Children love to play outside, which makes them easy targets for mosquitoes, ants, bees, and other insects. Most bites and stings cause only mild redness, swelling, and itching that go away on their own within a few days. Still, it’s important to know how to ease your child’s discomfort, which home remedies to avoid, and which symptoms need medical attention right away.
When to Call 911
Call 911 right away if your child has any of these signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after a bite or sting:
- Trouble breathing, wheezing, or a tight throat
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Hives or swelling spreading over the body, beyond the bite area
- Dizziness, fainting, or unusual sleepiness
- Repeated vomiting after a sting
If your child has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector, use it right away, then call 911.
General First Aid for Most Bites and Stings
For most mild bites and stings, these simple steps help:
- Remove any stinger or attached insect (see the specific sections below).
- Wash the area gently with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress or an ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth for 10 to 15 minutes to ease pain, itching, and swelling. Never put ice directly on the skin.
- Elevate the area if a hand, arm, or leg is swollen.
- Ease itching with calamine lotion or a paste of baking soda and water. For children 2 and older, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream may help. Ask your pediatrician before using it on a younger child, and ask before giving an oral antihistamine for itching.
- Keep fingernails short and discourage scratching, which can break the skin and lead to infection.
Home Remedies to Avoid
Some popular home remedies can irritate a child’s skin or even be dangerous:
- Medicated oils and balms containing camphor or menthol (such as “wind oil” or similar products) and undiluted essential oils, including eucalyptus oil. Camphor can be toxic to young children if it’s absorbed through the skin or swallowed.
- Toothpaste, perfume, or rubbing alcohol on bites. These can irritate the skin and don’t remove venom.
- Potassium permanganate on the skin, which can cause chemical burns.
Don’t apply any creams or ointments to bites with open sores or blisters unless your pediatrician recommends them, and keep all products out of children’s reach.
Mosquito Bites
Mosquito bites usually look like puffy, red, itchy bumps that appear shortly after the bite. Young children sometimes have larger reactions, with swelling, redness, or even blisters around the bite. This is called “skeeter syndrome” and is not an emergency, but call your pediatrician if the swelling is large or spreading.
To treat mosquito bites, follow the general first aid steps above. Pure aloe vera gel or a cold compress can also be soothing.
In some parts of the world, mosquitoes can spread illnesses like dengue, Zika, chikungunya, West Nile virus, and malaria. If your child develops a fever, headache, rash, or body aches within a few weeks of being bitten, especially after travel, contact your doctor.
Fire Ant and Other Ant Bites
Most ant bites cause a small, red, itchy bump. Fire ants, common in the southern U.S., are more painful. They bite and sting repeatedly, and within a day, the stings often turn into small, pus-filled blisters.
What to do:
- Brush ants off quickly. Fire ants grip the skin, so you may need to brush firmly. Ants don’t leave stingers behind.
- Wash the area with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling.
- Don’t pop the blisters. They usually dry up on their own, and popping them can lead to infection.
Bee and Wasp Stings
Bee and wasp stings cause sharp pain, redness, and swelling. Some children have a larger reaction with swelling that spreads over a whole hand or arm and peaks within a day or two. This large local reaction is usually not dangerous, but call your pediatrician if it’s severe or you’re concerned.
What to do:
- Remove the stinger quickly. Honeybees leave a stinger behind, and it keeps releasing venom. Remove it as fast as possible by scraping it sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a credit card. If tweezers are all you have, removing the stinger quickly matters more than the method you use. Wasps and hornets usually don’t leave a stinger.
- Wash the area with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Elevate the area if it’s swollen.
- Watch closely for signs of a severe allergic reaction, listed above, especially in the first hour.
Spider Bites
Most spider bites are harmless and cause only mild redness, swelling, and pain. Many skin sores blamed on spider bites are actually caused by other things, such as skin infections.
What to do:
- Wash the bite with soap and water.
- Apply a cold compress and elevate the area.
- Watch for signs of infection.
In the U.S., bites from black widow or brown recluse spiders can be serious. Seek medical care right away if your child has severe pain, muscle cramps, stomach pain, sweating, fever, or a bite that turns dark purple or develops an open sore.
Flea and Bedbug Bites
Flea bites often appear as small, very itchy red bumps, usually around the ankles and lower legs. Bedbug bites often appear in a line or cluster on skin exposed during sleep. Neither insect stays attached to the skin.
