When the sun comes out, the birds are singing, but insects can be a real nuisance. During your holidays, your baby can become the number one target of these small invertebrates. Not only do they manage to annoy us, but they can also be a source of the development of certain diseases for newborns. Here is a list – not exhaustive – of methods to cure all the hurts and keep those pesky bugs away so that they don’t have the opportunity to make your summer a nightmare.

First of all, it is important to remind that is it essential to warn and to protect yourself against insects. Little Guest has reunited, for you, all the best products so that you can fully enjoy your family holidays. Mosquito net, essential oils, repulsive, protections… Here is our selection.

 

Keeping insects at a distance

When it is possible, the best way to protect your baby is to avoid insects by easy and effective methods. 

 

Cover up 

The first reflex to adopt is to swaddle baby with long sleeves and loose clothing, light trousers rather than a short, and prefer to wear a hat or a cap, which will also protect him from the sun! It is important to choose clothes with bright tons rather than black clothes for example because the little beasts are fond of dark colors.

During your journey and particularly in the middle of the day, many facilities are prodigiously effective, including mosquito nets for strollers or carrycots. Accessible, this accessory is practical and allows you to roam everywhere in the places you want to visit. We suggest the Italian brand Chicco or Babylux which offers a range of mosquito nets adapted to the age of your baby and the size of the stroller or carrycot.

There are also ultrasonic devices to put in the stroller that keep insects away without affecting you and your babies’ health. Chicco offers this product at a low cost. It does not release any chemical substances and is remarkably practical with its small size, useful for taking it everywhere on a ride!

In addition, do not hesitate to visit our comparative: 10 strollers to travel with a baby.

 

An exceptional stay under the sign of protection 

At Little Guest, the hotels offer exceptional kids-friendly services and are particularly attentive to the well-being of the little ones. The Soneva Kiri, in Thailand, or the Yokan Lodge in Senegal, are among those luxury establishments that provide protection for the whole family, including mosquito nets in the rooms. 

 

Repulse the insects 

Lavender, citronella, mint, or else rosemary, these 100% organic and natural plants have the ability to be a repulsive against small bugs and seem to be a good alternative to some chemicals, such as DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), an active repulsive against insects.

Here are our TOP 5 natural plants, usable in the form of essential oil, which repulse insects: 

• True lavender: with calming, analgesic and healing properties
• Lemon eucalyptus: repels insects and soothes bites
• Lemon: effective against itching 
• Lemongrass: antifungal and mosquito repellent
• Peppermint: analgesic, anesthetic and refreshing

 

Most of the hotels in the Little Guest collection have ventilation in their rooms. Activating the forced air will keep insects at bay because they are not resistant to the force of the air. 

 

Ouch, it stings!

The first thing to do when your baby has been stung is to soothe the pain and reassure your toddler. Most bites can be treated by parents. 

 

Treat a stinging insect bite

Bee, wasp, hornet… The sting is usually swollen and painful. It can cause an allergic reaction (it is necessary to check for wheezing, swelling in the neck or face, and to monitor your child’s airways). To reassure you, they are still very rare. 

 

Remove the sting: 

Wash and disinfect your hands and clean the wound with water and neutral pH soap. 

The sting is an organ allowing insects to inoculate venom, it must therefore be removed as soon as possible. 

How to remove it? Scrap delicately the stung area with a flat object (a credit card for example). Contrary to what we could believe, it is necessary to avoid using tweezers, which could burst the venom bag and aggravate the symptoms. 

What do we apply? 

