New Tips And Triks For You

With summer in full swing, you're at risk for a sting.

While some insect stings and bites are an itchy nuisance, others can have painful and even deadly consequences. Learn how to protect yourself from seven summer bugs and the diseases they might be carrying.

7 Insects that Will Bug You This Summer

It isn't bad enough that many species of ticks found in Northeastern states spread Lyme disease -- a bacterial infection that can have lasting effects on the joints, heart and nervous system. They may also harbor the heartland virus.

Scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that the virus, discovered in 2009 when it landed two Missouri men in hospital with flu-like symptoms, is spread by the tiny insects. The virus is rare, though, carried by 10 of some 56,428 ticks studied.

Lone Star Tick Linked to Meat Allergies

Ticks can also carry Babesia microti, a parasite that destroys red blood cells, causing anemia. Symptoms of the parasitic infection, known as babesiosis, include fever, muscle cramps and headaches. In 2011, about 1,100 cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to roughly 30,000 cases of Lyme disease that same year.

The CDC recommends taking the following steps to prevent tick bites:

Avoid wooded and bushy areas;

Walk in the center of trails; Use bug repellents that contain 20 percent or more Deet on the skin;

Use bug repellants that contain permethrin on clothing;

Shower as soon as possible after coming indoors;

Look for ticks on your body, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist and in the hair;

7 Insects That Will Bug You This Summer

Earlier this summer, a Texas man was attacked and killed by a swarm of more than 40,000 bees after he drove his tractor into a pile of wood that concealed their hive.

The bees that killed him aren't the friendly, happy European honey bees we know and love. As James Fredericks, the director of technical services for the National Pest Management Association, explained it, the killers are a product of a scientific experiment gone wrong.

Man Attacked and Killed By Killer Bees

"In the 1950s a Brazilian scientist imported bees from Africa to breed with our honey bees in hopes of upping production and creating a more docile insect," he said. "Obviously, it didn't work out that way."

The bees are now a serious threat in warmer states like California, Texas and Florida. Besides being extremely aggressive, they often attack with an element of surprise from a hive hidden underground, in a rotting log or behind a wall.

Fredericks also warned that most people can't tell the difference between a pleasant bee and a grumpy one, so best to steer clear of all bees unless they've been identified by a professional.

If attacked, run. If you can't find shelter, keep running. Cover your face and eyes and don't swat at them since it just makes them angrier. Don't jump into a pool either. They will hover over the surface and wait out your oxygen supply.

7 Insects that Will Bug You This Summer

For many, the thought of billions of insects laying dormant for nearly two decades and then suddenly bursting forth from the soil creeps the heck out of them. But experts insist periodic cicadas and their yearly cousins are as harmless as kittens.

Watch the Cicada Live Cam!

"They're wonderful. Their song is the music of summer," said Richard Pollack, an entomologist who is the president and chief scientific officer of IdentifyUS in Boston, referring to the cicada's mating call, which can be as loud as a lawnmower or power tool.

Pollack said that cicadas never harm a soul that isn't a tree, though he admitted they've been known to cause a car accident or two by zooming into a windshield. He advised against treating homes and gardens with insecticides to repel them since the chemicals used are usually more harmful to people, pets and wildlife than the insect could ever be.