Summer heat is just around the corner, and as usual, bugs will take center stage.

A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new maps of the estimated range of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the Zika-carrying bug.Our area is in that zone, meaning eastern Pennsylvania could become home to the potentially dangerous insect, the CDC cautions.Zika virus is a generally mild illness. Common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (we call it pinkeye), lasting from several days to one week. But it's also been linked to birth defects, too.What this means is that folks need to take precautions and avoid mosquitoes as much as possible.For instance, those with swimming pools, including municipalities with community pools, will want to make sure the pH and chlorine levels are adjusted accurately to avoid becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes.Other tips: drain any standing water around your house, cover your skin with repellent and clothing, and make sure your open windows have screens.Mosquitoes are almost always bad news.It was only a few years ago we were warned to avoid going into the woods because of the West Nile virus. That culprit, too, was spread by mosquitoes, making us wonder - did those darn bugs fly all the way from Egypt simply to annoy us?Bugs always seem to impact our quality of life at summertime.No wonder I've become the Ebenezer Scrooge of June, July and August. Those months are overrated. Summer is just something I put up with while I await the beauty of fall.Most others feel different, I'm certain. Most folks revel in summertime because school is out and parks are open. Families go on picnics, camping and to the shore or mountains.But, for me, bugs always seem to ruin it.There's nothing more unappetizing than eating in the woods and finding an ugly caterpillar sitting atop your slice of lemon meringue pie. Yuck.Don't mind me if I take my pie indoors.Of course, to each his own. If picnickers and Daniel Boone prefer to eat outdoors amid moss, mold and bird feathers, good for them. Go for it. But I don't care to share my dining space with creepy crawlers. I suppose that's why I never really enjoyed camping.Summertime also brings us the wrath of nature. Hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are on the menu. That's heavy stuff. So yes, summertime and plagues go hand in hand.Summertime always seems to bring a major health threat, too.In 2009, the big deal was a threat of swine flu.The government came up with a vaccine and just about everybody ran out to get a swine flu shot. Interestingly, nobody I knew came down with swine flu. But the scare of a predicted pandemic made for an interesting summer.For the sake of balanced journalism, I need to point out that summertime has benefits. Parades, flea markets and special outdoor events are high on my list.And you just can't beat the farm produce stands.Fresh strawberries, corn on the cob and watermelon top the list.But remember to bite into the corn before the worms do.Those darn bugs can ruin everything.Contact Donald R. Serfass at

dserfass@tnonline.com.