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These little buggers can cause a lot of trouble and distress for parents! They can carry various diseases, with Lyme disease being a HUGE problem here in western PA. Here are some tricks and tips as we start to spend more time outdoors!
Prevention: Ways to help keep a tick from latching on to your little one
The most helpful thing to do is cover as much skin as possible. Wearing pants (tuck 'em into their socks for even more protection) and long sleeves is helpful, but not always feasible on hot days.
I had a salesman come to my door last year asking if I would like to invest in spray for my lawn to prevent pesky insects. I politely declined the serious chemicals he was selling, but it made me look into more natural treatments. I found one called Wondercide which I was sooo close to buying until I found out that lawn sprays generally aren't very effective and usually need to be reapplied more often than is practical. Some people with pets may prefer it, but that's a personal decision. Keeping the grass cut short and avoiding standing water are easy ways to help keep some pests away!
You know I'm a huge fan of the EWG, and they've reviewed extensive research on bug sprays. They have actually found picaridin 20%, DEET 20-30% and IR3535 20% to be safe and effective [1]. Use the lowest effective concentration and wash clothes and skin when coming indoors. Make sure to read the label carefully. Put it in your hands first then apply to your child, avoiding the mouth and eyes. Also don't put it on their hands if they are at an age where they may eat it! Insect repellent should not be used under 6 months of age in general, but some may have other age restrictions.
The next most effective active ingredients are Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), paramenthane-diol (PMD), and 2-undecanone. OLE and PMD are not recommended under the age of 3. Surprisingly, this is one case where natural or botanical products are not otherwise recommended since they are generally ineffective.
Also, do not use bug spray/sunscreen combos as this will cause too much exposure to the active ingredients in the bug spray if reapplied as often as sunscreen should be. Avoid aerosols whenever possible so no one is inhaling the bug spray!
Here are EWG's favorite insect repellents [1]. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn on qualified purchases.
1) AVON SKIN-SO-SOFT BUG GUARD PLUS PICARIDIN 2 PACK
2) NATRAPEL 8 HOUR PUMP SPRAY OR WIPES
3) SAWYER PICARIDIN LOTION AND PUMP SPRAY
4) CUTTER DEET 25% PUMP SPRAY
5) SAWYER DEET 30% LOTION
6) COLEMAN SKIN SMART - EWG'S ONLY RECOMMENDED INSECT REPELLENT WITH IR3535 AS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT. IT IS AN AEROSOL SO SPRAY WITH CAUTION.
7) CUTTER LEMON EUCALYPTUS
8) REPEL PLANT-BASED LEMON EUCALYPTUS
DESPITE THE BEST ATTEMPTS , YOU FOUND A TICK ON YOUR KIDDO😖.
It happens all the time!! Those things are so tiny and elusive...
The best thing to do is check all of their skin thoroughly after being outside each day. Don't forget to check the scalp and behind the ears. I'll never forget the night at work when I saw three different kids with tick bites behind their left ears!!!
OK, take a deep breath. If it's crawling around you just need to get it off and dispose of it any way you see fit. Just make sure it's not going to be crawling around your house later. Another tick experience at work... I had taken one off a child and thought it was done for so I threw it in the trash with the rest of the materials. Then one of my partners found Mr. Tick crawling around the room later in the day... OOPS!!! 😬
If it's embedded, you can certainly try to remove it yourself. I listed some highly rated tick remover tools below. You want to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull straight back, no twisting. If you are uncomfortable pulling a living bug off of your child or are unable to fully remove it, check in with your pediatrician! We are always here to help! Also, if you pull one off it is also a good idea to touch base with your pediatrician as there are certain criteria to determine if your child may benefit from one dose of antibiotic to help prevent Lyme disease.
Tick removal tools
Also, some After Bug Balm by Badger to help calm any itchy bug bites
You will want to continue to monitor the site of the tick bite. Any redness or swelling that shows up in the first week may be a reaction to the bite or maybe even a skin infection. The rash from Lyme disease usually does not appear for at least a week after the bite. Classically it looks like a bullseye, but Lyme doesn't always read the textbook so if anything weird is going on around the site of a tick bite, don't hesitate to see your pediatrician. Other symptoms of the early stages of Lyme include fatigue, low grade fevers, headaches, muscles aches and joint aches.
Also good to know: Lyme can be diagnosed all year round, even in states with snow in the winter! And often the most helpful thing I can say to reassure parents is that in the vast majority of cases of Lyme we diagnose in children, NO ONE EVER SAW A TICK BITE!! So... we do our best, but those ticks can be very sneaky!!
https://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides/ewgs-2018-guide-bug-repellents