Because the ATM feeds all during the day, you'll need to be prepared any time you head into the garden. Wear long sleeves and pants, if possible, and use an insect repellent on exposed skin. Make sure you have tight-fitting window screens and doors to keep pests out of your home. Citronella candles can help repel the pests in a confined outdoor seating area. Bug zappers are not effective; they generally kill few mosquitoes and many more beneficial or benign species.

The jury is still out on whether the Asian tiger mosquito will live up to its potential as an efficient carrier of disease. Scientists are guardedly optimistic that the threat is less than originally feared. However, it still makes sense to protect yourself against this pest.