I always love the expression: "But we could really use the rain!" when referring to a dry spell for the area and the incoming wave of thunderstorms that people always try to view with the glass half full. They're right. The rain is good for many reasons, like relieving drought conditions, making things green and giving all of our houses, buildings and sidewalks a needed wash.

Glass half empty? It creates a breeding ground for an onslaught of creepy crawly or flying things that none of us like, specifically two of the most dreaded bugs this time of year anywhere but especially in Colorado.

It's prime tick season in Colorado and they especially thrive in cool, rainy conditions.

Ticks. The epitome of gross. No doubt you've encountered them while hiking through a wooded area or worse, even in your backyard right in the middle of the city. If you have excessive foliage in your yard, odds are there's some ticks waiting there in the weeds for you - literally and proverbially.

It's important to check your dogs - or cats, if they go outdoors - for ticks this time of year. I once found a tick embedded in my dog's eyebrow, after he was out back sniffing around in some weeds along the fence line. It doesn't take long for them to grab onto your pet, or you, as you pass!

Much like mosquitoes - and we'll get to them in a second - ticks sense you coming by a combination of vibration and the carbon dioxide you breathe out, and especially while it's cool and wet they're looking to snack on your warm blood. Always be sure to cover up while hiking, and to thoroughly check yourself, your children and your pets when returning from time outdoors. If you were in tall grass, you were there with ticks for sure. Question is, did any hitch a ride?

The Colorado mosquito population always booms after long periods of rain.

Plants, gutters, flower pots or anything cupped that can catch water is essentially turned into a mosquito incubator once they fill with rain. Once collected water pools, female mosquitoes lay their eggs and it only takes about a week for them to hatch. The more it rains, the less chance those pooled areas have to dry out, and more and more of those flying blood seekers get up into the air looking for your arm or shin to nibble on.

Related: If Mosquitoes Eat You Alive All Summer, Wear These Colors Instead 

Bug sprays are effective against both ticks and mosquitoes, so if you plan on spending any significant time outdoors this time of year, you ought to invest in some to keep in the car or in a bag you carry with you.

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