Ticks can be a nuisance to anyone looking to enjoy the great outdoors, and their time to shine is right around the corner.

We caught up with a few specialists to bring you all you need to know about the eight-legged creatures.

John Gavloski, an entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, points out that ticks usually come out right when the snow has melted, meaning if you are worried about ticks, you should start getting in the habit of checking for them now.

"Ticks are cold-blooded creatures, so as it gets warmer, they will become more active and more likely to be getting on to people, " says Gavloski.

Everyone thinks of Lyme Disease as the main risk when they think of ticks, but as Gavloski explains, not all ticks causes the disease.

"Most ticks that people get on them are the 'Wood Tick,' sometimes called the 'American Dog Tick.' People are quite familiar with that one. They do not spread Lyme disease. There is a smaller tick called the Black-Legged Tick. It used to be called the 'Deer Tick.' It's smaller than the Wood Tick, and that's the one that potentially can spread Lyme Disease. If you get a Black-Legged Tick on you, it doesn't mean that you've got Lyme Disease, but there is that potential. So, if a person does find a Black-Legged Tick on them, it's a good idea to hang onto that tick, and if by chance you see a little bullseye shaped rash appearing on your body, you might want to get that tick submitted and then see a doctor as well."

Gavloski says that there are a few myths to dispel as well when it comes to these arthropods.

He states that people often think that ticks are falling on them from trees if they find a tick higher up on their bodies. This is not the case.

"Ticks are in the lower vegetation, so if you are finding them on your neck and on your back and places like that, they're not dropping from trees. They've gotten onto your feet, or your ankle area, and they've crawled up."

Gavloski also goes into detail about some other common myths about ticks.

"Ticks do not burrow into your skin. They can't do that. They can put their mouthparts into your skin to get their blood meal, but they do not burrow into your skin. Just because the tick is on you, it doesn't mean it has fed on you. This is especially the case for the black-legged tick, it can be on you quite a while before they will actually feed. Sometimes, because you have found them on you, it doesn't mean that they have fed on you. Ticks won't lay their eggs on you either, their eggs are laid in leaf litter, and they will drop off you once they've had that blood meal."

Kateryn Rochon, Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, also caught up PortageOnline to brief us on some tick talk.

As Gavloski explained, she says it's important to note that not all ticks carry the pathogens that causes Lyme Disease, bacteria or parasites.

"We have different tick species in Manitoba. So, the ones that are super common, that most people know are called 'Wood Ticks.' They don't carry Lyme Disease. It's the Black-Legged Ticks that do (carry Lyme). The Black-Legged ticks are also known as 'Deer Ticks.' They're the ones that can potentially carry Lyme Disease or Anaplasmosis, and they're not as common, although we find them more and more."

Rochon adds that you need to be mindful of ticks as soon as there's no snow on the ground, but she details when you might see more ticks around.

"I'd say as soon as it's around six-ish degrees and there is sunshine, and things are starting to dry out a little bit, you might encounter a tick. Then the odds keep increasing from there. So, when you get into May and June, that's going to be the time when a lot of Wood Ticks are out. The Black-Legged Ticks are still out, but you might not see them as much. Then starting in like mid-July, things kind of slow down. It doesn't mean you won't find ticks. It means they're just not as abundant. Then you get to a short period where in August you don't usually find a whole lot of ticks, but then the Black-Legged Ticks come back in the fall. So, maybe in mid-September and then October, you have to keep in mind that Black-Legged ticks will come out again."

Lastly, both Rochon and Gavloski touched on tick protection. Saying that, it's somewhat simple to protect yourself: When in situations with a higher risk of encountering ticks, if practical wear long pants and tuck your clothes in, including your socks to pants, even though it might not be fashionable. If you then check for ticks periodically you have a better chance of detecting and removing them before they are on your body.