Reading this old thread and the recent replies... I like living at elevation in Arizona, it's dry enough most of the year to keep those pests from multiplying, and the winters are cold enough to kill off most bugs, or keep 'em dormant. My cats enjoy lives free of ticks & fleas, though we do have scorpions & rattlesnakes, lol. Big ol' tarantulas too, but they're basically harmless, and I let 'em go on their way.
That humidity Old Crow mentioned is the reason why I won't move to the Midwest, South, or East. I remember that slop from my "trucking daze"---I'd rather take my chances out West. Elevation is the key to comfortable living in Arizona, particularly during the warmer months. We get a little humidity during monsoon season, but nothing like Tucson or Phoenix.
And the "sky islands" are great for beating the heat, some of these ranges rise well above the surrounding high desert, and the temperature is much cooler at elevation. 20 degrees difference last time I visited nearby Mt. Graham, which rises to 10720' or so. There's a nice little lake at roughly 9000', and when the temp was in the 90s down below, it was in the 70s at the lake. Big difference!
If I wind up buying an RV, I think I may return to the White Mountains and boondock all summer long... it's so nice up there in the summer, I never really had to run the A/C in my home, I just "worked the windows" at certain times of day to regulate the temp inside. Dual-pane windows, of course, which are nice for holding coolness in as well as heat, kinda like turning my home into one giant cooler.
Here in Cochise County, I only have single-pane windows, but the same principle applies as I work the windows. This time of year, I open the windows early (if they're not already open overnight) to let the cool air in, then seal it in for the hotter part of the day, eventually opening the windows again in the late afternoon. Works like a charm, no need to run the furnace or A/C, which saves money.
Going back to the bugs, we do have some pesky insects during "bug season"---ants are the worst, they'll come boiling up out of the ground and overrun your yard if ya don't nuke the nest with poison. I'm not big on using poison, since I have my cats' safety to consider, but I'll pour some poison directly down each hole and that'll cramp the ants' style for awhile... but you never kill 'em all, they'll be back.
Honestly, I've yet to see a flea at elevation in Arizona, or a tick either, though they might be out there on some of those ranches where livestock is kept. Never saw any deer ticks in the forest either, up there in the White Mountains, but they might be up there... I dunno. Saw plenty of deer & elk, herds of 'em, but I never saw any ticks. Good riddance, as far as I'm concerned, never had much use for 'em.