Warm weather means more time outside. Little ones get more restless and need to spend all that energy outdoors. Lots of fun can be had but it is important to beware of the pests that can be harmful. With the following tips, you can help keep your child safe.
Here are some common pests your child may run into:
Mosquitos:
Mosquitos are everywhere in the summer, especially near standing water. Here are some tips to keep them away from your little ones:
- Mosquito repellant. You can get one from the store containing DEET or you can make your own with oils such as: lemon eucalyptus, neem, lemongrass, clove, patchouli, peppermint, cinnamon, and catnip.
- Set mosquito traps up in frequently used outdoor areas.
- Don’t let water sit stagnant in places you can control—such as bird baths.
- Light candles. There are specially made mosquito repellent ones, or choose one in one of the scents listed above.
- Use fly screens to keep them out of your house over doors, windows and chimneys.
- Use plants: Plant herbs and flowers that mosquitoes dislike, such as lavender, basil, lemon balm, rosemary, marigold, citronella, and chrysanthemum.
Wasps and Hornets:
Wasps and hornets are inevitable in summer, but they don’t have to be inevitable for your yard.
- Put up decoy nests. Blow up paper bags and put them under the eave of your house in places that wasps would usually nest. They are very territorial, and won’t go where they think another wasp has already made a home.
- Don’t leave rotting fruit or sweet drinks out near the house. Like many of the pests on this list, they are attracted by unattended food, especially sweets.
- Put out dryer sheets. The smell of the dryer sheets will not only improve the smell of your home, but it also repels wasps and hornets. Replace them as the smell fades.
- Patch up cracks. They will sneak into the house any way they can. You can prevent this by patching up any cracks you see in your walls or foundation.
- Get wasp spray. It can be as simple as a mix of dish soap and water if you can’t find the aerosol at your store.
- Use peppermint oil or cayenne pepper. Both of these odors repel wasps.
Ticks:
These tricky little buggers can be more than an annoyance if they carry any disease such as lime disease. But with a few quick tricks, you can keep yourself and your children safe.
- Wear long pants and closed, well-fitting shoes if you are going out into the woods or to play around tall grass.
- Keep tall grass away from your house or anywhere your children will play often.
- Tick repellent: Use an insect repellent with 10% to 30% DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. Follow the directions for use. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
- Use plants like garlic, sage, mint, lavender, beautyberry, rosemary, and marigolds.
- Make a homemade lotion or spray using smells or oils ticks don’t like such as: lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, geranium, rosemary, cedar, lemongrass, peppermint, citronella.
- Check thoroughly when you get back inside. For the best protection, just go straight to the shower. Ticks like to hide in skin folds and between toes, places just out of sight. To dispose of them, flush them down the toilet or drown in a covered jar of rubbing alcohol.
Bears:
Depending on your region and location, bears can be a concern when playing outside. The best protection from bears is prevention. Here are some things that you can do to not attract bears to your neighborhood.
- Don’t leave pet food outside. Feed your pet one serving at a time. Leaving food out there attracts bears.
- Don’t leave your trash out.
- Keep your grill clean, including letting it burn a little longer so that the grease on it gets a chance to burn off.
- Remove bird feeders.
- Don’t store food on the porch.
- Don’t put raw meat in your compost and keep your compost away from the house.
- Pick up and remove ripe fruit from your yard
- Install electric fencing around your dumpster, compost, or beehives, any potential food source.
If you run across a bear, calmly keep your distance.
Playing outside is a beautiful part of summer. With a little help from natural fragrances and some precautions, you can keep you and your family safe from pests that also enjoy the outdoor summer months.
By Bethanie Ryan
