Reply Tick bites are on the rise in Pennsylvania. Here's what officials say about the diseases they carry and how to protect yourself this summer. (Shutterstock / Steven Ellingson) PENNSYLVANIA — The warmer weather months are in full swing in Pennsylvania, and as more and more people get outside, so too are more various types of wildlife becoming active. And it's not just the now famous 17-year cicadas who are coming in droves of billions across the region with the heat. It also includes some much more nefarious critters: ticks. State officials are now warning residents to protect themselves from the disease-spreading arachnids, which are increasing in population in Pennsylvania.