Hikers and pedestrians within California have recently been informed to watch out for rattlesnakes, as rattlesnake bites have been increasing over the past year, with seven current cases and three deaths of people who have been bitten.

Due to sunny skies and warming weather that comes with summer, rattlesnake appearances are dramatically increasing.. Therefore more people are getting bitten and widely affected due to the weather.

In Thousand Oaks, a 46-year-old woman from Moorpark died after being bitten in March while hiking the Wildwood Regional Park, and a 25-year-old Costa Mesa man died a month after being bitten while biking in Irvine and a teenager was hospitalized after being bitten during a hike in Newberry Park, to name a few cases.

“Stopping and giving the snake space is the best thing you can do to make sure everyone is safe, you and the snake,”executive director of nonprofit group Save the Snakes Michael Starkey said.

Due to the increase of rattlesnake appearances around California, citizens and hikers are having to be more cautious.

“I’ve actually had one lunge at me … It was in some flora, a bush that I couldn’t see. It was coiled up,” Gary Johnston, a citizen who frequents the American River Parkway said on CBS News.

ABC7 says to decrease your chances of encountering a rattlesnake, you should hike on clearly marked paths, avoid tall grass and brush, wear hiking boots and long pants and be cautious and make sure to be aware of your surroundings before you step in possible places where you could encounter a rattlesnake.

If you happen to encounter one, you should be still and make sure to give the snake space. If you get bitten, make sure to stay calm and call 911 immediately.