• Warm weather months are mosquito season. Mosquitoes need standing water to make more mosquitoes. They are often much more active in the morning and in the evening.
• Mosquitoes can carry a number of diseases, including West Nile Virus. Although the chances of being bitten by an infected mosquito are very small and the chances of becoming seriously ill from the infection are small, do what you can to avoid being bitten.
• To avoid mosquito bites, avoid going outside during the peak hours, use a DEET- containing insect repellant if you are outside during peak hours, wear long shirts and pants when outdoors during peak hours, wear light colors, and do not let water stand in your property (play pools, planters, puddles) for more than 4 days. For infants, use mosquito netting on playpens or strollers. The Avon® Skin So Soft product is not as protective as DEET-containing products in scientific studies.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics says: Studies show insect repellants with a DEET concentration of 30% are more protective that lower concentrations, but that concentrations higher than 30% do not provide more protection -- they simply last longer. In response to these findings, the Academy says that a 30% concentration is safe for adults and children 2 months and above, but that 10% can be used for children if parents are concerned about the potential risks or if the threat of disease-carrying mosquitoes is small. The risk from DEET is very low and the risk for disease from the mosquitos is not. Therefore, it is wise to use DEET-containing products to avoid having your children bitten by mosquitos.

• Each year, many children and pets are killed or severely injured by lawn mowers.
• Children and pets should NOT be in the yard while the grass is being cut.
• Do not allow children to ride on a lawn tractor as a passenger. Many children are injured in this way.
• The following is a link to further lawn mower safety tips from Healthy Children http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Lawnmower-Safety.aspx

• Most tick bites are harmless. The chances of becoming ill by a germ passed to you from the tick are very small. Even in areas (New England and Wisconsin) where Lyme disease is seen frequently, the chances of a tick passing the Lyme disease germ to you after a bite are only 1 in 100.
• If the tick is still attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the head of the tick close to the skin. Pull the tick off straight out of the skin. Wash the area with hydrogen peroxide and then cover with Neosporin® and a bandage.
• DEET is a good tick repellant. Using it will reduce the chances of a tick biting you and your family.
• Your child should be seen promptly if part of the tick remains after you tried to remove it, a rash develops at the site, the area appears infected (warm, red, and tender), or if your child shows sign of illness after the bite (fever, headache, chills, stiff neck, or achiness). The target rash of Lyme disease will usually start 7-14 days (can be 3-30 days) after the tick bite. There will be a red raised bump with a red raised circle around the bump that gradually gets more spread out. If you believe your child has Lyme disease, they need to be seen promptly. The following is a link to more information on Lyme disease: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/from-insects-animals/Pages/Lyme-Disease.aspx

• Make sure everyone in the family learns to swim.
• Swim in designated areas that are supervised by lifeguards.
• Swim with a buddy. A dangerous situation that raises the risk for drowning is when a group of adults is supervising children swimming. It is too easy in a group to think that someone is watching the kids swim, when that can leave them vulnerable to having no one watch them. Make sure there is a designated adult or adults watching the kids.
• Never leave a young child unattended near water.
• If you go boating, have your family wear life jackets.
• Young children and inexperienced swimmers should wear life jackets around water.

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Last Updated: 06/2019