It’s never fun to encounter a spider, bed bug, or cockroach (shudder), but finding a creepy-crawly like a tick actually on you—or even worse, embedded in your flesh—might feel like next-level horror.

Ticks are more than just a nuisance—some of them carry serious diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. You certainly want to avoid ticks, but don’t panic if you happen to find one on your ...