Bugs, Bites, & Stings: A Parent’s Guide to First Aid for Kids
An important reminder:
This post and anything on this website is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as medical advice or in place of or to delay seeking medical attention. Every child is different and has different needs. Your child’s provider can help you figure out the best management plan for your specific situation.
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Summer means outdoor adventures, getting our kids (and ourselves) outside more, and enjoying all the activities that come with nicer weather. Which also means more exposure to bugs and potential bug bites and stings. Most bites and stings are easy to treat at home. This guide walks you through each one, step by step, so you always know what to do so you can feel confident in doing so!
Everything you need to know to stay calm, act quickly, and know when to call the doctor — straight from trusted pediatric guidelines.
Bee & Yellow Jacket Stings
Your child was stung. Now what?
First, take a breath. Your child likely already had the reaction and needs calming down, they are going to look to you for the calm.
Bee stings are common; the main symptoms are pain and redness, and the swelling — even if it looks alarming — does not mean your child is having an allergic reaction. Here's exactly what to do.
Stings from honeybees, bumblebees, hornets, paper wasps, and yellow jackets are among the most common insect encounters in kids. Over 95% of stings are from honey bees or yellow jackets. Most children experience only local symptoms that are very manageable at home.
There are four types of reactions to know about:
A local reaction (pain, swelling, itching, and redness right at the sting site — the most common)
Widespread hives (which can be isolated or part of a more serious reaction), an
Anaphylactic reaction (a severe, life-threatening allergic response), and a
Systemic venom reaction from multiple stings that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
Home Care
Remove the stinger
Only honeybees leave a stinger. Use a fingernail or the edge of a credit card to scrape it off — don't squeeze or pull it out, as this injects more venom. If the stinger is below the skin surface, leave it alone. It will shed with normal skin healing.
Ease the discomfort
Make a baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with a little water or vinegar until paste like consistency and rub it on the sting with a cotton ball for 20 minutes — this may neutralize the venom and reduce pain and swelling. For persistent pain, massage with an ice cube for 10 minutes.
⚠ Do not use baking soda paste near the eye.
Give medicine for pain as needed
Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin. Do not use in less than 6 months old) for relief of pain and burning. Talk with your provider for an age appropriate dose for your child. Healthychildren.org is a really great resource to consider as well.
Treat the itch
For itching or swelling, you can apply 1% hydrocortisone cream (over the counter) to the sting area 3 times per day. If the sting becomes itchy, give a dose of Benadryl or other antihistamine (age limit: 1 year or older).
Pro tip:
I love telling parents to preemptively check with their pediatric provider ahead of summer time (or really any time) to ask what would be an appropriate antihistamine to keep on hand for your child and what is an age appropriate dose. That way, you have the medication on hand and know the dose specific to your child and aren’t scrambling or Googling what and how much to give in the moment
DIY YOUR HOME FIRST AID KIT
DIY Your Home First Aid Kit → Everything you need here
What to expect
Pain or burning at the site lasts 1–2 hours. You may notice ittching that often follows the pain. Normal swelling from venom can increase for 24 hours after the sting — stings on the upper face can cause severe swelling around the eye. Redness can last 3 days and swelling up to 7 days.
Call Your doctor
Rash and itch that lasts longer than 24 hours
Redness or pain lasts more than 2-3 days
The sting begins to look infected
Your child becomes worse
Call 911 And Seek Emergency Care
Wheezing or difficulty breathing
Hoarseness, cough, or tightness in the throat or chest
Difficulty swallowing, drooling, or slurred speech
Confusion, or passing out
Widespread hives beginning within 2 hours of the sting
Swelling of the face or neck
Previous severe allergic reaction to bees or yellow jackets (not just hives or swelling)
Anaphylaxis usually starts within 20 minutes and always by 2 hours following a sting. After 2 hours with no symptoms, the risk of anaphylaxis has passed, but still warrants monitoring of symptoms and staying in touch with your provider.
A Note On Hives
Hives — raised, red, blotchy welts on the skin — can appear after a sting as either an isolated reaction or as part of a more serious allergic response. Widespread hives that develop within 2 hours of a sting warrant a trip to the ED, because they may signal the beginning of anaphylaxis. If your child has a known allergy to insect stings, be sure to have an anaphylaxis emergency care plan in place — and make sure schools, camps, and caregivers all know about it.
Localized hives
Hives on just one part of the body — are usually caused by direct skin contact with an irritant, not a full-body allergic reaction. Common causes include plants, pollen, pet saliva, food, insect bites, and bee stings. Localized hives are not an allergy and are not caused by drugs, infections, or swallowed foods.
