Kids get covered in bug bites, especially during ht summer. Aside from being itchy or painful some bug bites can actually be dangerous. Mosquitoes and ticks carry diseases such as West Nile virus and Lyme Disease, respectively. Spiders can have poisonous venom in their bites. Plenty of other vermin carry diseases or even just plain itchy bites but there is no reason to make your home and your kids a target for these pesky bugs. There are several easy ways to keep bugs away from your house and yard, and away from your kids.
1) Keep a clean yard. If your yard is piled high with leaves, wood and debris, clean it up. Piles provide bugs with instant shelter so there has never been a better incentive for getting rid of that trash. Spiders that prefer to live in damp dark places will make the piles in your yard not just a home but also a breeding ground for more and more spiders.
2) Mow your grass. Tall weeds and grass are inviting playgrounds for ticks, chiggers and other bugs. Regular mowing and maintenance of both the front and back yards is an easy way to keep insects away. You can improve the look of your house at the same time.
3) Get rid of standing water. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Eliminate puddles if possible. Change out old standing water with fresh water in birdbaths and kiddie pools. If you keep a container plants around the house, make sure the pots that have drainage holes aren’t sitting in trays of old water. Any old toys such as wagons or buckets that would collect water during a rainstorm or even from a sprinkler should be brought in away from the water or dumped out regularly. If you own playground equipment that collects water in certain areas, drill holes for drainage to quickly eliminate that problem. Doing so will also make the equipment safer for the kids to play on the day after a big storm, too. The same can be done for outdoor or patio furniture that collects water. The drainage holes don’t need to be a big eyesore, just drill one or two small holes in the part of the furniture or play equipment that tends to collect the most water. No one will even see the holes, but it will make a big difference in the mosquito population around your yard
4) Buy bug repellant: Make it a rule in your household that before kids can go outside for more than 5 minutes, they need to spray themselves thoroughly with a bug repellant. For kids who take exception to the smell of bug repellant, there is now scented repellant on the market that smells remarkably great and still gets the job done well.
5) Call a professional. If you have a serious problem with insects that you know you can’t handle yourself, call an exterminator. An exterminator will be able to locate the source of some of the bug problems you may be having, (you have spiders living in your pile of firewood in the backyard), treat the living insects, and also exterminate for the unhatched eggs. They can also provide you with tips on how to keep the bugs from becoming a recurring problem.
