The bugs of summer

The "Bugs" of Summer

Summer is all fun and games until someone gets bitten or stung. As we start spending more time outside, we find ourselves mingling on the home turf of some pesky insects. But some advice might help keep them from bugging you or your family.

Mosquitos: These tiny little parasites have a very fast life cycle. They can develop in less than a week and in very little water. Here in Northeast Florida and the southeastern United States, mosquitoes are everywhere and can carry blood-borne infections such as dengue fever.

Fire ants: Not native to Florida, they've dominated many of the state's backyards, wooded areas and even sidewalks due to their aggressive nature. Ants actually use a stinger (much like a wasp) to inject venom into their victims.

Horse and deer flies: Horse and deer flies resemble a large house fly, except they feed on blood. Their mouths resemble tiny knives that they use to slice into skin, then draw blood from their prey.

Wasps (and bees and hornets): Most wasps are non-aggressive as long as you don't swat them, but that isn't the case for all. Hornets will fly out of their paper-like nests and try to aggressively drive you away from their tiny homes. The Africanized honey bee is more likely than the honey bee to enter attack mode.

Prevent:

Wear light-colored pants and long-sleeved shirts, taped at your ankles and wrists (which works to keep flying insects and ticks from finding their way to your skin).

For additional protection, spray your clothes with a DEET-based bug spray. This spray works for:

• Mosquitos
• Horse and deer flies
• Ants
• Fleas
• Ticks
• Leeches
• Chiggers
• Gnats

Treat:

• For smaller bites, swelling can be treated with ice until the pain goes away.
• Baking soda can be used to soothe redness, itching and stinging associated with a variety of bites, including spider and ant bites.
• If you have an allergy, a wasp or bee sting can be fatal and you should carry an EpiPen for outdoor adventures.