With the end of the school year in sight, millions of North Americans are ready to pack up kids, pets and picnic hampers and head out of town. Waiting for them are perfect beaches, national monuments and natural attractions galore—along with a horde of uninvited guests waiting to tuck into their version of a 'family-pack'. While some pests are merely annoyances, others not only spoil the day but can leave a legacy of misery for years to come.

Fatal anaphylactic shock can be the result of a single bee sting, mosquitoes transmit the West Nile virus and hard-to-see ticks carry Lyme disease—an illness that can leave its victims listless, unable to function in the workplace and, if untreated, crippled for life.

The good news is that these outcomes are the exceptions, not the rule. The bad news is that some other annoying pests are on the rise. Bedbugs, for example, have been reported to be spreading in some major metropolitan areas and even if your hotel is not one you'd consider to be of the 'fleabag' variety, a few of these voracious critters may have already settled in for the night.

Dr. Vincent Iannelli is an associate professor at the University Of Texas Southwestern Medical School, the creator of www.keepkidshealthy.com and writes about children's health issues for The Pediatrics Guide at About.com (http://pediatrics.about.com). "Bedbugs," he says, "usually cause painless bites, which then become itchy. Since bedbugs usually only come out to feed at night, and they feed infrequently—often just weekly—they can be hard to detect. They do not transmit any dangerous diseases to people, but just the idea that a bug is crawling in their bed and is going to bite them while they are sleeping causes many people's skin to crawl. And, unfortunately, they do seem to be becoming more common these days, especially in hotels, perhaps because of an increase in international travel in recent years. Other experts think that bed bugs are more common because we have reduced the use of more powerful pesticides, like DDT. After getting bit, some people notice a red itchy rash right away, but they may not associate the rash with bed bug bites, especially if they are spending part of their vacation outdoors."

"Like most other insect bites," he adds, "they can be treated with over-the-counter anti-itch creams. Since bed bugs can hide in your luggage and on clothing, if they seem to be following you around from hotel to hotel, you might want to carefully clean them."

Chiggers (also called harvest mites) are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but they're another pest you might get acquainted with during your travels, particularly if you plan to hike in the southern United States. They hide in grass and bushes, so vacationers who are already closer to the ground—such as young children—are likely targets for their bites. According to Dr. Iannelli, "Chigger bites are more a nuisance than anything else. Among the biggest problems of getting bit by chiggers, besides the itch, is that the rash often resembles chickenpox. Unlike chickenpox though, chigger bites are usually only present on a child's waistline, on the back of his knees, under their arms, and on their ankles, sparing their trunk. The rash that results from a chigger bite is easy to spot though, starting as a small red bump and quickly becoming crusted over. Although chiggers don't usually spread diseases, chigger bites can become infected. Most chigger bites don't need any treatment though, except a topical anti-itch cream, like hydrocortisone."



Dr. Iannelli suggests a number of things vacationers can do to take the sting out of summer:

• Make sure to keep as much skin covered with clothing as possible. Wear a long-sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, and a hat.
• Wear light-coloured clothing, so as not to attract bugs.
• Avoid using scented soaps or other products on your baby, since the fragrances can also attract insects.
• Use an insect repellent regularly. Commonly used insect repellents that can usually be safely used in children include those with less than 10% Deet, or others with citronella or soybean oil.
• Apply insect repellents to clothing instead of to skin so that they won't be absorbed.
• Wash off insect repellents as soon as possible.
• Follow the instructions, including age restrictions on any insect repellent you are considering using.
• Avoid areas where insects nest.
• Do daily tick checks of your child's body when he has a possible exposure, especially when camping or hiking, so as to prevent tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease.
• Insect repellents will not protect against most stinging insects, including wasps, bees and fire ants.

As always, if the irritation persists or the reaction is anything more than mild, be sure to consult your family physician.