With summer here, parents are bugging me about how to protect their children and themselves from those bothersome mosquitoes and other summer insects. I’ll bite into this problem and provide a few solutions that hopefully will not sting.

–

Natural ways to avoid being bitten

–

– Avoid areas where mosquitoes tend to nest or gather, like stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods, and gardens with flowers, particularly between dusk and dawn.

– Don’t dress your child like a flower. Have them wear light clothing but avoid bright floral colors. Khaki, beige and olive don’t seem to be attractive to mosquitoes.

– Don’t have your children smell like a flower. Certain odors can also attract bugs, so avoid strong fragrances in soaps, shampoos and lotions. Citronella lotions do seem to keep the bugs away.

–

The 411 on insect repellent

–

If you want to protect your child beyond the clothing and lack of odor, you can try an insect repellent on exposed areas of the skin.

– The most effective are still ones that contain the chemical DEET. These should be used sparingly on kids over the age of two months. If absorbed too much into the skin, these can cause convulsions and even a coma.

– A repellant that contains 30% or less of DEET can be used safely if applied sparingly to exposed skin no more than every six hours. Do not apply to the hands if a child is prone to suck their thumbs.

– Clothing made of synthetic fibers can be damaged by DEET, so consider spraying clothing with another chemical called permethrin. This protects clothing quite nicely but doesn’t work as well on skin.

– Avoid combination products of sunscreen and insect repellants. Sunscreen should be reapplied frequently, while DEET should be applied much less frequently.

If a bite does occur, proceed with cool compresses, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen. If swelling of the face or mouth occurs, nausea, vomiting or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately as these may be signs of a serious allergic reaction.

Hopefully tips like these will take care of business or “buzz-iness” when it comes to dealing with those pesky summer insects.

Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.