Best 4th of July: Keep Bugs and Ants Away from Your Picnic This Holiday Weekend

July 2, 2010— -- With the fireworks of the Fourth of July bearing down on us, Americans everywhere are planning fun holiday weekends, and they've invited friends and family to make the most of the nation's birthday.

But uninvited guests can spoil the picnic. Brazen bugs and flies that buzz around your food can ruin the mood.

Bug expert Michael Raupp, a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland in College Park, appeared on the show today to tell you what you can do to keep those peskiest of guests from spoiling the fun.

Q: Are the flies that appear around picnics and barbecues dangerous?

A: The actual bug that that generally appears at outdoor summer events is called a blow fly. They're associated with dead animals, and have very pretty metallic blue, green or red colors. Before they showed up at your picnic, they were probably at some point in touch with organic matter – such as a dead animal or dog poop. That means the flies can be contaminated with a number of microbes that can cause people to fall ill. This is how people often pick up stomach illnesses at a picnic.

Q: How can I keep the flies from landing on my food?

A: Be careful where you sit. Don't sit near a garbage can or low-lying vegetation. That's where they congregate. Get a net cover for exposed food. That way, if you're serving buffet-style, your food stays covered.

Q: Which bugs sting?

A: The main ones to worry about are yellow jackets, or honey bees. While it's too early in the season for yellow jackets, honey bees are around, and they like sugar. That means they can climb into your soda can, you might not notice that they're there and get stung in the mouth when you take a sip of soda.

The solution here is to drink from a clear bottle so you can see if anything's in there. Give children juice in boxes.