Spring has sprung and summer is bearing down on us. I spent the weekend in the yard and garden, and I will confirm, the bugs are out and hungry.
Let’s take a minute to see how we can keep ourselves and our families safe from bugs this season.
The most common risk that our children encounter in summertime activities are scrapes, cuts, sunburn and bug bites.
Today we will discuss ways to prevent these irritating conditions from happening and also talk about what to do if they occur.
Summer should be fun for everyone, especially kids, but adults too can learn from these valuable tips.
The hazards of bites and stings are not insignificant and go far beyond just painful itching. One hundred deaths a year in the U.S. is officially blamed on insect bites and stings, and researchers believe the actual number is really quite higher.
Some deaths attributed to natural causes are probably actually due to insect bites. For instance, the symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to bee stings are just like those of a heart attack.
But bugs are not the only bothersome dangers that our kids face every day during the summer. Sunburn, abrasions, bruises and bumps are all possible as the games and activities of warm weather begin.
Here are some tips to help make summer a bit less painful for children and adults alike:
• Children are more vulnerable to bug bites and bee stings than adults because they are closer to the ground and their natural curiosity leads them into places where bugs like to live.
Apply insect repellent not only to their exposed skin, but to their clothing as well.
• Perfumes attract insects so use scent-free soaps, skin creams and shampoos on children in the summertime.
• Keep children from playing around stagnant pools of water, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other insects.
Garbage cans and picnic tables with uncovered food also attract insects and should be avoided by youngsters.
• When children return from an outdoor expedition, examine them for bites, watching especially for signs of tick bites.
If you find a tick, carefully remove it by grasping its head with tweezers and pulling straight up. After removing a tick, treat the skin with hydrogen peroxide.
If a child has been bitten by a tick, be alert over the next 30 days for a bull’s-eye pattern rash (a red ring with a white center) at the site of the bite or flu-like symptoms.
The presence of either might signify lyme disease and should be seen immediately by your physician.
• If a child is stung by a honeybee, remove the stinger and the venom sack as quickly as possible. This can be done by scraping the skin with a stiff object, like a credit card.
• Any bite or sting should be washed with a mild soap and an anti-itch mediation applied. Relieving the urge to scratch with children is very important.
There is quite often a greater danger of a secondary infection caused by the scratching than from the bite itself.
• Although they may argue against it, children should wear shoes outdoors to help avoid both bug bites and cut feet, another common summertime hazard.
• Protect children from sunburn even on cloudy days. Dress them in clothing made of tightly woven fabric, which protects them better than clothes with a broader weave.
Children under six months should be kept out of direct sunlight, but for older kids, use a water-resistant or waterproof sunscreen with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of at least 15.
Reapply it often, especially when the kids are swimming or physically active. Kid-sized sunglasses are also a good idea.
• Help children avoid other types of burns by keeping them away from barbecue grills and campfires. Also, after barbecuing, never dump hot coals where kids might accidentally come in contact with them.
• Bugs are attracted to certain bright colors. Mosquitoes are attracted to blue. Bees are attracted to yellow and orange. Avoid dressing kids in these colors.
White is also bad. Dress them in khaki or neutral colors whenever possible.
• Always carry insect repellents in your car or truck’s glove compartment, in your tackle box, backpack or beach bag. Even the best insect repellent will not work if you leave it at home.
• Be alert to the time of day that insects are most active. Blackflies are more prevalent in the morning; mosquitoes tend to bite at dusk and deer flies are most active at midday.
Bug bites, bee stings, scrapes, cuts, sunburn, and other burns are all painful ways to end a summer’s day event for you or your child.
Sometimes these conditions even warrant a trip to the emergency room.
Knowing how to help avoid these inevitable warm weather bothers and how to treat them when they do happen will help you and your family have a safer, happier summer.
Do not let the threat of these problems affect your summer fun. Just be smart enough to prevent what you can and treat the one you cannot prevent.
And above all, never be too proud, too ashamed, or too scared to seek professional medical help. That is what they are for.
One of those Professionals is Erik Zimmerman of VBS bug spray. Do yourself and your family a favor and check out his insect repellent at vanillabugspray.com.
Have a great summer!
(Mike Roux can be reached at roux@adams.net.)
