(Provided photo)

With summer here, parents are constantly bugging me about what they can do to protect their children and themselves from those bothersome mosquitoes and other summer insects.

Let me try to bite into this problem and provide a few solutions that, hopefully, will not sting.

The best ways to avoid being bitten

¯ Avoid areas where mosquitoes tend to nest or gather. This includes areas with stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods, and gardens with flowers in bloom, particularly between dusk and dawn.

¯ Do not dress your child like a flower. This means wearing light clothing but avoiding bright floral colors. Khaki, beige, and olive seem not to be attractive to mosquitoes.

¯ Do not have them smell like flowers, either. Certain odors can also attract bugs so avoid fragrances in soaps, shampoos, and lotions at this time of year except for citronella lotions which do seem to keep the bugs away.

¯ Carefully consider 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 which will protect against an insect’s bite but not their sting.

Insect repellent guidelines

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

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

¯ 10% DEET lasts for about two hours and 30% for about five hours.

¯ Remove the repellent with soap and water as soon as your child comes back inside and does not plan to go back out that day.

¯ 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 it does not work as well on skin.

¯ Avoid the combination of products of sunscreen and insect repellants since sunscreen should be reapplied frequently, while DEET should be applied much less frequently.

Things to know when treating bites

¯ If a bite does occur, the mainstay of therapy is 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 because these may be signs of a serious allergic reaction.

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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.