Mosquito bites: Only the female bites; the blood she draws nourishes her eggs. Mosquitoes are attracted by perspiration, warmth, body odor, carbon dioxide and light. Worst of all, they transmit diseases.

Bite them back: Get rid of standing water - dump wading pools, clean and chlorinate swimming pools, clean downspouts and gutters, and cover rain barrels or other collectors. Apply repellents to exposed areas of your body or light citronella or synthetic pyrethrin candles. Some states spray to kill larvae and thus reduce the mosquito population before it has a chance to grow.

The ants go marching: We’re talking about the common household variety, the ones that force you to move food-prep operations until they leave. Unless you locate and destroy the nest, trying to control them after they get inside will be a struggle. So you need to find the ‘‘scent trails’’ the colony’s scouts have established indoors, then erase them with soapy water, proceeding from where the ants are feeding to the colony. Be sure to clean the feeding area thoroughly. Seal the entrance to your house - caulk cracks and holes in the foundation. Then destroy the nests when you find them.

Eternal vigilance: Identify the routes ants find into your house and block access; chili powder and red pepper are temporary deterrents. Ortho produces an insect spray that creates a longer-lasting perimeter outside that ants choose not to cross. Periodic respraying is required.

Hammer carpenter bees: These roly-poly creatures typically attack bare wood, decks, fences, and windowsills. Painting the wood will deter some carpenter bees, but it isn’t the best solution. More easily controlled than carpenter ants, carpenter bees can be eliminated DIY-style, using insecticides available at hardware stores and home centers.

Treat the wood, beat the bees: If the wood being attacked is treated with a pest-control product that works over an extended period, the bees may be repelled or killed. Once holes have been started, nest galleries can be treated. Then the holes can be plugged several weeks later, once you’re positive that the bees have been killed.

Pound carpenter ants: These insects grow up to 5/8-inch long; depending on the species, they can be black, brown and black, and red and black. Winged, reproductive carpenter ants swarm when they leave existing colonies to establish new ones, usually during warm spring days. After their mating flight, the males often die, and the females (queens) find shelter where they will begin their colony.

Avoid ant oases: Nests are often started in piles of lumber, hollowed trees, and dead branches. Winged ants indicate an active colony is nearby. The main ant colony must have a constant source of moisture, so it’s usually in dead wood outdoors. Indoors, a main colony may be associated with a water leak or an overly wet, poorly ventilated crawl space or attic. Satellite colonies can be established in any suitable void - hollow doors, curtain and shower rods, attic insulation.

Play keep-away: Store firewood at a distance; remove wood scraps from around your foundation. Trim dead tree limbs and remove stumps; prevent tree limbs and shrubbery from touching the house. Seal any plumbing or roof leaks, and check crawl spaces for moisture. Repair broken or clogged gutters; direct water from gutters away from the foundation.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services