What to do:
- Wash the bites with soap and water.
- Use the general first aid steps above to ease itching.
- Treat the source. For fleas, treat your pets with a veterinarian-recommended product and vacuum and wash bedding. For bedbugs, contact a professional pest control service.
Insect repellents such as DEET help prevent some bites, but they don’t treat bites that have already happened.
Tick Bites
Ticks attach to the skin and can spread diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Removing a tick promptly lowers the risk of infection.
How to remove a tick:
- Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist, jerk, or crush the tick.
- Wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water.
- Don’t use petroleum jelly, nail polish, heat, or rubbing alcohol to make the tick let go. These methods don’t work.
Call your pediatrician if you can’t remove the tick, if you think it was attached for more than 36 hours, or if your child develops a fever or rash in the weeks after the bite.
Rove Beetles
In parts of Asia and Africa, small orange-and-black rove beetles (Paederus beetles) are a common cause of skin problems. They don’t bite or sting. Instead, when a beetle is crushed against the skin, it releases a toxin that causes a burning, blistering rash called Paederus dermatitis.
- If one lands on your child, gently blow or flick it off. Don’t crush it or rub it.
- Wash the area right away with soap and plenty of water.
- Avoid touching the eyes, since the toxin can cause eye irritation.
- See a doctor if a painful rash or blisters develop.
When to Call Your Pediatrician
Contact your child’s doctor if:
- The bite or sting is on or near the eye or inside the mouth
- Swelling is very large, spreading, or not improving after 2 to 3 days
- There are signs of infection, such as increasing redness, warmth, red streaks, pus, or worsening pain, often starting 1 to 2 days after the bite
- Your child develops a fever, headache, unusual tiredness, or a rash after a bite
- Your child has many stings at once
- You aren’t sure what bit your child or you’re worried
How to Prevent Insect Bites
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent. Products containing DEET (up to 30%) or picaridin are considered safe for children older than 2 months. Oil of lemon eucalyptus shouldn’t be used on children younger than 3.
- Apply repellent carefully. Put it on your own hands first, then rub it on your child. Avoid their eyes, mouth, hands, and any cuts or irritated skin. Don’t let young children apply repellent themselves.
- Don’t use repellent on babies younger than 2 months. Use mosquito netting over strollers and car seats instead.
- Dress for protection. Long sleeves, long pants tucked into socks, and closed-toe shoes help in wooded or grassy areas. Permethrin can be used on clothing, but never on skin.
- Avoid attracting insects. Skip scented soaps and lotions outdoors, and keep sweet drinks covered.
- Remove standing water around your home, where mosquitoes breed.
- Check for ticks every day after outdoor play, including the scalp, behind the ears, and in skin folds.
- Wash off repellent with soap and water when your child comes back inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce swelling from a bug bite on my child’s hand?
Wash the area with soap and water, apply a cold compress wrapped in a cloth for 10 to 15 minutes, and keep the hand raised. Call your pediatrician if the swelling is large, spreading, or not improving after 2 to 3 days. Call 911 if swelling affects the face, lips, or throat or your child has trouble breathing.
Should I use toothpaste on an insect bite?
No. Toothpaste can irritate the skin and doesn’t remove venom. A cold compress, calamine lotion, or a baking soda paste are better choices.
How do I remove a bee stinger from a child?
Remove it as quickly as possible, since the stinger keeps releasing venom. Scrape it sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a credit card. Speed matters more than the method.
Is DEET safe for children?
Yes, when used as directed. Repellents with up to 30% DEET are considered safe for children older than 2 months. Avoid the eyes, mouth, and hands, and wash it off when your child comes inside.
When is an insect bite an emergency?
Call 911 if your child has trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, hives spreading over the body, dizziness, or fainting after a bite or sting. These are signs of a severe allergic reaction.
The Bottom Line
Most insect bites and stings in children cause mild redness, swelling, and itching that clear up within a few days. Wash the area, apply a cold compress, and use calamine lotion or a baking soda paste to ease itching. Remove bee stingers and ticks promptly, and skip home remedies like medicated oils, toothpaste, and alcohol. Call 911 for any signs of a severe allergic reaction, and contact your pediatrician if a bite looks infected, swelling spreads, or your child develops a fever.
References
- Mayo Clinic. Insect Bites and Stings: First Aid.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. How to Remove a Tick.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org. Choosing an Insect Repellent for Your Child.