In many parts of the United States, summer is just around the corner. And although in our minds, summer means being able to wear our short shorts again, as well as frolic along the shores, parents would start to worry about pesky bug and mosquito bites during picnic and trips to the park. Not only will your kids scratch their skin until blood comes out, but mosquito bites bring with them a lot of health problems. You never know what you can get from these insects.
But mosquitoes are not exactly the easiest bugs to eliminate. They hide in the dark and cold corners of the home. If you happen to have an empty container with a small amount of water in your garden or backyard, mosquitoes will grow there, too. It’s important to know where these insects and bugs hide, as well as what environment they seek, so you know what to avoid.
While you can survive a mosquito bite without needing to scratch your skin out, your kids do not have the same resolve and patience. They will most likely scratch that part of the bite until it bleeds. And when it does, it will become so painful that you might even have to bring your kids to the hospital. It’s an endless cycle of trying home remedies, of them not working, and of your kids getting cranky because they don’t understand what they feel.
Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself and your family against bug bites. From creams to lotions to essential oils, there are plenty of ways to ensure no mosquito will touch your kids’ skin. There’s no need for your summer to get ruined because of these pesky bites.
Kill ‘Em All
A residential pest control company can solve the predicament with just a snap of its finger. They are aware of the right techniques and formulation to kill the mosquitoes that threaten to enter your home. They do not only deal with mosquitoes but with other bugs and rodents, too. Having a pest control service might not be the most economical solution to your pest problems, but it’s the most permanent way to address a long-term issue in your homes.
Use Bug Repellant Sprays and Creams
The most popular bug repellents are those that contain either of these two: DEET or icaridin. Most parents don’t want to use these sprays and creams on babies until they are one year old. Experts, however, said that babies as young as two months old would have no adverse reaction to DEET sprays and creams. For babies below six months old, make sure not to put the DEET on their faces and near their eyes.
Consider a Mosquito Patch
Mosquito patches are made with DEET formulation, too. It’s the scent that throws off mosquitoes, thereby protecting your kids while they sleep or play. But are they effective? They aren’t effective for an extended period. When the smell wears off, the mosquitoes can come near the kid with the mosquito patch. It’s important to change the patch every day to ensure maximum protection for your kids.
Keep Babies Under Netting
There are stroller covers, crib covers, bed netting, and all sorts of little tents that you can use outdoors to protect your kids from insect bites. Even if they fall asleep while you’re having a picnic as a family, you can still protect them with a little tent made of netting. This is especially important during summer when families love to go out. The younger ones in the family should still be well-protected.
Remove Standing Water
Any standing water in your property can be the breeding ground for mosquitoes. That’s why you need to make sure there is no standing water anywhere on the property. Unclogging roof gutters, emptying the kids’ mini-pool, and making sure rain is not being collected in the trash lids, and flowerpots are some things that you must do to protect your home from being the breeding ground of mosquitoes.
Any one of these or a combination of these will give your kids the protection they need from insect bites, especially those itchy bites from mosquitoes. And while in many parts of the country, summer passes by so quickly, parents don’t feel the same way. For those who have to worry about their kids getting insect bites, summer is a time that they can’t just wait to be finished. After all, seeing what happened to the world in the past year, you can’t help but think what people are going to get next from a simple insect bite.