Bug Bites
Submitted by Leah (MOMMYLEAH)

It’s that time a year again when the bug bites start. This year I looked into spider and tick bites. Most spider bites are not dangerous. There are only two spider bites to be worried about. The black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. These spiders are not common to our area so we don’t really haven’t anything to worry about! Black widows are shiny black with a red hourglass mark on the belly. Brown recluse spiders (sometimes called fiddler spiders) are brown with a white or dark brown violin-shaped mark on the back. Usually if your child does get bit by a spider you won’t even know it until later when a welt and/or swelling appears. Just try to ice the wound and keep an eye out for any infection. Contact your doctor if it does become infected. Ticks are common in our area however, the ticks that cause Lyme disease or Rocky mountain fever are not. Deer ticks are what carry Lyme disease and the Dog tick carries rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The Deer tick is very tiny and could fit on a pin head. The Dog tick is larger then the deer tick and has a flat looking back with 8 legs. They are usually brown or black in color. If your child has a tick bite. Be sure to pull the tick out completely . A pair of tweezers will work best. Keep an eye on the bite site. If you notice any unusual swelling, redness, or bulls eye type rash contact your child's doctor. If your child develops a fever or flu like symptoms 5-10 days after the bite be sure to contact your doctor also. It’s better to be safe then sorry. For further information check out the following web sites.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Lyme Disease

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