That mosquito bite got you ticked off? Here's why.

Have you noticed a bothersome mosquito that bites during the day? Do you (and your pet) seem to get more and more deer ticks every time you go outside? Has your home been invaded by stink bugs? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can blame climate change.

In the U.S., we have roughly 230 species of native stink bugs, but the brown marmorated stink bug that’s invading our homes by the hundreds and sometimes thousands was accidentally introduced from Asia. Not directly harmful to humans, these pests can still cause major problems. They are not picky when it comes to eating and will damage or destroy backyard gardens, and have become a serious pest of fruit, vegetable and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region. Even worse, it’s likely the pest, and the damage it causes, will spread to other areas. Warmer temperatures have shortened their life cycle, allowing  for more reproductive cycles per year, resulting in rapid growth in their populations. Currently, stink bugs have 1-2 generations per year, but climate change will cause that to increase, and warmer winters will increase survival rates during winter hibernation.

The tiger mosquito, also introduced from Asia, first appeared in Texas and is now present in 26 states in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. The northern reaches of its current range are southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Long Island. What’s most concerning about this pest is its ability to transmit more than 30 different viruses to humans, including West Nile, eastern equine encephalitis, dengue fever, and chikungunya, all of which pose serious risks to human health. In a warming climate, the tiger mosquito could move as far north as Maine and Lake Erie. By the end of this century, 30 million residents of the northeastern U.S. could face exposure to the tiger mosquito.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in Lyme disease cases thanks to large populations of black-legged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks. Lyme disease can cause a variety of symptoms including fever, fatigue, and headache, and more serious symptoms if undiagnosed/untreated such as chronic joint pain and nervous system abnormalities. In addition to Lyme disease, deer ticks can also transmit the bacterial disease anaplasmosis and babesiosis, which is a protozoan to humans. There are over 30,000 cases of Lyme disease reported to the Centers for Disease Control annually but the actual number of cases is believed to be roughly 10 times that amount, and deer ticks are projected to be even more widespread due to climate change and milder winters.

Ticked off yet? For a more in-depth look at these, and other pests, check out the National Wildlife Federation's latest report: Ticked Off: America’s OutdoorExperience and Climate Change.

Jen Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.