Ant Bites - Mount Pleasant,SC

One thing that has always worked, since someone told me about it a few years ago, is plain meat tenderizor. You make a paste with a little water and apply it to the bite. My kids and nephew all stopped crying within minutes of applying. It takes the sting out and the bite doesn't puss up if put on soon enough. It will stop the itching also. I had to apply it on myself because I am alergic to them and it worked even better than the benedryl. I know this is after the bite but until the school clears up the problem I hope that it helps.

You don't literally give her "bleach" baths, do you? If so, that is the biggest problem! For her safety, you have to stop that immediately!

Have you gone to the school about getting rid of the ants? Otherwise it doesn't seem wise for her to play in that area considering her skin conditions. If yoru grand daughter is too young to understand that then maybe having the school treat the area is one option.

HI L.-
My son suffers from eczema and most skin conditions can start in the gut- has she had allergy testing? alot of these issues stem from certan food allergies or sensitivities...I would NOT give her a bath with bleach- I don't even wash my kids clothes in bleach...it;'s very harsh on the skin/body/ etc...and she is sensitive already it's probably only aggrivating the problem.I use a gentle, mild clenser and lotion with not much parabens in them- something from whole foods or even Burts Bees. or I know some companies that sell perfume/dye free soaps and lotions, such as Shaklee- they are concentrated and you dilute them so it end up beign more economical. As for the ants - I would mention it to the school and let them know how ant infested the playground is- try explaining to her to stay away from the ant hills and ant areas. now that it its getting cooler- maybe she could wear long pants and socks to school.
Good Luck- let me know if you would like more info on the eczema.
Nikki mother of 3 boys

Bless her heart. First and foremost, I would complain to the school and demand that they do something about the situation. I would think that becomes a safety issue. Secondly, I would try to keep her sprayed down with an insect repellent. Especially since West Nile Virus has finally made it to our area. (We have a family member in the hospital that might not ever recover due to a mosqito bite from a critter with West Nile.) Make sure you do all you can for her before there is a more serious issue that threatens her life.

q

Growing up I had the a ton of skin problems and eventually grew out of it. When I was young they had me on a mild steroid creme for my skin while taking zyrtec (it was prescription back then) so that I would stop itching and the combination really helped. Also, I would start using free and clear detergent as well as all natural soaps (unscented) for bath time. From what I have read, and the fact that I use homemade oatmeal soap and my skin is fine, using products w/o all those chemicals really make a difference.

Don't let them blame your Granddaughter or lead you to believe she has OCD. The poor dear is suffering from these ant bites and they itching the life out of her! And we all know, once you start scratching, you're done, you can't stop. She's just trying to get some relief, even if it causes scarring. Kids don't care so much (if any) about the scarring at that age, they just want the itching/pain to stop.

Your granddaughter has a RIGHT to a safe environment at school and that includes a SAFE environment to play. Talk with the principal at the school and address your concerns. Your granddaughter and the other children need to be removed from that area until it is treated and safe to return. If the principal does not take action, record the times/dates you spoke with him and go to the Superintendent of the schools. When it comes to the safety of the children, there are no excuses.

This site has a link about info on fire ant bites:
http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic607.htm

L.

I have a couple pieces of advice for you. First, as it relates to her eczema, you need to take her to her pediatrician and request Elocon 10mg. This medication is rarely prescribed by doctor's without a patient requesting it however as a child we tried everything for my eczema and nothing worked. Finally a doctor gave us a tube of the Elocon to try and it has been a savior for me. It is the only medication that will heal my eczema. Furthermore, my girlfriends daughter was covered in eczema and nothing they tried worked. I told her to have her doctor prescribe this medication and in two weeks her daughter's body was eczema free. The only thing is that they say not to use it on your face. I promise you that this will work and that eczema will no longer be an issue. Now when I notice I'm getting a patch of eczema I will rub Elocon on it and within a day or two the dry patch is gone. My girlfriends daughter is now wearing short sleeves and skirts to school for the first time. She never would wear them before because she was so embarrassed of her skin. She would cry and say she wished she hadn't been born with her skin. Now it's just maintenance for them as well and when they see a dry patch coming they break out the cream and are diligent with applying it to the patch and within a day or two the patch is gone.
I would be happy to discuss this with you privately as well so feel free to email me.
Regarding the possible ant bites on your daughters legs. I'm not so sure that they are ant bites. My son gets the same bumps on his skin that eventually end up looking like a white head or like a zit that needs to be popped. If I were you the next time your daughter gets these bumps then I would take her to her pediatrician and if he brushes them off again then request a referal to a dermatologist. The best thing you can do is get her to the dermatalogist while she has the bumps with the white heads that you're refering to so that they can examine them and possible take a sample of the fluid inside the bump so that they can analyze what is going on and if this is actually a skin rash like what my son has or if they are truly insect bites.
Also, if you think there are an excessive amount of ants in the play yard then I would contact the school administration and request that they have the playground treated regularly in an effort to keep the amount of ants down to an acceptable amount. They should do something if there is truly a problem.

