Summer Bug Safety for Kids
I’m not too into talking about bugs, unless they’re all cute like a lady bug or caterpillar, but I did think that I should point out some great kid-friendly sites related to bug bites and stings.
The following are written for kids and gives them the information they need if and when they get bit by a creepy crawling critter.
Hey! A Brown Recluse Spider Bit Me! (egad)
What to Do if You’re Bugged by Bugs
Also some more fun based buggy sites:
- World’s Most Notorious Bugs - an awesome site, with “most wanted” bug posters. Really cool.
- Bug Bios
- Yucky Roach World
- Cool Bug Stuff
For Parents:
If you’re parents of the much younger, can’t read themselves set, you might be interested in my Pregnancy & Baby bug series, which includes info about DEET dangers…
- Stop baby itching this summer with bug bite prevention
- Treating bug bites on babies
- Safer natural bug sprays for babies
- Bugs bugging your babe?
[Image via stock.xchng]
Tags: baby itching, bug bite treatment, bug know-how, bug safety, bugs, bugs for kids, kids-and-bugs, learn about bugs, natural bug sprays, Yucky Roach WorldRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Eco Baby, Eco Youth, Nature, Seasons, Toxic Stuff
7 opinions for Summer Bug Safety for Kids
Julie F
May 25, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I found a recipe for repellant 6 years ago on a natural foods yahoo group. It was a group of foragers and we get bitten quite a bit. At the time there was a swamp close to our cabin and we had mosquitoes that looked like B52 bombers. Heh.
The recipe goes like this:
1 tables spoon (more if you’d like) of PURE vanilla extract. Imitation will not work.
1 cup water.
Mix well, wipe on with cotton balls or try a pump bottle. I shook it really well before and during application, then wiped my hand along the skin to make sure it was spread evenly. Don’t rub in, though.
My baby girl (6 now) and I would take walks in the evening and never had another bite! I don’t know what it is about the vanilla, but it worked. I don’t suggest this for people who live in an area with bears, though.
Julie F
May 25, 2008 at 7:23 pm
By the way, Jennifer, spiders do not like vanilla, either. Rub some on your furniture and they’ll stay away until the scent is gone. Vanilla beans in furniture polish are supposed to keep them off furniture!
kisha
May 26, 2008 at 1:44 am
Yeah the scorpions would work well here, thank goodness she hasn’t been bitten as bad as I was last year. I had such a bad reaction to bug bites that I had to go to the dr for them. I mean my bug bites were huge and made doing things really uncomfortable. But I found something great at my local co-op that helped a lot. I have to remember to get some more soon.
Chrissy
May 26, 2008 at 8:29 am
Thank you so much for this post. We are suppose to go camping next week.
Hil
May 26, 2008 at 9:23 am
One of our favorite bug sites is What’s That Bug? Which reminds me … I have to figure out what that big red, gummy spider was I found in our leaf pile.
Jennifer
May 26, 2008 at 2:20 pm
@Julie it seems like vanilla would draw bugs to you - but I know that other smells work to repel, like lavender, cinnamon, and mint; plus some spices, so I guess the vanilla deal makes sense. Good tip - especially since you tried it out! I may rub some on my furniture and walls, and everywhere if the spiders hate it :)
@kisha In NM we had scorpions, but the mostly stayed away from people. I saw more black widows (shudder). I had a horrible reaction to fire ants in NM once though. And they were at the playground. I hate them.
@Chrissy You’re welcome - have fun camping!
@Hil you’re freaking me out with the red gummy spider thought! Thanks for adding your bug site.
Julie F
May 26, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I don’t know why it repels certain bugs, but mosquitoes are drawn to the CO2 we emit. Maybe the vanilla masks it, not sure.
I’m serious about the bear thing, though. A few years ago I had forgotten about the black bears at my aunt’s in the Smokey Mountains back in NC at the NC/TN border. We had one come down to the trail we were hiking on. My grandfather had told me I smelled too sweet, he was right!
Luckily black bears are really wary of people (in this area) and in this case it ran, but it could have been a bad situation.
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