bugs

I'm not complaining. I love Summer weather. The sunshine, warm breezes, birds chirping, and flowers blooming inspire me to head outside for my runs, plus I'm so loving just slipping on shorts and a tank top instead of tons of layers. There are just a couple things that I hate about Summer runs, so if these are bothering you too, here are some ways to deal with them.

1. Bugs flying in my eyes: Why do bugs love eyes so much? It's so gross. I make sure to always wear sunglasses on my Summer runs, and if I'm trail running or mountain biking, I spritz some bug spray on my clothes to help keep them away.
2. Sweat dripping down my chest: I thought I was alone on this one, so it's not something I normally would share, but a fellow fit friend said she too hates it when sweat drips down her cleavage. My remedy? I stuff a bunch of tissues down there (no one can tell), and it absorbs the sweat so I don't feel tickled or itchy.

I'm not through venting so keep reading.

OK, I thought I was the only one, but turns out, there are other Android users out there who are experiencing an error on their phones with potentially disastrous consequences — a bug that can inadvertently send your text to the wrong contact.

I haven't had any wrong-recipient mix-ups (at least not that I know of), but I have experienced a related bug that sometimes causes my texting app to lag or open up the wrong (and random) contact when I try to send an SMS, which, if you're not too careful, can mean sending a text meant for someone (say, boyfriend) to the completely wrong person (say, mom).

Luckily, Google has heard the cries and responded that its engineers are developing fixes for both problems, which it says will be released soon. Want to know how the company suggests we cope in the meantime? Read about its response after the break.

Turns out there's a word for what I'm feeling when I look at this bug – entonophobia, or fear of ticks — and your pets should be scared, too! The common external parasite can transmit fatal illnesses like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, and you should do daily checks for the dangerous insects, especially if you live in woody, grassy, or brushy areas.

Ticks look like this creature; they're tiny black, brown, or reddish eight-legged insect about the size of a pinhead. However, when they attach themselves to your pet, they can swell up several times their original size! If you see one of these creepy crawlers on your furry friends, while tweezers can get the job done, Ticked Off ($10) makes it even easier to get bugs off safely. The notched spoon opening allows you to pull the tick without squeezing the bug and the bacteria into your pet during the removal process!

See my step-by-step advice to get 'em off and read more

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
Mosquitoes love me. Aside from using repellent featuring DEET (the natural sprays don’t work for me at all), is there anything else I can do to make myself less attractive to hungry pests? I heard drinking white vinegar helps. Also, once bitten, what is the best way to calm down the itchy factor of the bites? I end up bruising myself from scratching so hard!
— Covered With Bites

I must admit, mosquitoes and bugs love me too! In fact, my husband says I must be made of "sweet meat" because bugs love to sink their teeth into me! I think this is a great question to discuss while it's still Summer, so read more

If the scent or the effects of chemical bug sprays worry you, why not go the natural way? Lavender is a wonderful natural bug repellent, and it smells fantastic, too. Try placing potted lavender and other herb plants near your doors to repel bugs from entering your home. When you're having a picnic or hosting an outdoor dinner party, set some bunches of dried lavender on your table to use as table décor and keep the insects away!

When the party is over, bring it up to your bedroom and place it on your nightstand: lavender is also known to improve sleep quality and promote relaxation.

I made the mistake of leaving my trash out when I went away for Memorial Day weekend and came home to find that a family of gnats had moved into my kitchen. Needless to say, I was not pleased. But thanks to a little trick of mine I was able to take the life of every last one of 'em by the following morning.

Simply take a plastic water bottle and cut off the top third or so of the bottle — just below the label will do. Then, pour a little wine (white or red) into the base. Next, invert the top portion of the bottle, cap off, into the bottle's base. The little insects will be attracted to the sweet wine, fly in, and be unable to escape. Jesus was onto something with his water and wine, I guess . . .

Shoo fly. I said shooooo and I mean it. Oh well, if your willing away just won't work, grab this high-powered weapon instead.

The Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun ($30) uses a powerful inward gust of air to suck those bugs up into a catch-and-release tube. This magnifying glass-equipped chamber allows you to examine your captures, to make sure you got your hit, then safely and humanely transport them outside for a future of freedom. Perfect for the squeamish, aspiring entomologists and the buggy lovers in all of us. Would you pack this pistol?

Diatomaceous earth (aka, DE) is a naturally occurring, soft, chalklike sedimentary rock that is made from tiny, fossilized water plants and can be easily crumbled into a powder. In its powder form, DE dehydrates an insect's exoskeleton, killing them, so it makes a great nontoxic pesticide. You can disperse DE around your garden to protect your plants. To do so, fill a large spice shaker with it and dust it around the soil of your plants. Try Earthworks Health to order diatomaceous earth and a dispenser, if you need one.