The summer can be a nightmare for parents with swarms of midges, buzzing bees and wasps flying around in gardens and the outdoors.
Bites from garden bugs and ticks along with wasps and bee stings can be painful and are commonly seen in the GP surgery.
But there are some helpful tips to help prevent being bitten or stung.
Cambridgeshire NHS GP Dr Emma Tiffin said the most common bugs to be aware of in the summer months are garden insects, such as flower bugs and ladybirds.
"Parents will come in particularly with children where they've had a bit that's become very inflamed and sometimes itchy and painful," she said.
"We do see some wasp and bee stings but these are relatively rare. Occasionally we get the off tick bite that can lead to Lyme disease."
Here's a lowdown on some of the pesky critters to be aware of, and how to prevent being bitten.
These are increasingly becoming an unpleasant feature of strolls through UK woods, moors or thick grass.
Once they have latched onto you, ticks cling to your skin and suck your blood. The bite does not really hurt, but certain types of tick can transmit a condition called Lyme disease. Therefore, remove a tick as soon as you spot one on your skin.
Prevent tick bites: Wear long sleeves and trousers when you are walking in forested, overgrown areas and use a tick repellent.
See a doctor if: you get a circular rash spreading out from where you were bitten or you develop the symptoms of Lyme disease.
They may sound innocuous, pretty even, but do not let this fool you. These common predatory insects, which feed on aphids and mites, can take an aggressive bite out of human skin too. The wounds are very itchy and often slow to heal.
You can identify the common flower bug by its tiny oval body, reflective wings and orange-brown legs. Look out for them on flowering plants in meadows, parks and gardens.
Prevent flower bug bites: The common flower bug bite isn't serious, but it's very annoying. You could use insect repellent when gardening or, better still, cover your bare skin and wear gloves to stop them nipping.
The harlequin ladybird is a recent invader to our shores, but in the space of just a few years has colonised much of the UK.
They are bigger, rounder and more aggressive than native ladybirds such as the two spot and seven spot. All ladybirds can nip, but harlequins seem to bite more than others.
The harlequin ladybird can be red or orange with multiple spots. Look out for a white spot on its head – native red ladybirds never have white patches.
Prevent ladybird bites: Wear gloves when gardening, but try not to intentionally kill harlequin ladybirds. It is hard to selectively get rid of them without hurting native ladybirds, and all ladybirds are good for the garden.
Mosquito, midge and blackfly bites usually present themselves as red, raised lumps that can be incredibly itchy.
Mosquitoes are incredibly good at biting and stealing your blood without you even knowing. They produce an anaesthetic when they bite.
Mosquitoes are usually active from the spring through to the autumn but can hide out over the winter under man hole covers and in your attic.
Prevent mosquito bites: Mosquitos are most prevalent in the warm evenings. Covering your arms and legs or using mosquito repellent are effective.
You will not have an allergic reaction after your first sting by a wasp, but you can develop a serious allergic reaction, also known as an anaphylactic reaction.
Prevent wasp stings: Do not try to swat wasps away. You'll just make them cross and more likely to sting you. Instead, calmly and slowly move out of their way.
Like other stinging insects, wasps love bright colours so wear white or neutral clothes to deter them. Look out for wasps' nests in your home or garden and have them removed immediately by your local council or a pest control expert when you find them.
See a doctor if: you develop symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.
The horsefly, a large, hairy fly whose bite can be extremely painful, tends to bite on warm, sunny days, especially the head and upper body.
You'll know about it pretty quickly. The bites are painful and itchy.
Horsefly bites develop into large, red, itchy, swollen bumps within minutes. For most people they're completely harmless, but they are extremely uncomfortable.
Prevent horsefly bites: The horsefly doesn't spread disease, but as its bite cuts the skin rather than piercing it, horse fly bites are very painful, take longer to heal than other insect bites and can easily become infected, so cover up and use insect repellent.
Midges and gnats
Midges , often also called gnats, are a common feature throughout the rest of the UK, especially on damp and cloudy summer days.
Midge bites do not transmit illness but they are painful, itch intensely and can swell up alarmingly.
Prevent midge bites: Midges and gnats tend to attack in swarms, especially in hot weather, so use an insect repellent and cover up at dawn and dusk.
Protective gear, such as mesh covers for your face, can be very effective too.
"Dr Tiffin added: "There's lots of insect repellent on the market that has eucalyptus, some of them [repellent] are completely natural if parents are worried chemicals.
"Parents should be worried if the bit is very large, more than 10cm, then we would worry about things like infection. If there's puss there on the rare occasion you would need an antibiotic, you would need to see the doctor."