1. COVER UP. Cover your skin as completely as possible. Wear shoes, long sleeves and long pants with the cuffs tucked into socks. Men and boys need to be particularly careful in covering up, since males are favored targets of mosquitoes.
   
   
2. BE COLOR CONSCIOUS. Wear khaki or neutral colors. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, especially blue, so avoid this color.
   
   
3. USE GOOD SENSE ABOUT SCENTS. Heavily scented toiletries are an attraction for bugs and bees. Avoid using scented soaps, lotions and shampoos.
   
   
4. USE REPELLENT. Like sunscreen, insect repellent is an outdoor essential. Apply the proper insect repellent to clothing and any uncovered skin.
   
   DEET Repellents: Repellents containing DEET are most effective. If you will be in bug-infested areas, or where Lyme Disease or encephalitis is a concern, look for a repellent containing at least 15 to 30% DEET, says David Kern, president of DAK Pharmaceuticals, a New Hampshire manufacturer of insect repellents. Most outdoor excursions call for a moderate DEET concentration like DAK's GreenHead® which contains 30% DEET. For safe and effective use of DEET products:
   Be sure to follow the product directions.
   If used with a sunscreen, apply the repellent 30 minutes to one hour after the sunscreen.
   Never use repellents on wounds or irritated skin.
   
   
5. BE PREPARED. Always carry repellents in your car's glove compartment or your tackle box, backpack or beach bag. Even the best repellents won't protect you when they are left at home.
   
   
6. AVOID SPOTS POPULAR WITH BUGS. Mosquitoes like cool, moist places. Avoid stagnant pools of water whenever possible. Some popular breeding grounds include puddles, birdbaths and inside old tires. Flies tend to hover around animals and sweets; black flies are attracted to dark, moving objects; hornets nest in trees and bushes; yellow jackets are drawn to food and generally nest in the ground. Bees appear to sting when the weather is gray rather than when the sun is out.
   
   
7. PICK THE RIGHT TIME. Be alert to the time of day when certain insects are most active. Black flies are more prevalent in the morning, mosquitoes tend to bite at dawn and twilight and deerflies are prevalent at midday.
   
   
8. KID SAFETY. Children are vulnerable to bug bites because of their size. They are closer to the ground and to flowers and plants that harbor insects and are thus easier targets. Make sure they are protected with proper clothing, as described earlier, and with insect repellents that are appropriate to children. If using a repellent with DEET, don't apply it to the hands of children who tend to put their fingers in their mouth. And again, bathe your children when they return indoors for the night to remove any remaining repellent.
   
   
9. CHECK FOR BITES. Upon returning indoors, check your children and yourself for bites, especially tick bites. If you find a tick, carefully remove it by grasping its head with tweezers and pulling straight up. To reduce risk of infection, clean the tick bite with hydrogen peroxide. Be alert for the next 30 days for either a "bulls-eye" rash (a red ring with a white center) at the site of the bite or flu-like symptoms. The presence of either one might signify Lyme Disease and should prompt a visit to your physician.
   
   
10. DON'T SCRATCH. Impetigo, a common disease among children that can spread through the whole family, usually begins when a child scratches a bug bite or other small break in the skin. If a bug bite does occur, quickly apply an insect bite treatment.

And most importantly: