FARGO — For Ricky Eden and his friend Dejan, they're happy to get back on the Island Park tennis courts on a sunny Sunday, June 21, but while they're swinging away, they know bugs could come out at any time.
"When it gets to be late August and you're playing down here under the lights, there will be just so many bugs flying in the lights, and then you almost got to get some protection," Eden said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning the public about mosquito and tick season as summer starts, as the peak months for ticks to come out are June and July.
Outdoor clothing stores like Beyond Running, 516 Broadway North in Fargo, are seeing more customers get protective clothing.
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Jake Olson, one of the store's managers, said any kind of gear can help protect yourself from more than just insects, and light-colored clothing is a better deterrent for bugs than dark-colored clothing.
"When it's hot in the summertime, some fabrics work better than others," he said. "There's a lot of them that are going to be more technical and work for sun protection and also keeping the bugs off you."
Olson also said the right protection depends on the type of day.
If it's a cooler day, and you choose to wear long pants, experts say one thing you can do is tuck your pants into your socks or shoes.
But, if you're wearing shorts, they say the best thing you can do is wear multiple coats of bug spray.
Eden believes the best way to avoid bugs entirely is to keep moving, especially for ticks.
"I don't want no ticks, that's for sure," he said. "We don't want no Lyme disease."
