Insect Bite and Repellant Safety Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics

Keep your family safe from injury, itches and insect-transmitted disease this summer by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

• Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
• Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
• If possible, eliminate stagnant water, such as in bird baths or fish ponds, in your yard. Dump any buckets or tires that may contain standing water. Check that your window screens are tightly fitted and repair any holes to keep bugs out of the house.
• Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
• To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it with a credit card or your fingernail.
• Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because the sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied that often.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and other viruses.
• The current AAP and CDC recommendation for children older than 2 months of age is to use 10% to 30% DEET. DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months of age.
• The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of protection.
• The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
• As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5% to10%.
• When outside in the evenings or other times when there are a lot of mosquitoes present, cover up with long sleeved shirts, pants and socks to prevent bites.
• Children should wear hats to protect against ticks when walking in the woods, high grasses or bushes.  Check hair and skin for ticks at the end of the day.