Bug Bite Prevention
The beautiful summer weather is almost here, and with that comes long hours spent outdoors in the evenings with your family. This is also the time when a lot of unpleasant and annoying bugs come out.
Follow these safety tips to keep you and your loved ones protected:
- When spending time outdoors in the evening, avoid using perfumes, hairsprays, or lotions that have a scent, as these can attract bugs.
- Wear long sleeved shirts and pants when spending extended periods of time outdoors in the evenings. This makes it more difficult for mosquitoes to bite you.
- Remove any stagnant water from your backyard, such as water in a bird bath or a kiddie pool.
- Use DEET insect repellants. This can help prevent bites, Lyme disease from ticks, West Nile Virus, Zika virus, and other dangerous viruses. You can also use an effective alternative to DEET which contains a chemical known as picaridin.
- Never use sunscreen and bug repellant at the same time.
Get more tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.