A warm, wet winter across New Jersey could be to blame for one of the worst tick seasons in years, according to experts.

The eight-legged bugs can present extreme danger to people they bite -- and after recent rains and warmth, their populations have been growing.

"This past spring has had a lot of moisture, and that's probably the best thing those ticks and other insects need," says state climatologist Dr. David Robinson.

With the aid of warmer temperatures and abundant rainfall tick populations are expanding to parts of the state where they were once less common.

Dr. John Halperin, the neurosciences chairman at Overlook Medical Center, says the ground ticks cover has also expanded as temperatures have gone up.

Experts say DEET bug spray is a good way to ward them off. People who go outside should also tuck their socks in to their pants or vice versa to keep ticks off their legs.