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| 2010-05-03 |
Bug Safety |
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Protect yourselves and your children from mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus infection, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and Lyme disease. |
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The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends that the public take action now to avoid mosquito/tick bites and reduce mosquito/tick populations around homes and neighborhoods.
How can I reduce the chances of being bitten by a mosquito or a tick? Avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, if possible, as this is the time of greatest mosquito activity.
If you must be outdoors when mosquitoes are active, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Take special care to cover up the arms and legs of children playing outdoors.
Fix any holes in your screens and make sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.
Ticks are usually found near the ground in brushy, wooded, or grassy places. If you cannot avoid these areas, wear long-sleeved, light-colored shirts and long pants tucked into your socks.
Stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking.
After you have been in an area likely to have ticks, check your body for ticks. Ticks like to go to areas including between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, neck, along the hairline, and behind the ears. What should I do if I find a tick attached to myself or my child?
Promptly remove any attached tick using fine-point tweezers. The tick should not be squeezed or twisted, but grasped close to the skin and pulled straight out with steady pressure. The longer a tick remains attached to someone, the greater the chance it will be able to spread a disease-causing germ. Whenever someone removes an attached tick from their body, they should watch for the appearance of rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms and immediately seek the advice of a health care provider should any symptoms occur, especially if the tick was attached for more than 24 hours.
How can I reduce the number of mosquitoes around my home? Dispose of or regularly empty any metal cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, tires, and other water-holding containers. Mosquitoes can begin to multiply in any standing water that lasts for more than 4 days.
Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of rainwater.
Do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths; aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.
Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing water from pool covers.
Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property. How can I reduce the number of ticks around my home? Keep grass cut short.
Remove leaf litter and brush.
Prune low-lying bushes to let in more sunlight.
Keep the plants around stone walls cut short.
Use a three-foot woodchip, mulch, or gravel barrier where your lawn meets the woods.
Keep woodpiles and birdfeeders off the ground and away from your home to help keep rodents, which may carry ticks, away from your home.
Ask your landscaper or local nursery about plants to use in your yard that do not attract deer or use deer fencing to help keep deer, which may carry ticks, away from your home. What about using a repellent?Repellents that contain DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) or permethrin are widely available and have proven to be safe and effective against both ticks and mosquitoes. Repellents containing picardin (KBR 3023) or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3,8-diol(PMD)] also provide effective protection against mosquitoes. Any repellent you choose should be used according to the instructions on the product label.
The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend any repellent use on children younger than 2 months of age. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under the age of 3 years. Permethrin products are not designed to be applied to the skin. They are recommended for use only on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets, and camping gear. The concentration of DEET in products may range from less than 10% to over 30%, so read the label of any product you purchase. The benefits of DEET reach a peak at a concentration of 30%, the maximum concentration currently recommended for infants and children. Using DEET and sunscreen products at the same time is acceptable, however the use of combination products is NOT recommended because sunscreen needs to be reapplied after swimming, whereas insect repellent generally does not need to be reapplied.
The following general precautions are recommended when using any repellent: Apply repellents only to exposed skin and/or clothing as indicated on the label. Do not use repellents under clothing.
Never use repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
Do not apply repellents to the eyes or mouth, and apply them sparingly around the ears. When using repellent sprays, do not spray directly on the face spray the product on your hands first and then apply it to the face.
Do not allow children to handle the product. When using repellents on children, apply to your hands first and then put it on your child. You should not apply repellent to childrens hands.
Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. Heavy application and saturation are generally unnecessary for effectiveness. If biting insects do not respond to a thin film of repellent, then apply a bit more.
After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water. Also, wash treated clothing before wearing again.
Do natural repellents work?
A number of plant-derived products are available for use as repellents. Limited information is available regarding the health effects and effectiveness of these products. The information that is available indicates that most of these products generally do not provide the same level or duration of protection as products containing DEET or permethrin. However, in some recent studies, oil of lemon eucalyptus provided as much protection as low concentrations of DEET when tested against mosquitoes found in the United States. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under the age of 3 years. 2% soybean oil may also be effective against mosquitoes. There is insufficient data to determine the efficacy of either oil of lemon eucalyptus or soybean oil against ticks.
What should I do if I have an adverse reaction to a repellent?
If you or your child develops a rash or other apparent allergic reaction from an insect repellent, stop using the repellent, wash it off with mild soap and water, remove treated clothing, and call a physician or the local poison control center for guidance (in Massachusetts, the number of the Poison Control Center is 1-800-222-1222).
To download a copy of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health factsheet on insect bites and repellents, click on the link below.
The preceding information was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics. |
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Bug Safety.pdf |
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