Summer is time for swimming in pools, grilling out, or just basking in the sun – but for many, it’s hard to enjoy their backyard without being eaten alive by bugs, particularly mosquitos. This is especially true if you live in a humid area like Maryland or Virginia in the summer.

Here are the three most effective solutions to alleviate major problems with bugs, such as mosquitos and other unwanted pests.

If you live in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, or pretty much anywhere in the Washington D.C. metro area, you are familiar with the unrelenting mosquitoes and blistering summer sun that have made screened-in porches so popular among residents living close to the water.

Screened porches offer protection from bugs and are frequently fitted with fans to help make the outdoors more enjoyable during Maryland's humid summers. Be it the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, or the small creek running behind your property, we've compiled five screen room ideas for your waterfront lifestyle.

Nearly every part of Maryland receives approximately four inches of rain per month, while the annual rainfall in our state ranges from 35 to 45 inches. The average winter snowfall for our area exceeds 20 inches. If you’re a Maryland resident, this isn’t news to you – our state is one of the wettest.

All of this precipitation can lead to calamities of nature that damage your home. Not to mention it can be downright depressing to be cooped up in your house day after day while rain and snow take their toll and hamper your ability to breathe in some fresh air.

We received an email from a potential customer yesterday who needed to have an estimate for replacing their screen room because their existing porch had fallen during the DC earthquake of 2011.  The remarkable thing is that only the floor and structure fell while the roof, railings, and post remained suspended in the air.  Luckily the home owners were on vacation and no one was hurt.