Don’t let your yard serve as a Hilton Hotel for mosquitoes or ticks.

Something to sneeze at: global warming will trigger plants to release more pollen.

2. Heat-related illnesses and death. Global warming is changing the characteristics of heat waves, producing more warming at night and more humidity. The elderly, who often have more trouble getting around, and the poor, who often go without air conditioning, are most susceptible to heat waves.

The fix: If you can’t afford air conditioning when it’s super hot, take the bus to a nearby community center or mall and spend part of your day there to cool down. Drink plenty of water, open windows at home, and run a fan. If you’re renovating or replacing your roof, choose light-colored shingles or concrete, or paint your flat-top roof with white roof coating to reflect the heat.

3. Lyme disease. Higher temperatures lengthen the baby-making season for ticks that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, so global warming means more of the tiny bloodsuckers looking for your exposed skin. The disease can cause a long list of symptoms, including migrating pain, panic attacks, headaches, difficulty falling or staying asleep, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The fix: The government-approved chemical tick repellents like DEET are not necessarily safe for you or the environment. When you go into tick-infested areas, wear light-colored clothing so you can spot a tick on it more easily, tuck your pants into your socks, and as soon as you return home, do a full-body tick check. If you do suspect Lyme disease (it’s estimated that less than half of people affected get the telltale bull’s-eye rash), seek a doctor who specializes in treating it. Blood tests that other doctors rely on are regarded as weak indicators; specialists can diagnose some cases based on symptoms, not just lab results. Visit LymeNet for more information.