It’s the first weekend of spring and blood-sucking ticks are starting to emerge and latch on to Iowans. Doctor Wayne Rowley, an entomologist at Iowa State University, says weather that’s pleasant for people is also good for bugs like ticks, which carry potentially-harmful diseases. Rowley says tick season is just now getting underway.Rowley says Iowans who plan to do a little hiking, camping or anything else that’ll take them into the trees and bushes need to use liberal amounts of insect repellant that contains the chemical “deet” to keep creeping ticks away. He says you should spray your shoes and socks.Rowley says 2003 has all the makings to be another banner year for blood-sucking ticks, which often carry Lyme disease. He says 2002 was one of the best years for ticks in the past decade, though it’s unclear if it’s because of greater awareness or simply more biting bugs out there.