I cannot plead with you enough when I say to get the Elocon 10mg for the eczema. As a child a suffered through painful lotions and baths and creams and everything seemed to make it worse. I was desperate for relief and when I finally tried Elocon I felt like it was a miracle drug. The same goes for my girlfriends daughter. She would scratch the eczema until it would bleed and crack and her whole body was covered in it. She was miserable and embarrassed. They couldn't use soap on her when they would bathe her and the water would only dry out the eczema and make it worse. The lotions with no perfume or coloring that is hypoallergenic like Keri, wouldn't help at all. I promise you that this will not only treat the eczema but it will clear it up and eventually you will only need it for maintenance when she gets the occassional dry patch. Because she's been scratching the rash excessively it may burn a little when it's first applied but that doesn't last long. For my girlfriends daughter we would use apply it on her a few times a day and then at night, for the real severe patches, we would apply the Elocon and then place syrane wrap over it and then tape it in place. This would ensure the medication didn't rub off on her pajamas or sheets while she slept and it would speed along the healing of that paticular area.
Giving her bleach baths is the worth thing you can do for a child with eczema and I would recommend you stop those immediately. That will only inflame her skin and make the eczema worse. If you need to give her a bath with something in it then give her a Sids Bath but do not give her any more bleach baths.

Good Luck.

Good morning L., I know you've gotten this one already, but please go and talk to the school official. They might not be changing that sand out as ofen as they should. I like you think that this might be where she is playing. I pray that it gets better.

God Bless, Lenay

if you have seen the ants at the school playground, i would contact the school...and tell them about it. they must have someone who takes care of the grounds that can put some ant killer down to get rid of them. tell them that your granddaughter has had to go to the doctor with infections from these bites, and maybe that will scare them into action...they never want to risk a lawsuit...

L.,

I would talk with the school, there is no reason she should be getting ant bites at school everyday. The school needs to take steps to prevent this. That could be really bad if a child had an allergy to ants. Once the school gets them under control, you should be able to better tell if it is indeed the ants causing her problems.

L., I'm a mother of 2 elementary students, and I admire your concern for your granddaughter and your disdain over the fact that there are ants all over the school grounds. I'm sure you have voiced your concern with the principal and teachers at this point, but if not, please let them know what is going on and show them the physical evidence (your granddaughter's scarred legs) so they understand not only the nuisance of the ants being there but also the psychological effect it is having on your granddaughter as a result. No one wants to have unsightly scars anywhere on their anatomy, and with the risk of infections such as MRSA (which is found in soil and all over the place) the threat of more than just a little ant bite is certainly worth the school having a pest control company come out and take a look at the problem and make recommendations to eradicate these little pests. I serve as the chair of my children's School Improvement Council, and I have found that the more I stay involved in what is going on at their school and stay in constant communication with the principal and the teachers and staff members there, the better the overall educational experience has become for my children. I would encourage you to help the school become aware of the problem and perhaps even volunteer to help with getting rid of the ants. Maybe you could help monitor for reinfestations after the pest control company has treated the areas effected. This would show the school your commitment to helping eliminate the problem and they are sure to meet you half-way on the issue. I feel all problems like this can be handled in a rational, solution-seeking manner where everyone comes out a winner! Thanks again for caring so much about your little darling and for seeking a solution. Good luck, and let us know what happens. By the way, try some Vitamin E capsules on the scars and on the active bites as this will help to reduce scarring as well as aid in healing the bites more quickly. My kids have eczema as well, so make sure anything you put on the skin is fragrance free and lanolin free. Antibacterial soaps and lotions may make eczema worse, but you will be fine with antibiotic ointments like Neosporin. Take care!

