1. Location
It’s a great time to be outside, for children and the bugs that bite or sting them. Prepare your child before she goes outdoors and know what to do if she is bitten or stung.
Know your yard or the area where your child will be playing. Mosquitoes love grassy, wooded areas, as well as lakes and ponds. Bees, wasps and yellow jackets can be found in a wide range of places, such as gardens, lawns, forests and beaches. Ticks live in wooded areas, but this can be a forest or the woods in your neighborhood park.
2. Check the Time
Most insects like cooler times of day when the sun isn’t shining brightly. Many insects also like the shade of wooded areas. Mosquitoes are the most active during dusk, so you may want to keep your child inside during this time. If your child must be outside during dusk, it’s a good idea to dress him in pants and long-sleeved shirt.
3. What's the Attraction
Look around your yard, neighborhood, park or any other outside area your child visits. Mosquitoes are attracted to and breed in standing water, so get rid of or frequently clean your bird bath, pond, wading pool or buckets. Anything outside with still water can attract mosquitoes, even an unused pet dish. Bees, wasps and yellow jackets are often attracted to food or garbage cans, so make sure these have a tightly fitting lid or cover. If you’re having a picnic, try to keep food covered so you don’t get a lot of uninvited buzzing guests.
4. Easy First Aid
If your child is stung, don’t use tweezers to try and remove the stinger. You may end up pushing it deeper into the skin. A better tool is your credit card—use it to gently scrape the stinger out. For stings from bees or fire ants, wash the area and apply ice to reduce the swelling. Mosquito bites can benefit from hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion, or a dab of baking-soda paste.
5. When to Call Your Doctor
Most insect bites can be treated at home and will barely slow down your child. In some cases, you will need to contact your doctor. Rarely, mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as the West Nile virus. Call your doctor if a bite seems infected or your daughter develops a fever or severe headache. Ticks can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, so call your doctor if your child develops a fever or rash. Bees, wasps, yellow jackets and fire ants are especially dangerous if your child is allergic to them, which you may not know until he is bitten or stung. Call your doctor immediately if he has any trouble breathing, develops hives, dizziness, or widespread redness or swelling.