• Essential oil of medicinal lavender 
  • 1 drop on the bite every 15 minutes for 2 hours
  • Not suitable for babies under 3 months of age 
• Homeopathy
  • Apis Mellifica 15 CH: this is a European honey bee, producer of honey and at the origin of a homeopathic source
  • Ledum Palustre 7 CH: known as wild rosemary, it is a homeopathic source
  • 1 granule of each every 15 minutes, to be spaced according to improvement
• A soothing gel 
  • Roller BB After-Bite from Pranarôm
    • It is an organic product
    • Directly calms itching and swelling
    • Based on essential oils of lavender, field mint, turmeric and calendula vegetable oil
    • In the form of a roller, the product is easy to carry everywhere during family excursions

 

Treat a tick bite

It is not uncommon to be spotted by ticks while walking in the forest or the park. These little beasts, lovers of blood and body temperature, attach themselves to the skin and take great pleasure in biting babies, as they are closer to the ground.

Where do they bite? Babies’ skin is thinner and softer than adults’. Ticks like to bite on particularly thin skin: the neck, armpits, crotch or behind the ears.

The bite does not cause pain, but the sting causes itching in the hours that follow.

It is necessary to take the time to examine your baby’s body. To know: when there is a bite, a small black spot can be seen.

How to remove the tick? 

• Wash and disinfect your hands 
• Grab the head of the tick, this time with tweezers
• Wash the wound with water and neutral Ph soap

 

Our recommendations 

• Before going for a walk, it is preferable to apply a repulsive against ticks. Know that some products contain DEET, a molecule that can be dangerous for children and pregnant women.  DEET-based sprays can be used from the age of 2 months, as long as the concentration level of 30% is not exceeded and precautions are followed to the letter, here are 2 products:
  • Insecte Ecran Famille: ideal for holidays and walks, it repels insects for 6 hours with a simple vaporization on the risky areas. It contains 25 % of DEET.
  • Insect-repelling gel Derm’Alpes from KING: application on risky areas every 6 hours. It contains 20 % of DEET. 

 

• We suggest you to opt for a natural insect repellent: 

Necessary ingredients:

• Essential oil of Bourbon 
• Essential oil of true lavender
• Vegetable oil: sweet almond, calendula…

The recipe is simple, you just have to mix the 3 oils and apply on baby’s ankles. Small precision: the true lavender is disadvised for the babies of less than 6 months.

 

• You can also apply a soothing gel: 
  • Roller BB After-Bite by Pranarôm
  • Anti-Bite Multi Soothing Cream for Babies by Puressentiel 

 

 

Treat a mosquito bite

They like us, but we don’t! If despite all these precautions to keep the little beasts away, your baby has been bitten, we have the solution for you! 

Mosquitoes, small noisy invertebrates, invade us when summer is coming. They are greedy and do not hesitate to feast when the sun falls. The newborns, often agitated, give mosquitoes an appetite with their soft and thin skin. The bite is recognizable by a small red swelling. Generally, it is not painful, but itches! Finally, it disappears after 2 to 3 days.

 

How to treat a mosquito bite? 

• Wash and disinfect your hands
• Wash the stung area with water and neutral Ph soap
• To anesthetize the wound and reduce itchings and the inflammation, the easiest solution is to wrap ice cubes in a clean cloth and pass it over the inflamed area

To go further with mosquito bites on babies, do not hesitate to read our article How to protect baby from mosquito bites? 

 

Recap: 

• To prevent insect bites:
  • In most cases, each bite can be treated by the parents
  • Carry a mosquito net for the carrycot, stroller and baby bed
  • Protect baby with long, loose, light-colored clothing
  • Use essential oils to eliminate small bugs

 

• In case of a bite:
  • Wash and disinfect your hands well
  • Use essential oils to relieve the pain
  • Use a skin or natural repellent 
  • Use a soothing gel or cream on the little ones

 

To go further…

• Even if the sun is out, it’s not always our friend! Protect your baby with the best pair of sunglasses and the best sun protection for baby. 
• Summer is coming and so is the problem of the heat. Take all the right moves to protect your baby from the heat.  
• If you’re planning a trip to the beach or pool, here are our tips for selecting baby’s swimsuit to enjoy the water activities.

 

Solen, 20 years old, travel lover, from Brittany, France