L.,
One suggestion I have is to make your granddaughter aware of what the ants look like and what the ant hills look like. That way she can try to avoid the ants. Take her to the school playground and help her see them, so that she can try to stay away from them.
The second suggestion is to inform the school of the ant problem so that they can try to do something about it. Fire ants are hard to get rid of, but they can try and if they don't succeed, they can rope off certain areas.

talk to the school about getting rid of the ants and give her aveno oatmeal baths and liquid benydryl for the itching, and put neosporin and benydryl anti itch gel on the bites themselves, I was always getting bites as a child and i'm also allergic to them mine swell up big. You also need to teach your granddaughter to watch where she's running/walking so she dosn't step in the ant beds.New skin and advanced healing bandages don't allow the bites to breath put water proof bandages on them, they stick and stay stuck and still allow it to breath.

Wouldn't hurt if you asked the teacher about this concern.
She/He may not be aware of the problem if there is one.
I know what you mean with your "gut" feeling, go with it.

Hi L., First off please do not give your granddaughter a bath in bleach or any other child it is a very toxic chemical for anybody let alone a child.Next the school should not let the children on the play ground if it is infested with ants.In this part of Ga. we have fire ants,they burn,itch,and cause blisters with a whitehead.We take oatmeal baths,use calimine lotion,and antiitchcream.I am a member of melaleuca wellness co.our products are safe for the whole family,our lotion renew is great for bad skin problems,and the melaleuca oil is great on bug bites and many other uses,i have used it for ant bites,fleas on the dog,burns ,and itching ears.I hope this is helpful to you,one grandma to another.

I would talk to the school as well. Cornmeal is one of the best ways to get rid of ants. Similar to grits, but they can't digest cornmeal, so it kills off the whole colony. It may take a week or two, and needs to be put out again if it rains, but it is a natural, safe way for them to exterminate.

I would also try the benadryl for the itching. There is a benadryl cream(in addition to the liquid) that works great on my 2 1/2 year old. Also, anything cold will help the itching. If she will let you put a frozen bag of veggies on her legs for a minute or two, it will relieve the itching. Good luck!

Ick bleach baths really? with all the damage it can do to her skin and her internal organs especially her lungs from the smell? there are hundreds of things out there that are safer to use that actually work BETTER than bleach.

I've got one child who wouldn't even know if he got bit he doesn't seem to be bothered by them at all one who has a mild reaction ad then my daughter who is the picker can't stand if she is itchy was prone to lots of skin issues until we healed her gut with a good whole food multi vitamin chiropractic and lots and lots of probiotics and tossed all the harmful chemicals out of the house! We clean with natural cleaners and I have found the best repellant ever for fire ants is peppermint oil! ok truth be told it works for ALL bugs! I actually have a spray bottle filled with water, peppermint essential oil, lavender essential oil, cedarwood essential oil and lemon essential oil. works on everything! and its SAFE! when I know we are going to be somewhere when bugs are more prone I can just use the same spray on my kids and we are good to go. Its rare they get bit by anything now unless they step in a mound. Also we have found that when we have a balance of B vitamins in are system we are less likely to get bit by anything than if we have been traveling or not eating as well and have a drop in our vitamin level.

Please please please though stop the bleach baths its soooo dangerous for her!

for a nice something to put on her bites after the fact I make a small bottle for the kids with calendula infused safflower oil, lavender EO and a few drops of tea tree EO as well. Its so much safer than all those harsh chemicals out there.

If I were you, I would notify the school administration and tell them of the ant problem. They need to find a way to get rid of the ants, as I'm sure that your granddaughter is not the only child who has been bitten. Also, I am not sure that the bleach baths are helping. Instead of using an irritant like bleach, try oatmeal baths for itching. Aveeno makes a good one. And try hyrdocortisone cream (anti-itch) or Benadryl cream or spray for the itching. I hope this helps!

Before I got off on the wrong foot with the school, I would ask teachers and parents if other children are having the same problems with ant bites. If not, it would seem very unlikely that she is the only one. My daughter suffers from eczema and has scars on her legs, too, so I know your concern. Does she "pick" because they bother her? WOuld a daily low dose of benadril be beneficial? And I'm thinking that bleach bath is probably the worse thing for her. If you're trying to avoid infection, surely there's another way to do it. I would ask her pediatrician to be referred to a dermatologist. Good luck to you!

