Pests earn their name all year, perhaps no more so than in the summer. Humans spend more time outside in the summer months and our exposure to the bugs, insects and critters that we consider pests is increased. Therefore, so is our exposure to the stings, bites and even diseases many of them carry. U.S. News has more on how to protect yourself from insect stings, spider bites and diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks and other pests. “There’s a whole host of summer pests that can be anything from a nuisance to something that puts us at risk of a serious infection,” Jorge Parada, medical spokesperson for the National Pest Management Association, told U.S. News.  The story goes on to offer a slideshow with tips on dealing with potential summer pest problems such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (turns out that 60 percent of cases originate from just five states, and Arkansas is one of them), insect stings, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, spider bites and even bedbug infestations.