KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Children play in a Fountain City pond under the watchful eye of mom. She's on patrol for dangerous predators. We're not talking sex offenders. This time it's ticks. The tiny creatures are on the rise as temperatures climb.

"My sister's granddaughter came over with a tick on the back of her neck," said Kristin Hakes. Needless to say she was terrified because of the child's age. "She's only two years old." And relatives had no idea how long the blood sucking insect was on the girl. "Her mother didn't notice that it was on her."

There's good reason to be afraid. Ticks carry deadly diseases. "What is it, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever," asked Hakes.

That's right. Symptons mirror a common cold. But, if left untreated, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can kill you.

Ticks are very common in East Tennessee, but there is a way that's cost effective and easy for you to get rid of them.

"Keep your yard mowed, keep the shrubs cut back," said Dayton Hylton of Dayton's Pest Control.

Hylton says ticks hide easily given their size, usually in your hair. "They'll sometimes bury down under the skin." Which is why Hakes does a tick check after a hard of play at the park. "We constantly check the kids to make sure that there's no ticks," she said.