What to do : Wash the substance off the skin with soap and water. If itchy, rub the area with a cold pack or ice cube for 20 minutes. You could also consider a cool bath with baking soda added to help with any itching.
What to expect: Localized hives usually disappear within a few hours and typically don't need Benadryl. However if the rash/hives persist call your pediatrician and consider an antihistamine medication as directed. I love telling parents to preemptively check with their pediatric provider ahead of summer time (or really any time) to ask what would be an appropriate antihistamine to keep on hand for your child and what is an age appropriate dose. That way you have the medication on hand and know the dose specific to your child and aren’t scrambling or Googling what and how much to give in the moment.
If your child has a known sting allergy
Talk with your child's doctor about having a written emergency action plan in place — and make sure everyone who cares for your child knows what to do. Share it with schools, camps, and caregivers before a sting ever happens. Being prepared is the most important thing you can do.
Your go-to resource for what to keep on hand to confidently care for your baby, child, and whole family through sick days, emergencis and every day care!
Tick Bites
Ticks….. hands down one of the biggest things that makes my skin crawl (no pun intended!). They just gross me out, and rightfully so, they are known for carrying and transmitting illness and disease (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, Colorado Tick Fever and more). However, that doesn’t mean we panic if we see one on our kiddos.
Tick bites themselves are usually painless and while they are icky little critters, most of the time they rarely cause serious problems. The key, however, is removing them promptly and knowing what to watch for.
Tick bites are painless and don't itch — which is why they often go unnoticed. After feeding on blood, ticks become quite swollen and easier to see.
How to Remove a Tick that is attached to the skin
Use fine tip tweezers
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull the tick straight upward without twisting or crushing it. Maintain steady pressure until it releases its grip. If it's tiny, use the edge of a credit card to scrape it off. Pull steadily — do not twist or jerk.
TIP: Covering the tick with petroleum jelly, nail polish, a soapy cotton ball, or rubbing alcohol DOES NOT work and neither does touching it to something that is hot or cold
If the head breaks off
Remove any large pieces you can see. Clean the skin with rubbing alcohol. A small piece of the head remaining will slowly heal and shed on its own — this carries no added risk and no disease.
Clean it up
Wash the area and your hands with soap and water.
DIY YOUR HOME FIRST AID KIT
DIY Your Home First Aid Kit → Everything you need here
WHat to watch for
Erythema Migrans (EM) rash: About 80% of Lyme disease infections start with a bull's-eye rash at the bite site. This rash is at least 2 inches (5 cm) in size at diagnosis and can grow as large as 12 inches (30 cm). The good news: treatment with 14 days of antibiotics almost always prevents the development of later stages of Lyme disease, including arthritis, heart problems, and neurologic issues.
EM / Lyme Rash : Flat (not raised). At least 2 inches (5 cm) across. Grows rapidly once it begins. Appears 3–30 days after the bite.
Normal Bite Reaction Raised (like a hive). Smaller than 2 inches. Starts immediately and grows large within 6 hours. Itchy, not tender.
Lyme Disease: What Parents Need to Know: The CDC reports over 30,000 new Lyme disease cases per year. The overall risk of Lyme disease following a recognized deer tick bite in an endemic area is about 3% — rising to as high as 25% with prolonged attachment over 36 hours or a visibly swollen, engorged tick. In high-risk areas (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest), a single preventive dose of an antibiotic can reduce the risk of Lyme disease after a bite from an engorged deer tick that has been attached for at least 36 hours. Talk with your child's doctor about whether this is right for your situation.
What to expect
Tick bites normally don't hurt — that's why they go unnoticed. If the tick transferred a disease, a rash will usually appear in the next 2–4 weeks. Watch for any rash or fever in the 4 weeks following the bite.
Call your Doctor
You can't remove the tick
Fever or rash develops in the next 4 weeks
The bite begins to look infected
Your child becomes worse
Redness or red streak that starts 24 hours after a bite
Redness that gets worse
Red ring or bull’s eye rash
A tick attached for 36 hours or more
You just want someone to lay eyes on it and reassure you!
Call 911 and Seek Emergency Medical Care
Wide spread hives and difficulty breathing
Your child is ill appearing and lethargic
Preventing Tick Bites
When you and your kiddos are outside in wooded and tick areas, try to wear long clothing. Tuck the end of your kiddos pants into their socks and use bug repellents for clothing and exposed skin (see below).
