When I was a kid, my family spent most of our summer at a cabin in the northern part of our state. Inevitably, one of my sisters and I would be covered in mosquito bites, while the rest of the family escaped that itchy fate. My mom used to say that my sister and I had "sweet blood." Turns out, she wasn't too far off base.

Among other factors, tiny little blood-suckers such as mosquitoes are drawn to the carbon dioxide and lactic acid we excrete. While we all release carbon dioxide and lactic acid larger people and pregnant women have higher amounts. You're also likely to have a higher level of lactic acid in your sweat just after exercising. High body temperature is also a beacon to mosquitoes. Floral scents (perfumes, etc.) may also be a draw as well as dark colored fabrics.

Kelly at Green Daily has some earth-friendly tips for fending off mosquitoes.

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It's that time of year again. When my son plays outside until the very last minute I'll allow. Then, later, as he's lying in bed he starts to complain of this spot or that spot. Invariably, I don't see anything in the spots he's pointing to. It seems odd because when I get a bug bite I flare up terribly. But flare-up or no flare-up, itchy bug bites drive my son just insane.

I prefer to use home remedies on my son's insect bites more often than not. My old stand-by is mixing baking soda with a bit of warm water and creating a paste. It's soothing and seems to take the sting away quite quickly. I've used it on both mosquito bites and bee stings.

Health911 has some more ideas on home remedies for insect bites. Some of their recommendations include rubbing apple cider vinegar on the skin as an insect repellent, dabbing dissolved Epsom salts on insect bites, using ice packs to reduce swelling, and using a paste of meat tenderizer to reduce the sting of bites.

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I love summer but there are a few aspects of it that I can do without, one of the bigger ones being bugs. I dislike them all -- spiders, mosquitos, bees, especially wasps. This summer, I've managed to avoid getting bitten much, but many of my friends haven't been so lucky. Here are some tips for avoiding bug bites from Everyday Health:

• Don't provoke insects
• Avoid rapid movement
• Don't wear lots of perfume or floral prints
• Cover up and apply insect repellent

If you do get stung, there are some great home remedies out there, including soothing a bee sting with lemons. What do you do to soothe a bite?

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