Nothing ruins a lovely summer picnic more than a swarm of insects. These creepy, crawly, buzzing pests not only have the ability to put an end to your day, but can also contaminate your food, or send you to the hospital. But don’t fret; there are many simple things you can do to send these annoying pests packing:

Ants

Ants are often the most common pests at picnics. They tend to come around anywhere food is present. According to the University of Illinois’ Department of Horticulture, individual ants discover your food and return to their nest, leaving a trail that allows the other ants to find the food.

You can try to get rid the ants by keeping all food covered until you eat, and then replacing the cover and cleaning up any remaining scraps when you are finished eating. If you find an ant near your food, squish it or carry it far away from your picnic site so it won’t bring other ants back. Ants are often more of an annoyance than a danger, but if you see red fire ants at your picnic you should take caution as they can bite.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes often don’t show up until the sun goes down. You can use bug repellant, bug spray or citronella candles to help keep them away. The best way to get away from mosquitoes, however, is to move your picnic indoors or into a screened tent at dusk. The University of Illinois’ Department of Horticulture also recommends sitting in front of a fan to help blow away the mosquitoes before they get to you.

Mosquitoes are known carriers of West Nile virus, a rare illness that can produce mild flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches and skin rashes in healthy people. However, older people and those with weaker immune systems are more susceptible to this virus and can develop potentially serious symptoms.

There currently is no vaccine for West Nile virus, so the best measure to take is prevention. The FDA recommends using an insect repellent with DEET (but for children and infants be sure the product contains to more than 10 percent DEET). You can also try topical anti-itch cream or herbal pastes to help relieve itching.

Bees

Bees are often attracted to food – especially foods that are high in sugar, so keep it covered at all times. Bees also tend to hover around garbage cans – make sure you locate your picnic several yards away from the nearest trashcan. You should also keep a close eye on your beverage, as bees will often go into soda cans unrecognized until a person takes a drink and gets stung.

Although most bee sting reactions are mild, they can be potentially dangerous – even deadly for some people. According to Charles Pattavina, M.D., an emergency physician at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, if you notice swelling where the stung took place, or you develop hives, itching, rash, or difficulty breathing, it might be an allergic reaction. Even if you’ve been stung before, or have no known allergy to bees, you are still at risk for an allergic reaction.

According to the FDA, you can help keep bees away by wearing light-colored clothing, and avoiding wearing scented beauty products. If you do get stung, remove the stinger using a side-to-side motion with a flat object such as a credit card. Refrain from using tweezers as this may push the stinger deeper into the skin, which can lead to a release of more venom. After the stinger has been removed, apply ice or a cold compress.

Ticks

Although most ticks are relatively harmless, some carry Lyme disease, which includes symptoms such as rashes, muscle aches and stiff joints. This disease is transmitted through humans by the black-legged deer tick, a tick that most commonly lives on deer and is only the size of a pinhead. When the insect bites your skin, it starts out looking like a small red spot. If the spot grows larger and develops into a “bulls-eye”-looking rash, you should consult with a medical professional to make sure it isn’t Lyme disease.

The risk of Lyme disease can be easily prevented. According to the FDA, early removal is important because a tick generally has to remain on the skin for 36 hours in order to transmit Lyme disease. If you have spent long hours in heavily wooded areas, check yourself for ticks before you go to bed. If you find one, the FDA recommends removing it with tweezers, placing it in a plastic bag and throwing it away. Further, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends using an antiseptic to clean the area.

If you know you will be entering an area that is prone to ticks (lots of trees), you should use repellent made with DEET to help ward them off.

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Center for Disease Control; University of Illinois Department of Horticulture.