L.:
I use a soap, lotion and a bath oil that is for skin conditions. These products are made with natural ingredients. These products are also 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. I have cleared up my eczema, which I had for 50 years. Email me at ____@____.com for more information.
P. S

Maybe the school playground is infested with fleas and she is being allergic to them ???

What is a bleach bath? Is that to dry the skin? I am assuming you are saying you are putting maybe a capful of bleach in her bathwater -- I don't know that that's advisable today. Please talk to your granddaughter's pediatrician before you do anymore of those. He may suggest Domboro for the same effect as you are trying for. Some things that once were done are not done any more. Maybe talk to an allergist since the reason for the reaction to ant bites is allergy. The secondary reason, of course, if there is scratching, is infection.

My thought is to avoid the ant bites altogether. I was extremely sensitive to ant bites when I was a child. I remember! I'm still not happy when I see those little things crawling around.

I think I would seek a pediatric allergist. Perhaps the white heads are pustules (pus-filled blisters) from fire ants? Are any of the other children at the school having problems? (I would expect that if you get on this with an allergist, he/she will become your granddaughter's advocate with the school if what you need to do is to move her to another recess location.) But maybe you'll find another way to treat the skin or take something orally.

Good luck!

I suggest you have her stay off the playground at school for a number of days and see if her legs get better (or at least don't get new bites). Talk to her teacher. There are surely fun indoor activities she could do during that time for a week or two. I had dry skin growing up and used to scratch my legs while I was sleeping (and sometimes when awake). Sometimes they would bleed. As a teenager I would put Crisco (better than most skin creams) on my legs, cover them with tight dance pants and then wear thin gloves to bed to try to keep from scratching while I was asleep. It didn't always help, but I was fairly desperate, and it was the best I could think of. I didn't like the way my legs looked, but I was also reluctant to talk about it with my parents because I was embarrassed about my bad habit of scratching. It seems like the bleach baths would be making her skin worse, and also making her smell bad.

Sounds like fire ants. My son has a habit of stepping in them in our own yard. I have had them on me. The whole family has and I'm sure most people out there have too. I know what it looks like when they are picked as well. I have the habit of scratching them while I sleep. They are extremely itchy and it is hard not to scratch. I have several scars from them as well. The best thing to do is show your granddaughter what they look like and tell her not to step on them. When we go into the back yard I always remind my son to watch out for them. He is almost 4 and is on alert when I tell him this. He remembers the pain and doesn't want to repeat it. You could also suggest to the school to put the ant killer on it on the weekend. You can get it at almost any store. I also use corn meal when I know the kids are going to be in the yard because it isn't harmful to them but the corn meal can't be digested by the ants and they die. But they are fast learners so you can't use it all the time. I hope this helps.

Your poor granddaughter.
I have to say that would be really really odd to have ant bites for years and years? Have you talked to her pediatrician yet? Does she seem worried or the type to be OCD? If it is she needs more help than them just saying 'she is a picker'?
I would talk to her pediatrician before she gets a serious infection.
Goodluck.

My son in law and I were just talking about ant bites this morning....he was telling me that his mom makes a paste out of crushed aspirin and rubbing alcohol...he said it works better than any over the counter medicine. He put it on fire ant bites and it stopped the itching. That may help the pocketbook...but as far as the picking...there is nothing you can do about that...it is true that some people just do that. My ex husband and my daughter both have that issue. She is 21 now, but I took her to tons of different doctors and they had no solution. I hope you find a solution that you are happy with. :)

I would make sure she always wears long pants to school and socks. Spray the pants and socks with an insect repellant before she leaves for school. Hopefully this will keep the ants off her. It does sound like ant bites to me. You probably should spray her shoes too as that's how they get on her. V.

Well I have a few suggestions and do not really know if they work or not but it's worth a try than sitting there putting yourself through the stress and worry. Plus, it would make your Granddaughter feel better about herself. Kids can really be mean. First suggestion might be an old wives tale but my grandmother used to swear by Vinegar. Applying the vinegar to the bites will draw it out and stop the itchy feeling. That is if you can stand the smell of it. If she also has other skin issues I can suggest a product called MonaVie. I was recently introduced to it and give it to my twin girls that have other issues and it has REALLY helped! I was amazed that a juice that you can drink could do so much. It is sort of expensive but if you can get other distributors underneath you on their Autoship program then you can basically start getting your juice for free.
Another suggestion that I heard of is a product that Arbonne carries. It's their baby line and I have heard some good things about it as well, but it is also a Network Marketing type thing which mean you can only purchase it online. No stores carry it and I think it is rather expensive as well. Anyways just my two cents/suggestions. Hope this helps you out! God Bless!

