1. STAY SCENT-FREE
Avoid using perfume or heavily scented soaps, lotions and shampoos. They attract both bugs and bees.

2. GEAR UP
Before you go out, cover your skin as completely as possible - most insects are unable to bite through any but the thinnest clothing. Wear shoes, long sleeves and long trousers tucked into your socks.

3. BE COLOUR CONSCIOUS
Wear khaki or neutral colours. Some biting insects are attracted to dark colours, especially blue, so avoid it. Bees and wasps are attracted to bright colours.

4. USE INSECT REPELLENT
Like sunscreen, insect repellent is an outdoor essential. Apply the right repellent for you to clothing and to any uncovered skin, and re-apply when you notice the effect is wearing off - swimming and weather conditions can all affect how long a repellent has a protective effect.

Repellents containing DEET are the most effective and used according to label instructions, DEET is a perfectly safe and highly effective way to protect yourself in bug infested, high-risk disease areas. Repellents using only natural ingredients, are preferable for use in the numerous outdoor locations where powerful chemical repellents are unnecessary - particularly for young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always read the product label.

5. BE PREPARED
Always carry repellents in your car glove compartment, beach bag, fishing tackle box or backpack. Even the best repellents won't protect you if they're left at home.

6. AVOID POPULAR BUG SPOTS Choose a spot that isn't an insects' favourite. Mosquitoes like cool moist places, so avoid stagnant pools of water wherever possible. Some popular breeding grounds include lakes, puddles, birdbaths and inside old tyres. Flies tend to hover around animals and sweet foods. Blackflies are attracted to dark, moving objects. Hornets nest in trees and bushes. Ticks are prevalent in woodland and rough vegetation -popular areas for walking the dog. Bees are drawn to food and seem to sting when the weather is grey rather than when the sun is out.

7. PICK THE RIGHT TIME
Be alert to the time of day when insects are most active. Mosquitoes tend to bite at dawn and dusk, particularly just as the sun is setting; blackflies are busiest in the morning; deerflies are prevalent at midday; and midges tend to bite when the light is not bright - when the skies become grey and cloudy, at dawn or at twilight.

8. KEEP KIDS SAFE
Make sure they are protected with proper clothing and use repellents that are most appropriate for children. Use any repellent sparingly and if using a chemical-based repellent, follow advice on how to use it safely - don't apply it to the hands of children who tend to put their fingers in their mouth, and always bathe your children when they return indoors for the night to remove any remaining repellent.

9. CHECKPOINT
When you return home, check your children and yourself for insect bites, especially tick bites. If you find a tick, carefully remove it by grasping its head with tweezers and pulling off with a twisting motion, or cover with Vaseline which prevents them breathing so they drop off. To reduce the risk of infection, clean the bite with hydrogen peroxide and be alert over the following 30 days for either a spreading area of redness at the site of the bite, or flu-like symptoms. The presence of either might signify Lyme disease, which is highly treatable in its early stages, and you should visit your doctor immediately.

10. OUCH! - BUT DON'T SCRATCH
If, after every precaution, an insect bite does occur, be sure to keep the bite cool and apply a bite treatment to reduce itching and scratching, and prevent it becoming infected. Impetigo is a common bacterial skin infection amongst children that usually begins when a child scratches a bug bite or other small break in the skin. In extreme cases, the infection can invade a deeper layer of skin and develop into eczema.