We here in Minnesota have our annual summer pest, mosquitoes to deal with and they're bad enough with the slapping and the itching, but some summer bugs can have worse and even deadly consequences. Here's how to protect yourself.

Ticks

Wood ticks, the smaller deer ticks and the even smaller black legged tick all carry the risk of Lyme disease, but now there's a new disease to worry about. It's called the heartland virus and it mimics the flu. It's rare, but still very dangerous. Ticks can also carry Babesia microti, a parasite that destroys red blood cells, causing anemia. One way to protect yourself is to just stay the heck out of the woods, but if you're heading out into nature, make sure you wear insect repellent that contains at least 20 percent DEET, shower as soon as you go indoors, and check for ticks after your shower.

Ants

They looked so cute and innocent in the movie, but they're not. One thing about ants is that there are literally tens of thousands of them in one colony. When you try and get rid of them, their colonies are often so enormous, efforts to get rid of them are often in vain. You can protect your house by doing the dishes regularly, wiping down the kitchen counters with bleach every day, put food wrappers in the trash and mop your floors with bleach water. Also, it's a good idea to seal door sills, window sills, and mend broken screens with caulk and put out ant traps.

Bees

Bees can be nasty little creatures, so if you see them hovering around a hole in the ground or a crack in a wall, be very careful. It's a good idea to not try and get rid of them yourself. Find a local bee keeper that can humanely remove the hive and try to have them peacefully remove the bees before you resort to chemicals.

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