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Home › Articles › Home Safety Issues › Nervous About Ticks?

Nervous About Ticks?

Keeping Young Explorers Safe Outdoors

By Laurie L. Dove

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Most experts recommend using a bug spray containing 10 percent DEET (it will look like N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide on the ingredient label) before going outside. However, most natural foods stores and even some big box stores now carry DEET-free versions designed to keep bugs at bay.

If Your Child Is Bitten
What if you did your best to prevent a tick bite and yet you've found a tiny, eight-legged invader?

"It's important for tick-bite victims to remove attached ticks right away," Dr. Falco says. "There is evidence that it takes 36 to 48 hours after attachment for Lyme disease bacteria to be transmitted to a human host."

To remove a tick, gather tweezers and a small vial such as a film container or small glass bottle. Using the tweezers, grasp the tick as close to its imbedded head as possible, then pull the tick straight out of the skin. Put the tick in the vial, because if you become sick your doctor will want to be able to identify the species that bit you.

Be sure to watch the site for unusual redness, swelling or a rash. And, Bush says, "take a picture of it, as it might fade or disappear before your child is seen by a doctor."

By taking a few precautions, and arming your family with plenty of information, even the outdoors' smallest pests won't ruin the fun.

Organic Tick Repellents

Today, parents who are hesitant to douse their children with chemical-laden bug repellents have more options than ever before. Ticks, mosquitoes and other insects can be repelled by using a number of natural products.

To make your own natural tick and mosquito repellent, try a diluted tincture of yarrow flowers, also known as Alchellia millefolium. This is a common plant, and most natural foods stores should be able to point you in the right direction. Simply rub the tincture on exposed skin to keep the tiny critters at bay. In fact, a recent study conducted by United States Army researchers showed yarrow tincture was effective, even more so than the chemical DEET, as an insect repellent.

A New England Journal of Medicine study showed other natural products also are effective tick and mosquito deterrents, including oil of eucalyptus (which prevented mosquito bites for 120 minutes) and soybean oil (which kept bugs away for 96 minutes). Surprisingly, citronella, which is a common alternative to DEET, deterred mosquitoes for only 20 minutes.


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