Protecting Kids From Bug Bites and Ticks in Brampton Parks

As the snow melts and the days get longer, Brampton families head back outdoors. Parks, trails, sports fields and backyards fill with children running, climbing and exploring. Along with the warmer weather come insects: mosquitoes on summer evenings, ticks in long grass and wooded areas, and bees and wasps around picnic tables.

Most bug bites are a minor nuisance, causing itchy bumps that fade in a few days. But some insects can transmit infections, such as Lyme disease from blacklegged ticks or West Nile virus from mosquitoes, and some children have significant allergic reactions to stings. A little preparation before the season begins helps families enjoy the outdoors safely.

This article covers prevention, tick checks, bite care and warning signs. Our pharmacists at Pharmasave BramNorth on Dewside Drive can help you choose repellents and products suitable for your children’s ages. Ontario pharmacists can also assess some insect bites and hives and provide tick bite and Lyme disease prevention care in certain situations.

Know the insects you are likely to meet

In southern Ontario, the main biting and stinging insects families encounter include:

• Mosquitoes, most active at dawn and dusk and near standing water.
• Blacklegged ticks, sometimes called deer ticks, found in wooded areas, tall grass and leaf litter. They can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
• Black flies, more common in cottage country in late spring.
• Bees, wasps and hornets, attracted to sweet foods, drinks and flowers.

Ticks are not limited to deep forest. They can be found along the edges of trails, in naturalised areas of city parks, in overgrown backyard corners and anywhere tall grass meets shrubs or trees. Children who play in these edge areas, hunt for balls in long grass or sit on fallen logs are more likely to pick one up. Mosquitoes, meanwhile, can breed in surprisingly small amounts of standing water, such as a forgotten toy bucket or a clogged eavestrough.

Knowing what is around helps you choose the right protection. Public Health Ontario and Peel Public Health monitor tick and mosquito activity; Peel’s health website shares general information on West Nile virus and Lyme disease in the region.

Dressing kids for bite protection

Clothing is a simple, chemical-free first line of defence:

• Light-coloured clothing makes ticks easier to see.
• Long sleeves and long pants reduce exposed skin, especially in wooded or grassy areas.
• Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants when walking through tall grass or forest trails.
• Closed-toe shoes are better than sandals in grassy areas.
• Hats offer some protection from mosquitoes around the head.

For babies, mosquito netting over strollers and playpens is a useful option.

Choosing a child-safe insect repellent

Insect repellents can be an important tool, but not every repellent is suitable for every age. Health Canada regulates insect repellents and provides guidance on their use in children. Common active ingredients include DEET and icaridin, with age-related restrictions on concentration and frequency of application for some products.

Some general guidelines:

• Read the label carefully and follow the directions for your child’s age. Some products are not recommended for babies or young children.
• Apply only to exposed skin and clothing as directed, not under clothing.
• Do not apply to the hands of young children, who may put their hands in their mouths or eyes.
• Avoid the eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around the ears.
• Do not apply to cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
• An adult should apply repellent to young children. Spray it onto your hands first, then rub it onto the child’s face.
• Wash it off with soap and water when your child comes indoors.
• Use sunscreen first, then repellent, if both are needed. Combination sunscreen-repellent products are generally not recommended, since sunscreen needs reapplying more often than repellent.

Health Canada publishes guidance on insect repellents, including age recommendations for specific ingredients, on its website. Our pharmacists can help you compare products on the shelf and check them against those recommendations.

Doing a proper tick check

Ticks are tiny, particularly young ticks called nymphs, which can be about the size of a poppy seed. They often attach in warm, hidden areas. After time in parks, trails or long grass, check your children, yourself and pets carefully.

Check these areas especially:

• Scalp and hairline.
• Behind and inside the ears.
• Neck.
• Armpits.
• Belly button.
• Waistline.
• Groin.
• Behind the knees.
• Between the toes.

A shower or bath within a couple of hours of coming indoors can help wash away unattached ticks and is a good time for a full check. Tumble-drying clothes on high heat can kill ticks hiding in clothing.

