subject: Information About Biting Insects [print this page] Its summer and that means insect bitesIts summer and that means insect bites. While most insects are harmless, biting insects like bees, ticks, and mosquitoes can pose a health threat, especially to children. While biting insects rarely pose a serious health risk or pediatric emergency that requires admission to a children's hospital, its important to understand the threats.
The center of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in the United States is not in Colorado or Wyoming, but in Wilkes County, North Carolina. The incidence of this tick-borne threat is typically highest when theres been a warm winter followed by a wet spring. Only a small number of ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. However, if a child gets a fever a week after getting a bite from a tick, then its important to see a doctor.
Avoiding ticks at any time of the year is sound advice. Ticks tend to be most common in bushy and grassy areas. Its possible to get a tick bite while clearing bush, hiking, hunting, or simply cutting the grass. Ticks initially stick to a leaf or blade of grass; when the tick feels the vibrations caused by a person walking by, the tick can grab hold of the person or animal thats moving past. The tick will then try to hide somewhere on the body where it will dig into the body and start to suck blood for about 72 hours.
While theres no need to visit a pediatric emergency room room or visit a childrens hospital to detach a tick, its important to know how to remove this insect properly. Do not simply grab the tick with the fingers. Use tweezers and grab the tick next to the skin near the ticks head and pull gently.
It can be important to avoid ticks in the first place. Wear long pants and protect the ankles and it can be useful to find a bug repellant with approximately 35 percent DEET. Some people soak their clothes in Permethrin which is an insecticide that kills ticks.
If you avoid messing with bees, bees will typically leave you alone. However, children can accidently annoy a bee and the result can be a painful bite from a bee. A bee sting can be harmful to a person who is allergic to bee stings; some people get tested to see if they have this allergy. A person with a bee sting allergy should carry an epinephrine pen. If a parent feels that a bee sting is creating more than some simple redness and a few tears, it may be a good idea to contact a doctor or visit the pediatric emergency room at a childrens hospital.
In North Carolina and elsewhere, mosquitoes can carry mosquito-borne infections; these are usually viral infections including West Nile virus. Mosquito bites are irritating and children often scratch the bites and these can become infected. During the summer, it can be useful to cover as much skin as possible with clothing and use an insect repellant with DEET. Some people prefer repellants with picaridin. For general yard protection, citronella candles can be useful in limited areas.
