Mosquitos! - How does everybody deal with this?

victoire2002 wrote: Hi everyone!

I live in Texas, where the mosquitos are bigger than anything.... or so they say! I am wondering what everyone is doing regarding mosquitos and their babies. Aidan got bitten 4 TIMES in the past week, usually while sleeping in the house. Any tips? Can you use insect repellent? Has anyone sprayed their homes, yards, etc? Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

Vicki

Mommieto2Girls replied: Maddie also has gotton bitten by misqutos . I haven't really done anything about it though. I just don't take her outside to much lately. DH has put insect repelent on Maddie but only once and she was ok with it. Would love to hear what everyone else is doing.

MomToMany replied: Hannah's ben bitten quite a few times already. I hate the smell of insect repellent, and the only time I use it is when we go camping. I just try to limit the time that all the kids are outdoors when the mosquitoes are really active (early morning, and at night). I also make sure that there's no holes in any of the screen windows, and keep the door shut as much as possible. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to do without resorting to the stinky stuff.

amynicole21 replied: We live in Florida where the mosquitos rival those in Texas!! If you use repellant, be sure it does not have DEET. It's also supposed to have less than 10% of some chemical, but I can't remember what that is! Usually, I just try to stay inside after the sun goes down!! I've got sweet meat and the mosquitos love me.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: I'm so glad that someone asked this! I've been worried about the mosquitos here in Thunder Bay because they are carrying the West Nile Virus! So I have to be very careful this summer!

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Rub Vicks on your little ones CLOTHES (NOT on the skin). It smells a heck of a lot better, and mosquitos HATE it.

Also, if you have a yard, put marigolds by your doors and windows. Mosquitos don,t like Marigolds.



Good luck.

Kaitlin'smom replied: it is a good question I had asked the ped cause Kaitlin got one bite and I dont want her to get any more they said I could use insect repellant after 6 months and to use Skintastic. and to bathe her after we are done outside.


I just might go get some marigolds and plant them to help until she is 6 months, just a couple weeks away!

5littleladies replied: We live in Minnesota where mosquitos are a BIG problem and we have started to have concerns about West Nile Virus so mosquito control is on the news all the time-all the "experts" I have seen say deet is really the most effective way to keep them away. We use Off Skintastic and that works well-followed by a nice warm bath after of course. Oh and make sure you don't have any long grass and standing water around the house-Those are mosquito breeding grounds!

MommyToAshley replied: I just read an article about this in BabyTalk Mag. It said...

Spray insect repellant first on your hands and then pat down your child's clothing. Don't spray on him/her. Don't put on baby's hands. Choose a product that doesn't have more than 10% DEET because this chemical can be absorbed in the skin and cause harm. Bug spray should not be used on babies younger than 2 months old. Wash babies skin when you return with soap/water.

Avoid using scented soaps/lotions that attract bugs. Bright/Light colored clothing also attract insects. Don't go out at dusk/dawn and steer clear of areas where insects congregate such as stagnant water pool, uncovered foods, garbage cans, and flower gardens.

HTH

amynicole21 replied:
I had this wrong... DEET is ok as long as it is under 10%. Here is an article from ivillage:

http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/safety/..._100970,00.html

and some natural repellant techniques:

http://www.parentsplace.com/babies/physica..._580375,00.html

MommyToAshley replied: Thanks for the links Amy! I liked the article about the natural ways to repel insects. I might try some of those.

I am going to try the marigold thing Zach'sMom suggested. I have heard that before, but never tried it. But, now with Ashley here, I will try anything!

booey2 replied: We haven't been able to put repellent on the boys yet but OFF now makes one that is DEET free. Have a look for it, it just came out. Matthew got eat pretty bad last year up at the cottage and we put calamine lotion on him afterwards. He had no clue what the big red welts were on him til I told him, we are going to be a little more careful this year at the cottge as we are 20 feet from the waters edge.