Insect Repellent for 21 Month Old

There was a study on ridding homes from fleas without chemicals from Ohio State. They said to vacuum daily for 1 week and then 3-4 times per week for another week or two and that should rid the room of fleas. You may also need to vacuum the mattress especially the seams in case it is bed bugs which have made a come back in recent months. If there are 3 bites in a row then it is bed bugs (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Good luck.

T.,

www.mercola.com sells one. He claims it is more effective than DEET! Worth a try.

Good luck.

Avon Skin-so-Soft is supposed to be safe for all. That's the only suggestion that I have. Good luck!

Green Mama's on Davis in (I think) N. Richland Hills carries a concentrated horse care product (stay with me here)called Natural 7 by Equi-organics that uses only natural ingredients that is non-irritating, free of harsh chemicals, and perfectly safe to use for people. It needs to be diluted with water and put into a diffuser/spray bottle and it smells wonderful unlike most nasty bug repellents. Active ingredients are: Aloe Vera Gel, Citronella Oil, Clove, Rosemary, Melalueca Oil (Tea Tree Oil), Eucalyptus, Cedar Wood, and Orange oil. We paid $20 for a 32 fl, oz. bottle of it last spring and used it all summer long on a family of four (plus occasional neighbors and guests) and we still and 3/4 of the bottle which makes it pretty darn economical.

Since you suspect fleas, I'd treat your carpets, bedding, and any pets for fleas too. Just vaccuuming won't remove them. There are a variety of treatment products out there from simply using diluted Tea Tree Oil to using full out pesticides. Good luck!

I also recommend Green Mama's for organic remedies, also Redenta's. For research, a great resource is Howard Garrett's website:

http://dirtdoctor.com/

He is a well-known organic activist and has a radio show that has wonderful tips and information.

Hi T.!! Not only do you want to get rid of the insects, but you want to do it safely. Spray solumel on the carpet. Also, Renew lotion and Melaleuca oil (also known as tea tree oil) will help keep the bug bites away and help sooth them. All of these are very safe - no toxins or chemicals. So safe for children and pets. I've use them all and they work great!

Good luck!!

T.

I second the Burt's Bees suggestion. I just picked up a new tub of it for this year.

Also, in addition to being fleas or bedbugs, they could be spiders. (I'm battling some now in the master bedroom, sigh.) Your apartment complex should foot the bill for an extermination. Good luck.

Try the family deet free versions. Also, I would have a pest person come and check and spray for fleas and possibly bed bugs.

I would check her bed for bed bugs, I know that sounds gross but if she is getting them at night it could be bed bugs. check in the matress creases and with the lights out for a few minutes, turn on a flash light and see if you see any scurry from the light.

you would have bites to if you had fleas and you would see the fleas they bite all day not just at night.

also vaccume the matress, house and couches with a flea collar in the bag then throw out the bag in the dumptster right after you are done. wash the linnens, sheets, pillow cases and pillows on HOT. you alwo want to call maintence and have them spray for bugs. (stay away from apartment for a few hours until dry)

Good luck
A. J

I've been using Skin So Soft by Avon on my 16 month old son anytime we go out and it's been working great. You might want to check the mattress to make sure it is not bedbugs if the only time she's getting bites is in bed. Otherwise, seeing it's an apartment, make your leasing office aware of the problem and have them come out and spray. If you are washing the blankets and sheets every few days and the bites continue, more than likely it is not fleas.

I use Burt's Bees insect repellent. There is also No-Bite-Me that is for prevention and after bites. I think I found it at www.leapsandbounds.com

They might actually be bed bugs. I honestly didn't think they were for real until my sister had an all-out battle with them and nearly had to buy all new bedroom furniture!! She ended up having to work with an exterminator. As far as an insect repellant goes, I am a customer of a wellness company that doesn't actually have insect repellant but does have safe products that can be combined as effective insect repellant. All the products would be safe for your daughter. I can send you more information if you're interested.

