Insect Bites

While outside, many kids will get bitten by mosquitoes or other bugs. To avoid bug bites, do not use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child and avoid areas where insects nest, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods or gardens where flowers are in bloom. In cases of a bee or wasp sting, you want to remove any visible stinger from the skin using a credit card or your fingernail - scraping if off horizontally. Insect repellants containing DEET are the most effective against ticks and mosquitoes. DEET should *NOT* be used on children under 2 months of age. The maximum concentration currently recommended for children is DEET 30%. Also, combination sunscreen and insect repellents are NOT recommended since sunscreen should be reapplied every 1-2 hours but repellants should not be reapplied.