Removing a tick safely

If you find a tick attached to your child:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool.
2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
3. Pull upward slowly and steadily. Do not twist, squeeze or crush the tick.
4. Clean the area and your hands with soap and water.
5. Save the tick in a sealed container or bag, and note the date and where you think it was picked up.

Do not use matches, nail polish, petroleum jelly or other substances to try to make the tick detach. These may cause the tick to release more fluid into the skin.

The risk of Lyme disease generally increases the longer an infected tick is attached. Removing ticks promptly reduces risk.

After a tick bite: when to get advice

Contact a pharmacist or doctor after removing a tick if:

• The tick was attached for a significant length of time or appeared engorged (swollen with blood).
• You are not sure how long it was attached.
• Your child develops a rash, particularly an expanding red rash, sometimes with a clear centre like a bull’s-eye, in the days or weeks after the bite.
• Your child develops fever, headache, fatigue, joint pain or other flu-like symptoms after a tick bite.

In certain situations, Ontario pharmacists can assess a tick bite and may prescribe a preventive antibiotic when criteria are met. Ask us whether this applies to your child’s age and circumstances. A photo of the tick and the bite area can be helpful.

Soothing itchy bites

Most mosquito and other insect bites cause small, itchy, red bumps that resolve within a few days. To ease discomfort:

• Wash the bite with soap and water.
• Apply a cool compress.
• Keep fingernails short to reduce damage from scratching.
• Ask a pharmacist about anti-itch creams or lotions suitable for your child’s age.
• For significant itching, a pharmacist may suggest an oral antihistamine appropriate for your child.

Scratching can break the skin and lead to infection, such as impetigo. Watch for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus or fever, and have the bite checked if you notice these.

Stings and allergic reactions

Bee and wasp stings usually cause pain, redness and swelling at the site. For a sting:

• Remove a bee stinger by scraping it out with a fingernail or card.
• Wash the area and apply a cold pack.
• Ask a pharmacist about suitable pain relief or anti-itch products.

Some children have larger local reactions with significant swelling. Rarely, stings cause anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. Call 911 immediately if your child develops difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, widespread hives, dizziness or vomiting after a sting. If your child has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, use it as directed.

Camps, trips and cottage weekends

Many Brampton children spend part of the summer at day camps, overnight camps or family trips to cottage country, where ticks and black flies can be more common than in the city. Before your child heads off, pack a labelled, age-appropriate repellent and remind them, or their counsellors, how and when to use it. Light-coloured long pants and a hat are worth including even for summer trips.

Ask the camp how they handle tick checks and whether staff will help younger campers check hard-to-see places. Older children can learn to do their own checks before bed, with a buddy checking the scalp and back. If your child has a known sting allergy, make sure the camp has their emergency plan and an in-date auto-injector, and that staff are trained to use it.

When your child returns home, do a thorough tick check and wash their clothes and sleeping bag. If they come home with a rash or flu-like symptoms in the weeks after a trip to an area where ticks are common, tell your healthcare provider where they have been.

Reducing insects around your home

You can lower the number of insects in your yard:

• Empty standing water from buckets, toys, flower pots and bird baths weekly to reduce mosquito breeding.
• Keep grass short and clear leaf litter, especially at the edges of the yard.
• Repair window and door screens.
• Cover food and drinks outdoors, and use cups with lids to avoid wasps hiding inside.

Get ready for the season with Pharmasave BramNorth

Spring is a good time to stock up on age-appropriate repellents, tweezers for tick removal and soothing products for bites. If you have questions about a bite, a tick or a reaction, our pharmacists can help.

Find us at 25 & 26 - 2 Dewside Drive, Brampton, ON L6R 3Y5. Call (905) 792-7333, see our contact page, or use the booking page to schedule an assessment after a tick bite or for other concerns.

This article contains general information about insect bites and ticks. Follow product labels and talk to a pharmacist or doctor about your child’s specific situation, and call 911 for any severe allergic reaction.