock)

For even better sleep, Rhodes recommended buying tools such as earplugs, night masks or blackout curtains to avoid distractions.

“If needed, a melatonin supplement can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, and helps to accelerate adaptations to new sleeping schedules by normalizing sleep hormone production and circadian signaling,” he added.

For more Health articles, visit foxnews.com/health