As a family, we like to get outdoors and enjoy natural surroundings. But there's one part of nature that we don't enjoy -- bugs. Whether buzzing in your ear or nibbling at your ankles, bugs can quickly ruin an outdoor activity. There are plenty of bug repellents out there -- effective ones at that -- but if spraying yourself or your family down with chemicals isn't your style, consider this homemade insect repellent bar instead.

You'll need to gather a few items, some likely from a health food store, but after that, putting the bar together is fairly quick. I'd make several at once, I think, then store them in handy places like the car, my backpack, the beach bag, etc. Though I'm certain a homemade bar won't repel bugs as well as a chemical spray, the peace of mind you'll get from using something natural and non-toxic might be worth a bite or two.

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A few months I ago, while vacationing in the Dominican Republic, I thought it would be fun to eat dinner on the beach. Well, it turns out that just about every mosquito on the island had a similar idea, leaving me with 53 bites on my right foot and ankle and 44 on my left foot and ankle (I was able to count them once the swelling went down). Needless to say, I've made sure to wear bug spray every time I've been outdoors at night since then.

Another way to avoid those pesky blood-hunters is to outsmart them, and by that I mean knowing what makes them tick. Their M.O. (mosquito operandi), if you will. Here's a look at what I've learned since being victimized (source: Maximum Fitness magazine):

• Mosquitoes are most active from sunset to sunrise;
• They are no more attracted to bright-colored clothing than dark-colored clothing;
• They also have no preference for perfumes or colognes;
• It's usually the female mosquito that does the most blood sucking;
• DEET, a compound developed during WWII, is the most effective chemical repellent (it is found in various potencies in many common bug repellent sprays)
• Non-chemical remedies include garlic, vitamin B, thiamine, and some "ultrasonic" devices
• If bitten, treat the affected area with soap and water and calamine lotion and avoid scratching

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I'm a magnet for mosquitos. They always find me, always bite me, always leave swollen mounds of skin that itch like crazy. I swear, my whole family can be gathered in the back yard on a beautiful evening -- we're having beautiful evenings here in Florida right now -- and no one will even know the mosquitos are out. Except me. I'll know because it will take only moments for them to seek, target, and strike me.

I have several bites on my legs right now, most of them on my lower legs and ankles -- not ideal for my morning runs. My socks rub the ankle bites and in addition to trying to simply power myself forward for three miles, I've now got to manage a fair amount of itching.

Here's one opinion on what I should do to alleviate my mosquito madness.

• Numb the area with a topical anti-itch remedy containing ammonium solution or menthol (brand names: After Bite, Sarna) or a topical analgesic.
  
  

• Apply a cool compress to calm itching and reduce swelling.
  
  

• Use a topical hydrocortisone cream for allergic reactions with a lot of swelling.
  
  

• Try oral Benadryl (if safe for you) to reduce the histamine reaction that causes itching and swelling. Avoid topical Benadryl, which can cause an allergic reaction.

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Thanks to a special protein produced by sea cucumbers, scientists may be on the right path to finding an effective way to combat malaria. Lectin kills off the parasites that are responsible for making the mosquito carrying them so dangerous.

The way it works is that scientists genetically fuse parts of the protein-making gene to the mosquito's. So lectin ends up killing the parasites before they can migrate to the salivary glands of the mosquito which is where the point of contact happens with humans. At this stage, it's mostly impractical because for it to be used as a truly effective method against malaria, researchers would need to introduce the modified species.

But that's never been done before, and the genetically engineered mosquitos are not able to use the sea cucumber's protein to kill 100% of all the parasites. They are on the right track, however, and hopefully it is just a matter of time before they find a way to use this method to fight the disease which is responsible for a million deaths per year.

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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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This bit of news is just for fun: our brilliant American scientists are working on mosquitoes with glow-in-the-dark eyes to help us battle disease.

Yes, this is for real!

So the genetically engineered "glowing eyes" serve no purpose other than to help the scientists distinguish different "breeds" of mosquito (apparently creating a stripe on their backs or something wasn't an option) but overall the news is good -- it looks like a new genetically modified mosquito type might not only be resistant to carrying the parasite that causes malaria, but it's also hardier and has a higher survival rate than the "common" mosquito found in parts of Africa where malaria is the most prevalent. The thought seems to be that someday they will attempt disease control by introducing this new mosquito into the wild bug population, with the hope that it replaces the "old" mosquitoes and malaria infections drop.

So I see the thought process here, but something is wrong with this plan... (even if it does make them easier to swat in the dark).

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