Hey L.

I am assuming you have brought this to the attention of the school principal but have you noticed other kids with the same problem? I am sure there are others affected and that is a health issue. The school should be taking adequate measures to ensure the children are not being attacked by ants. I am sensitve to bug bites as well and understand her frustration with scratching. It itches!! ha,ha. I have a type of reaction when my skin is too dry that I develop bumpb that resemble ant bites (the white head look) that itches terribly. I have to use a thick lotion daily to control it. I use cocoa butter, it seems to work the best. Maybe this is a combination of reactions since you said she has eczema. Best of luck!!

What about putting her in tights or pants so the ants can't get to her? Bleach Baths sound very toxic, skins absorbs all toxins and takes them to the organs, I'd be careful with that.

Have you spoken to the school about the issue with the ants? We had a similar problem with bees at one of the schools I worked for and when parents complained, the principal closed the playground for a week and had pest control eliminate the problem. If speaking to the principal gets no results raise the issue at a PTO meeting, surely your granddaughter is not the only child affected by the ants. As for the concern about OCD, you can talk to the school counselor or school psychologist and request testing and resources. It will be a very long process though, especially if she is young.

Hi L.
She is most likely scratching because her skin is DRY. She could have this problem from being dehydrated (most children are). Try increasing her water intake. She can also have sensitive skin. Bleach is toxic and even a drop is extremly dangorous for her to be bathing in! Not to mention, this will dry her skin out even more. I would start by no more bleach baths, ever, tons more water to drink, go to your local healthfood store and get her a really good multivitamin (wholefood concentrate) along with some organic lotion. I would also get her a good bathing soap. Start with California Baby for sensitive skin (love this one!, found at Target or Publix) or Burts Bees also has a great bodywash. I would give her liquid Benadryl for a few days until it was controled. I'm sure that making these changes would make a difference. My 4 year old was a scratcher too and once I looked into and did the things I mentioned, along with putting the lotion on her daily after her bath, the problem went away. Best of luck to you guys! I know your doing your best with your Grandaughter. We all learn new things every day:)
P.S. Check out the other products she uses. Sodium Laruel Sulfate (SLS) is a corrsive cleaner and is very irritating to many skin types. This is one we have to avoid!

L.,

What in the WORLD are bleach baths and WHY??? Please stop doing this; only a small amount of bleach is very toxic to the skin and lungs. I can only imagine that this is making things MUCH worse for her bites and doing nothing to help. You have got to talk to her school ASAP and get them to take care of the ant problem for the sake of all of the kids.
As far as disinfecting her bites, how about some warm Epsom Salt baths with some gentle soap like organic Dr. Bronner's available at most Target and Publix stores.

Love,
C.
www.LostRiverNaturals.com
Handcrafted Herbal Organics

Fire ants!! The leave the tell tale white head a day or so later. You need to talk to her teacher and principle (or her mom if you don't have gaurdiaship) about this. She can either stay on the hard part of the play ground if possible or the school can treat the play ground for them as well. You can't just treat the mound, you have to do the whole area!!! Otherwise they'll just move to a new location. Fire ants will also start to 'hibernate' soon too if the weather stays cool. Then come spring they can treat before they become active again. You can also teacher your Granddaughter what their mounds look like and what to do if she gets covered in them-stomp feet, take off shoes and cold water if possible. I'd also stop the bleach baths. Bleach is an irratant, drys the skin (cause more itching) and some people are allergic to it as well. Give her soothing baths with either oatmeal (there is a special oatmeal bath you can buy, not regular oatmeal you eat) and sea salt (can be bought at walmart by the regular salt). Both with help the skin heal and the sea salt will draw the puss out from the ant bites as well.

So, short of getting her DR to say she is highly allergic to fire ants, you need to get the schools coroperation to treat the ants since I'm sure she isn't the only child getting bit out there!!

My first thought is for you to go to the school and tell them what is going on if you haven't already. Since she has such a severe reaction they should help with a solution. I have had similar situations with the schools, if you are persistent they will listen!

It may only be a capful, but still not good for your granddaughter. common sense. Try Tee Tree Oil. It dries out the skin and safer then bleach. You can find it at The Body Works store. NOT Bath and Body works. or I have found it in my grocery store, Publix. In the drug isle.

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