How to Use Bug Bite Thing on Kids

Like our Bug Bite Thing founder, Kelley Higney, I’ve always been a tasty snack for mosquitoes (long before being a “snacc” was considered a good thing!). Maybe even worse, there is something about me that bees must sense too. For every zero bites or stings someone else gets, I will get two or three.

Also like Kelley, my daughter is sadly just as attractive for insects. “She’s just so sweet!” people tease about it. Well, this “sweetness” leads to bites that always look like they are from mosquitoes on steroids. Unfortunately, she is the one who normally ends up on steroids, in addition to antibiotics, because those bites often lead to cellulitis.

After her first really bad set of bites – one of which resulted in what looked like a black eye on her 2nd birthday – I couldn’t take it anymore. I scoured the Internet for a mosquito bite remedy for kids until I learned about Bug Bite Thing from a group of other moms on Facebook and gave it a try.

By the time my girl got her next bite, I was ready to pounce.

Right idea, wrong move. While my intentions were great, my poor girl was already so shell-shocked from the pain caused by the last few bites that she yelled in terror before I even touched her leg with the new device. Mission failed.

Thankfully, soon after my mistake, I was able to learn from the queen bee herself! Once I began working with the Bug Bite Thing team (can you tell how much I believed in the product?!), Kelley successfully re-introduced my daughter to the suction tool by making the interaction fun for her.

So, in an effort to help other parents, grandparents, nannies, teachers and most of all, the kids, I asked Kelley to help me create a step-by-step guide on how to introduce Bug Bite Thing to children in a safe, enjoyable and yes, even entertaining manner.

10 TIPS FOR BUG BITE THING SUCCESS WITH CHILDREN

  1. Before your child gets a new insect bite or sting, show them the Bug Bite Thing and explain how it works.

  2. Talk about how it takes away the itching and pain from bites and stings. Explain how it works and show them there is nothing inside. Let them know there is nothing about it that can hurt them.

  3. Use it on yourself, then give them a turn to use the device on you.

  4. Some young kids might like the temporary “cool circle print” it makes on your skin, so call it out if you think they might enjoy the mark.

  5. Give them time to get familiar with the tool and play with it. Suggest they test it out on their dolls, stuff animals or other toys. Please note: The tool contains small removable parts so it should only be used with adult supervision.

  6. Consider showing them this video here on the blog or other Bug Bite Thing reviews that feature children. This can help them understand the suction is fun, not scary.

  7. Once they are comfortable, try it out on the inner palm of their hand, which is less sensitive than other areas.

  8. When ready to move onto other areas of skin, use the device at half-strength for kids since their skin may be more sensitive than adults’.

  9. Tell them the proper time to use it so they understand the concept and begin to associate it with something they seek when they get a bite. For instance, “When you get a bug bite, tell mommy or daddy really quickly so we can get the Bug Bite Thing to take away the itching and pain.”

  10. Keep it fresh. Even if they don’t get a bug bite for a while, remind them of the tool in order to build comfort around it. You can prompt with questions like, “Do you have a bug bite?” or “Do we need to use Bug Bite Thing yet?” This way, once they are already in pain from the bite or sting, they will remember the suction does not hurt.

If you skip a step, that’s ok! Not all households need to follow all of these tips and some kids may not need any prompting at all. In our experience, however, it always helps to ease into it and make it fun.

Want to learn more about how the tool uses suction for mosquito bite relief and how to care for it over time? We also have a few handy tips on how to use Bug Bite Thing for everyone; not just kids.

Trust me, once you start, you will not go back to the old ways. I keep one in my handbag, one in my daughter’s medicine cabinet and one on our back patio…and I’m pretty sure my husband has one in the gym bag he takes to the soccer field! To purchase some for yourself or your littles, we offer singles and value packs on the Bug Bite Thing website, which include free shipping and a money-back guarantee in order to make it easy for you to provide your children the relief they deserve.


1 comment


  • Alison Riviera-papillo

    I got 6 of them. I have not had to start using them yet because I bought them in the dead of winter and with the everything going on just started to go outside. But I am so glad there is something that will hopefully help me avoid the purple welts and antibiotics that normally go along with my bug bites.


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