If you think you’re safe from ticks just because it’s cold outside, think again. Earlier this February, a scientist found a lone star tick in Delaware, setting a new record for the start of the season.
“This is our earliest recorded environmental collection of the species, beating previous years’ records by almost 3 weeks,” wrote entomologist Dr. Ashley Kennedy on Twitter.

This is just the latest evidence that ticks are expanding both in range and in the time of year in which they’re active. Lone star ticks used to only be able to survive in the southern United States. As winters grow milder due to climate change, ticks are able to survive further and further north. Just last year, The Washington Post reported on increasing numbers of lone star ticks in the Washington D.C. area. This is of particular concern because lone star ticks spread alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can cause a lifelong, potentially deadly allergy to red meat. (Lone star ticks don’t, however, carry Lyme disease.) There’s currently no known cure for alpha-gal syndrome. That means backcountry adventurers need to be extra vigilant in either avoiding tick-prone areas or taking the appropriate precautions.

Lone star ticks aren’t the only species moving north. There are now more than a dozen different species of ticks in Delaware compared to just five in 1945, reports Backpacker. Incidences of lyme disease, which is famously spread via other species of ticks, has also been on the rise in recent years, not just in Delaware but across the nation.

As you can likely imagine, none of this is good news for anyone who routinely spends time hiking outdoors — or for those with pets. There’s no “safe” time of year to get bitten or a “safe” type of a tick. That’s because you can never predict what diseases one may be carrying.

No matter the time of year, ensure you’re regularly using a tick repellent, and remove ticks you find on your body as quickly as possible. It may be difficult to discern how long a tick has been on your body, but it’s always good to get it off of you as soon as you can. Just be sure to use a proper tick removal strategy so that it lets go completely. (Pulling too hard may leave bits of the tick embedded in your skin.)

And of course, wear long sleeves and pants whenever you venture into brushy, tick-prone areas. The only good news about the expanding tick season is that, at least in the winter, you’re probably wearing pants anyway.