Mom's Guide to Family Health: New Year Food and Fitness

Scientists are still figuring out why some people are appealing to mosquitoes, but the answer seems to include everything from the color of your clothes (dark colors) to whether you're pregnant. Mosquitoes can transmit diseases, like malaria and encephalitis, so avoiding them is smart. Prevent bites by wearing long sleeves and pants and by using bug spray. If you become a mosquito snack, wash bites with soap and water, then apply an anti-itch lotion.

Most active in late summer, yellow jackets are drawn to protein-rich and sugary foods, the kind most of us enjoy at summer cookouts. Yellow jackets aren't all bad. They eat bugs that damage crops. But that doesn't mean you want them to eat you. Keep yellow jackets away by covering trash and food, and avoiding bright-colored clothes. Wash stings with soap and water, then treat them with ice or antihistamines.

Most active in the summer, fire ants are drawn inside by poor sanitation, moisture, and pet food. Avoid the sting of these tiny pests by cleaning up food and drink spills and keeping people food and pet food well-sealed. Clean fire ant bites with soap and water. Don't scratch -- it can lead to infection. Use an over-the-counter cream to help with pain and itching.

Roaches like to come inside when it's hot. Not only can they spread diseases like gastroenteritis, but their droppings can trigger allergy symptoms. Help prevent roach invasions by sealing doors and windows so they can't get in. Repair leaks to limit their access to water. And make sure they can't get to food and garbage.

Ticks can be found in woods, bushes, piles of leaves, and high grass and weeds. They can spread Lyme disease and encephalitis, so prevent bites by using a repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants. Remove a tick safely by grasping it close to your skin with tweezers, then pulling slowly, removing the tick's mouth parts. Wash the area with soap and water, then apply rubbing alcohol.

Although you can find scorpions almost anywhere, from hot, dry areas to rain forests, you may see them in your house when it's raining because they're coming inside to find a dry place to hang out. While they look fierce, a scorpion's sting is less painful than a bee's. To prevent scorpions from getting inside, seal doors and windows and be sure to check firewood and plants before bringing them inside. If you're stung by a scorpion, wash the area with soap and water and apply ice or a cool compress.

Earwigs may look fierce, but they don't actually bite. Their name comes from the superstition that they crawl into the ears of sleeping people at night. Found in damp areas, earwigs feed on dead plant matter, and are most active in the summer and at night. They can hitch a ride into your house via laundry baskets, cut flowers, or newspapers. Stop earwigs from getting inside by getting rid of moist areas in or near the house, sealing doors and windows, and reducing light around home entrances.

Ladybugs are beneficial, but sometimes they swarm, invading houses. That usually happens in autumn. Ladybugs (also called lady beetles) are drawn to contrasting surfaces -- dark shutters against a light house, for example. Ladybugs aren't harmful, but to reduce the chances of a home invasion, be sure doors and windows are well-sealed.

Head lice don't spread disease, and despite myths, they can't leap or fly. Instead, they spread by head-to-head contact, and when people share items like towels and brushes. To treat an infestation, wash clothes and linens in hot water, vacuum floors and furniture, and talk to your doctor about a medicated treatment if they've infested your head. Fumigating the house with an insecticide isn't necessary and could be toxic.

Fleas can be a year-long problem, but they're happiest when it's hot and moist. Fleas can spread diseases like plague to humans, and tapeworm to pets. To wipe out fleas from cats and dogs, ask your vet to recommend flea-control medication. If they're already in your house, vacuum carpets, rugs, and pet bedding. Consider a spray or fogger only if the problem is severe.

Although they can appear any time of year, bedbugs tend to become less active when the weather's cool. Not everyone reacts to the nip of bedbugs, but for those who do, the small, red area may resemble a mosquito bite. Relieve the itch with ice, topical antihistamines, or corticosteroid lotions.

Although these tiny bugs are harmless to people, they can be a nuisance. To prevent fruit flies, don't give them what they want: access to soft, damaged, or very ripe produce. Once you have an infestation, get rid of the source of their food. Then create a fruit fly trap by placing a paper funnel in a jar and baiting the jar with a bit of cider vinegar.