Hi T.,
I would recommend treating your apartment, carpet, and washing all bedding. Out here in West Texas, we have lots of "critter" and some moms apply Avon's Skin So Soft after their children's bath and swear by it. My little on (34 mos) is too sensitive for purfumy solutions, but if your little girl tolerates skin applications well, you might give that a shot.
Blessings~
~K.

I might suggest that you FIRST check to be sure it's not bed bugs. They are small bugs that come out in the dark and bite. They are usually found under the sheets in the corners or in the mattress.
You will most likely have to wait til a little after bedtime to check for them .
Good Luck

Hi T.,

I got an email a while ago saying that if you spay Listerine close to the person, insects will go away. How safe this is, i don't know but I heard it works!

D.

First treat the apartment and the mattress. If it is mesquitos, I have used Listerine on my skin and it really works. Not sure if safe for a 2 yr old due to the alcohol content in it, but it worked great on me. I'm told it can be sprayed on a deck and surrounding furniture outside, as well to help keep them at bay.
~ N.

I would worry most about getting rid of the fleas first. It is very hard to do if there are animals in the house not on flea prevention as they keep going outside to use the restroom. Wash all bedlinens in hot water and sprinkle baking soda on the mattress. I would also set off some foggers to get the fleas that are living in the carpet.

Shaklee has something called Basic H...if you look it up online, you'll learn how safe it is, and it has thousands of uses (beyond what Shaklee advertises it for.)
If you live near Bedford, I am a distributor you could use. Otherwise, Shaklee website can refer you to a distributor close to your location. Basic H has been used to repel insects by MANY. Email me if you want anymore details.

Sounds like bed bugs, if she's waking up with bites. Either get her mattress cleaned or get a new one!

hi! I just started using burts bee''s insect repellent because it's all natural I think it works pretty well but haven't tested it out too much yet. L.

Your apartment should treat the place at no cost to you.. Call your apt. manager now.

someone told me to use listerine mouth wash as an insect repellent, that it really does work. I have Lupus and have to be very careful with sprays and things so I'm trying it this summer.

Burt's Bees all natural herbal insect repellent is my fave!!

As far as fleas or bed bug possibilities, I don't know but as an FYI: you can put eucalyptus branches in your window sills and by your doors and I will keep spiders away...they don't like the smell.
You can get the brances in the fake floral department in WalMart.

T.,
If indeed these are fleas it is important that you get your apt. sprayed. Fleas do not die off, they increase rapidly. Is this the only room? You will need to know what the bites are from to know how best to treat them. Any anti itch med would help but please find the problem. B.

did you purchase a new mattress, this could be bed bugs, go online and do the research on this. Also, you can go to Whole Foods, they sell natural products for insect bites, I use them and I like it especially because it is all natural.

A new mattress, would probably help. If you can't do that then I suggest that you take the old one outside. Spray it with raid and let sit for about 30 mins. Wash it with hot soapy water and put it in the tub so it can drain, and set a fan or two to dry it. If it's bugs in the air I would get some mosquito netting and put it up like a canopy and make sure that it was tucked into the bottom of the bed to avoid gaps at the bottom. I really hope this helps, or you get a lot of good advice.

Here is a product you are going to love. I sell this product like crazy!!!!! I use it on everything and everyone including pets ALL PETS!!!! It is called Cedarcide. It is awesome. You can pull them up online. It is wonderful and I have been using it on my kids from 6 months and up. I have also used it on a few day old puppies from a flea infestation. Check it out and let me know!!!!!

I would say the first thing you need to do is have the apartment's management exterminate....you can find out if it's fleas by putting on a pair of white socks and standing there. You will see them jump onto the white socks. Personally, I would be worried it's bedbugs. In any event, have the management do something.....you don't want to have to slather the poor thing in chemicals every night before she goes to bed do you?

IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN CONCERNED WITH THE CHEMICALS IN SUNSCREEN & BUG REPELLENT THAT YOU PUT ON YOU CHILDREN PLEASE READ FOR A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE.

http://products.mercola.com/summer-survival-kit/?source=nl