After being outdoors in tick and wooded areas, check for ticks and remove any that are attached or not attached. Check the scalp and hair line, behind and inside the ears, underwear line, and the rest of the body well.
Permetherin - Apply to clothing
Highly effective tick repellent
Apply to shirt cuffs, pant cuffs, shoes, hat and outdoor items like sleeping bags, exterior or tents, etc.
Do not apply to skin — it's rapidly degraded on contact with skin
DEET - Apply to skin
Newborns to 2 years: use 10% DEET (protects 2 hours) (use minimally)
After 2 years: 30% DEET (protects 6 hours)
Don't apply to your child’s hands
Wash off with soap and water when coming inside
For a full breakdown of insect repellents for babies and kids Read the complete guide: → Best Bug Repellents for Kids & Babies
Mosquito Bites
Probably one of the most annoying ones!!! I personally am incredibly sensitve to mosquito bites, and soe are two of my children. Needless to say, I take as big of a prevention approach as I can!
In the United States and Canada, mosquito bites rarely carry any disease. They cause itchy red skin bumps and are simply an annoyance.
Mosquito bites usually cause itchy red bumps under ½ inch (12 mm) in size, but they can be much larger in young children. Some children may also have a raised bull's-eye rash around the bug bite — this can be a completely normal reaction, not an allergy.
Young children (peak age 2–4 years) can develop large local reactions — red, swollen, up to 2 inches (5 cm) — to mosquito bites. Parents are often worried it's an allergy, it usually is not but here is how you can tell. If the large reaction to the bite happens immediately, becomes large within 6 hours, is itchy, not tender or painful, and no other symptoms are present, chances are it is not an allergy and a localized reaction. It seems so dramatic because young children usually have larger reactions on first contact with mosquito saliva. However, see below for reasons to seek care.
What to Expect
Most mosquito bites itch for several days. Swelling may last 7 days. Bites on the upper face can cause severe swelling around the eye or ear (for this, seek care). Swelling is usually worst in the morning after lying down all night and improves after standing for a few hours. Any pinkness or redness usually resolves within 3 days.
HOme Care
Reduce the itch:
Apply firm, steady pressure to the bite for 10 seconds — a fingernail, pen cap, or similar object works well. You can consider applying a baking soda paste (mix baking soda with water or vinegar until paste like consistency) and apply to the bite. If those do not relieve the itching you can talk with your provider about using 1% hydrocortisone cream (no prescription needed) 3 times a day until the itch is gone.
Add an antihistamine if needed
For severe itching, check with your provider about using an antihistamine (like Zyrtec or Benadryl)
Pro tip:
I love telling parents to preemptively check with their pediatric provider ahead of summer time (or really any time) to ask what would be an appropriate antihistamine to keep on hand for your child and what is an age appropriate dose. That way you have the medication on hand and know the dose specific to your child and aren’t scrambling or Googling what and how much to give in the moment
Reduce infection - keep fingernails short
Scratching can cause a secondary bacterial infection due to the germs that live under our kiddo’s fingernails. I know it is so hard to keep our kids from scratching, but one thing we can do is help keep their nails short and smooth to help prevent this.
If the bite looks infected
If the site starts having drainage, redness gets worse, or it becomes painful, notify your pediatric provider to have it evaluated. Additionally, if you notice redness around the bite, red streaks, and/or the site becomes painful to the touch, these are signs of a deeper infection that needs an evaluation.
DIY YOUR HOME FIRST AID KIT
DIY Your Home First Aid Kit → Everything you need here
Call Your doctor
Redness becomes larger after 72 hours
Bite becomes painful
Your child becomes worse
Call 911 and seek emergency medical care
Sudden difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, or wheezing — give epinephrine if you have it
Difficult to awaken, confused, or slurred speech
Can't walk or can barely walk
Stiff neck — can't touch chin to chest
Unexplained fever after recent travel outside the country to a high-risk area
Insect Bites
Insect bites usually cause a small red bump that looks like a hive. A large hive does not mean your child has an allergy. Redness does not mean the bite is infected. Most bites clear up on their own within a week.
Insect bites usually cause a small red bump — often one large one or several small ones that look like localized hives. Sometimes a small water blister occurs in the center, especially in younger children.
Itchy Bites
Mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas, bedbugs
Usually cause itchy, red bumps
Most active at sunrise or sunset
Painful Bites
Horseflies, deerflies, gnats, fire ants, centipedes
Usually cause a painful, red bump
Fire ant bites can change to blisters or pimples within a few hours
Home Care
For itchy bites
You can use a baking soda paste, or apply an ice cube in a wet washcloth for 20 minutes. Apply firm, steady pressure to the bite for 10 seconds to reduce the itch. If the bite is very itchy after local treatment, try an over the counter 1% hydrocortisone cream or an oral antihistamine.
