#1 Mosquitoes

These ubiquitous party crashers can suck the fun out of any outdoor fiesta.

What to do:

Clean your gutters. That’s often a main, and neglected, breeding site for mosquitoes, says Chris Enroth, a horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension office in Macomb.

Plug in a fan. Or install a ceiling fan. Mosquitoes don’t like flying in high wind, Enroth says. Cheers for cool breezes sans bug bites!

#2 Doors That Stick

Wooden doors can swell, outgrowing their jambs (what holds doors steady as you open and close them) on humid days, causing an annoyingly sticky situation.

What to do:

Tighten the hinge screws. There’s a chance your doors just slipped out of alignment.

Scale back the weather stripping. If you installed it in the winter to keep out drafts, it could be too thick come summer.

Shave down the door. As a last resort, use a planer or sander to trim down the door ever so slightly, concentrating on the area with a visibly worn finish. Seal the newly exposed edge with paint or wood sealant to block out future humidity.

#3 Carpenter Ants and Carpenter Bees

Although named for a helpful trade, both carpenter ants and carpenter bees often make their nests by burrowing into your home’s wood, which can cause some really pricey damage on top of their annoying presence.

What to do:

Keep all exposed wood sealed or painted. Don’t forget the bottoms of window sills!

Direct water away from wood. Gutters and flashing will help keep wood dry, says Bob Boucher, owner of a handyman company in Concord, N.H.

Evict existing colonies. Look for sawdust trails to find the entrance, then use a rinsed squeezable ketchup bottle to blow an insecticide dust or boric acid powder into the hole.

#4 AC That Causes You to Freeze in One Room and Sweat in Another

Moving from your first-floor kitchen to a second-floor bedroom shouldn’t require a wardrobe change.

What to do:

Check your ductwork. Look for unsealed joints or hire a pro to make sure your ducts are properly sized. Both can affect your system’s ability to deliver conditioned air to each room.

Set your whole-house fan to on. This continuous circulation will mix the air so no space is too hot or too cold.

Direct more cool air upstairs. Look for ductwork dampers in the basement to open during the summer months.

#5 Fruit Flies

Because fruit flies lay their eggs on decaying organic material (yeah, yuck), summer’s bounty of fresh fruits and veggies can invite these disgusting freeloaders into your home. There’s a ton of solutions on the Internet, but preventative measures work best.

What to do:

Keep sinks, drains, and disposals clean. Even dirty dishes can harbor fruit flies.

Freeze food waste. Place rotting fruit, meat scraps, etc. in a bag in your freezer until garbage day.

Pitch overripe fruit. And until you eradicate the flies, keep all other produce in the fridge or a sealed container.

Pour bleach or boiling water down the drain. This will kill any eggs or remaining adult flies.