BLOOMINGTON - With summer finally here and a wet spring behind us, many Central Illinoisans will be spending more time working and relaxing in their backyards, barbecuing and playing in parks, and hiking on trails and through woods.

That's all good. But the mosquito bites, tick bites and poison ivy rash that may result are anything but fun.

Injuries and illnesses are common in summer as people are more active outdoors, said Dr. Charles Dennis of Convenient Care, the urgent care clinic at Carle Clinic-Bloomington/Normal.

"But the worst thing would be for people to stay inside to avoid getting injured," Dennis said.

"Being outside improves your sense of well-being, stamina and mood," Dennis said. "Moving helps you to control your weight, increase bone density and reduce your risk of illnesses such as diabetes. And you get vitamin D from the sun."

Adds Don Meyer, director of the University of Illinois Extension-McLean County: "When you're outside, you understand how amazing the world is: you hear the birds and see the plants and it feeds your hunger for learning. You recognize how we humans fit into the balance of nature."

The accompanying information details how to handle some of the risks of being active outdoors.

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Mosquito bites

Risks: While most mosquito bites are merely annoying, some mosquitoes - such as the culex pipiens and Asian Tiger - may carry West Nile virus and encephalitis. Each disease may be life-threatening.

To reduce your risk:

• Drain standing water outside your home (including in clogged gutters) to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Replace water in bird baths and dog bowls every day or two.

• Repair or replace torn window and door screens to reduce the number of mosquitoes that get indoors.

• Avoid being outside for extended periods between dusk and dawn.

• When you are outside after dark, wear long sleeves and long pants if possible and wear an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535. Check the label before using insect repellent on children.

• Burning a candle with citronella outside may reduce your risk of being bitten, provided you are within a few feet of the candle.

How to respond:

• Apply Calamine lotion or Cortisone cream to the bite to avoid scratching and further irritating or infecting the skin.

• If you get a fever, headache or body aches after you've been bitten, see your doctor.

Tick bites

Risks: Lyme disease from the Deer (Blacklegged) Tick and Rocky Mountain spotted fever from the American (Wood) Dog Tick and the Lone Star Tick, which infect the blood stream. Each disease attacks the nervous system and may be serious if not treated immediately.

To reduce your risk:

• When walking in wooded areas or areas with tall grass or weeds, wear long sleeves, long pants tucked into socks, boots and a hat.

• Spray insect repellent containing DEET onto your clothes before spending time in the woods.

• Walk in the center of trails so weeds don't brush against you.

• Before taking dogs with you, make sure they are using Frontline (medicine applied to the back of their neck) and are wearing a flea collar, which help to repel ticks.

• After a hike or every couple of hours in the woods, check yourself and other family members for ticks. Focus on the waistline, trunk, neck and hairline. Check your dog's ears and neck. Ticks have eight legs and a hard coat and from a distance may look like a poppy seed.

How to respond:

• When ticks are crawling on clothes, they may be removed with masking tape or cellophane tape, which then may be folded over and thrown in the trash.

• When a tick is embedded in the skin, use tweezers to grasp the tick as close as possible to the skin. Firmly but slowly pull the tick straight out to let it release you, then crush the tick between two rocks or flush it down the toilet. If you think you need medical attention, place the tick in a jar for identification later by a health professional.

• Wash the bite area and your hands with warm, soapy water. Apply Benadryl or Hydrocortisone cream to the bite site to reduce itching and inflammation.

• If you develop a fever and a rash that looks like a bull's eye, see your doctor immediately and ask to be tested for Lyme disease. Disease carried by ticks can be treated with antibiotics but must be caught early.

Poison ivy

Risks: An uncomfortable and embarrassing rash from the oil (urushiol) of poison ivy. (Note: Poison oak and poison sumac also are risks but are less common in Illinois.)

To reduce your risk:

• Avoid the plant by being able to identify it. Poison ivy has three leaves and a reddish, woody stem and may be low-growing or on a vine. Poison ivy often is found along fence rows, by power lines and at the edge of trails and woods, but may also be found in backyards.

• When weeding on your property, wear gloves.

• If found on your property, consider controlling it by applying Dicamba, an herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds.

• When going on a hike, wear long pants and stay in the center of the trail.

How to respond:

• If a skin rash develops, wash your skin immediately with warm, soapy water, then apply Calamine lotion or Cortisone cream to reduce itching, which can lead to the spreading of the rash. Take Benadryl to reduce swelling. With severe rashes, prescription strength Hydrocortisone cream is available.

• Wash clothes, gloves or tools that came in contact with poison ivy in hot, soapy water. Wash clothes separate from the rest of your laundry.

SOURCES: Bree Davis, McLean County Health Department; Patti Koranda, American Red Cross of the Heartland and Wildcountry; Illinois Department of Public Health; Don Meyer, University of Illinois Extension-McLean County; Dr. Charles Dennis, Carle Clinic-Bloomington/Normal

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Other summer risks

Increasing outdoor activities put people at risk of more than mosquito bites, tick bites and poison ivy. Dr. Charles Dennis of Carle Clinic-Bloomington/Normal's Convenient Care lists common summer activities that land people in urgent care clinics and how people can reduce their risks of injury:

Driving

Use your seat belt and make sure everyone else - including young children - is properly buckled up. Follow rules of the road and be especially vigilant during peak driving times.

Bicycling

Follow rules of the road and always wear a properly fitted bike helmet.

Skateboarding

Wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads.

Boating

Follow boating rules and avoid alcohol when operating watercraft.

Swimming

Never swim alone, always supervise children who are in or near water and never dive headfirst into water with which you are not familiar.

Summer sports

Know your limits and your degree of conditioning and don't exceed them.

House projects

Don't work beyond your skill levels and follow equipment safety instructions.