Pro tip:
I love telling parents to preemptively check with their pediatric provider ahead of summer time (or really any time) to ask what would be an appropriate antihistamine to keep on hand for your child and what is an age appropriate dose. That way you have the medication on hand and know the dose specific to your child and aren’t scrambling or Googling what and how much to give in the moment
2. For painful bites
Rub the bite for 15–20 minutes with a cotton ball soaked in a baking soda solution — this usually reduces the pain (don’t use this near the eyes). You can also apply an ice cube in a wet washcloth for 20 minutes. Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen for pain relief as needed.
3. If the bite looks infected
If you notice any redness around the bite, redness that is streaking out from the bite, your child needs to be seen by a doctor for treatment.
DIY YOUR HOME FIRST AID KIT
DIY Your Home First Aid Kit → Everything you need here
What to Expect
Most insect bites are itchy for several days. Swelling may last 7 days. Bites on the upper face can cause severe swelling around the eye or ear — this is harmless. Swelling is usually worse in the morning and improves after standing for a few hours. Any pinkness or redness usually lasts 3 days.
Call Your Doctor
Severe pain persists more than 2 hours after pain medicine
An infected scab doesn't improve
The bite looks infected with any redness around the bite site, redness that is streaking, and/or warmth and tenderness to touch
Your child becomes worse
CAll 911 and Seek Emergency MEdical Care
Anaphylaxis is very rare from insect bites, but watch for:
Difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, or shock
Onset is abrupt — usually within 20 minutes, always by 2 hours
Preventing INsect Bites
Choosing an Insect Repellent
Dress your child in long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat when spending time outdoors, especially at sunrise and sunset when biting insects are most active.
The best protection against biting insects starts with choosing an effective repellent and using it correctly. The top recommended options are
DEET (20–30%, effective 10–12 hours)
Picaridin (20%, effective 10–12 hours), and
Permethrin (applied to clothing only — not skin).
Both DEET and Picaridin are safe for babies 2 months and older. Natural and essential oil-based repellents are not recommended — they are not as effective and have not been studied as thoroughly for safety.
Want the full breakdown — what to use for babies, whether to skip combo sunscreen/repellent products, and which natural repellents actually work ?
Read the complete guide: → Best Bug Repellents for Kids & Babies
Want to feel even more prepared?
Knowing how to prevent bug bites and provide basic first aid is a huge step in your parenting confidence! But real confidence comes from having the full picture — knowing what to do in a breathing or choking emergency, knowing infant and child CPR, how to respond to fevers and other illnesses, and understanding the difference between a situation that needs 911 and one that can wait.
At Bite Sized Peds, that's exactly what we help parents build.
Ready to go deeper: The Baby & Child CPR + First Aid + Safety classis a hands-on training for parents, grandparents, and caregivers who want to feel genuinely prepared — not just informed. Available in person community sessions, private sessions or private virtual sessions.
Just want to stay in the loop: Join the Bite Sized Bits Newsletter below for practical pediatric tips delivered to your inbox — no overwhelm, just the things that actually matter.
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Medical/General: The content, information, opinions, and suggestions listed here have been created with typically developing children and babies in mind. The information here is generalized for a broad audience. The information here should by no means be used as a substitute for medical advice or for any circumstance be used in place of emergency services. Your child is an individual and may have needs or considerations beyond generally accepted practices. If your child has underlying medical or developmental differences, including but not limited to prematurity, developmental delay, sensory processing differences, gastrointestinal differences, cardiopulmonary disease processes, or neurological differences, we strongly recommend you discuss your child's plan with the child's doctor, health care provider. By accessing this site and the information in it, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. By using and accepting the information on this site, the author (Cierra Crowley) is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions discussed. It is important to talk to your child’s pediatrician or medical provider to start anything new or make any changes.
Affiliation: this page contains affiliate links from which I can earn small commissions (at no additional cost to you).
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Schmitt, B. D. (2026). Pediatric telephone protocols: Office version (Copyright 1994–2026). Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines, LLC. ·
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018). Insect sting allergies. HealthyChildren.org.
American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Dermatology. (2023). 12 common summertime skin rashes in children. HealthyChildren.org.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (n.d.). Bee and wasp stings. CHOP Poison Control Center.
