The peak season for flying catkins has arrived! Quickly collect the protection guide for children

April is the time when spring flowers bloom and willows turn green, but the annoying willow catkins add a bit of trouble.

On April 3, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry and the Beijing Meteorological Bureau jointly issued a forecast for the beginning of Beijing's willow catkins in 2023 : From April 9 to 15, Beijing will usher in the first peak period of flying catkins, with the worst period from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

The forecast shows that the flying catkins period in Beijing usually lasts from early April to late May, and lasts about 50 days. In specific areas, if there is no obvious precipitation, cooling, strong winds, etc., the flying catkins usually have an impact of about 20 days, and the peak period is generally about one week.

"Willow catkins" VS "Poplar catkins"

Can you tell the difference?

Flying catkins is a natural phenomenon when seeds of plants such as poplars and willows mature and explode. Poplars and willows are divided into male and female plants. Male plants do not fly catkins, and flying catkins come from female plants. The flocs on the inflorescence of female plants are seeds, which are spread by wind to complete reproduction.

Since female willows start to leaf out and bloom about half a month earlier than poplars, willow catkins start to float in early to mid-April, and poplar catkins float in late April and early May. In addition to the time of day, they also have the following characteristics:

Willow catkins: The seeds of willow trees have finer fibers and are more dispersed. They can float far away with the wind and fly earlier than poplar catkins.

Poplar fluff: Poplar seeds. When poplar fruit is about to mature and crack, poplar fluff will fly everywhere. The texture of poplar fluff is more condensed, a bit like cotton. It will float later.

What are the hazards of flying catkins?

1

Induce respiratory diseases

Willow catkins are easy carriers of bacteria or viruses that spread diseases. After being inhaled, the oil and polysaccharide substances they contain will be digested by nasal secretions and then release more than ten kinds of antibodies. If combined with the inhaled pollen, it will cause adverse reactions such as coughing, asthma, and runny nose.

2

Causes skin allergies

Willow catkins may be contaminated with viruses and pollen as they float, which may form allergens. If they stay on the skin, they will cause obvious itching, small red rashes, peeling, redness and swelling, and other symptoms.

3

Highly likely to cause fire

The fire department has conducted experiments to test the burning effect of catkins. The experiments show that catkins burn very quickly and have a "deflagration" effect. If catkins gather together, they will continue to burn and easily ignite nearby flammable materials, thus causing a fire.

In the past, one of the main reasons for fires caused by poplar and willow catkins was children playing with fire. Children are curious about the flying poplar and willow catkins and often ignite the accumulated piles of poplar and willow catkins, causing fires.

Parents must warn their children: **Never light the catkins for fun! **To prevent unnecessary casualties and property losses caused by fires caused by catkins.

Flying catkins period,

What should we pay attention to in children’s daily protection?

⬇⬇⬇

Go out fully armed

If your child is allergic, stay away from catkins and pollen. It is best to reduce unnecessary outings during the flying catkin season. If you go out, you must wear a mask, glasses, and a coat. If you usually wear contact lenses, you can change to a pair of glasses with lenses to prevent catkins from flying into your eyes. If you are afraid of allergies on your exposed arms, you can put on a thin coat.

Choose the right time for outdoor activities

Generally, 10-16 o'clock is the peak time for flying catkins, so you should avoid taking your children out during this time. Even if you need to do outdoor activities, try to do it when there are fewer catkins, such as in the morning, evening, or after rain.

Rinse your nasal cavity every day

If your child has allergic rhinitis or is sensitive to pollen or catkins, he or she should clean the nasal cavity 2-3 times a day. You can buy a special nasal rinser at a pharmacy or hospital. A simpler method is to use saline solution to completely remove the pollen components in the nasal cavity.

Warm water to remove willow catkins

If the skin is stained with willow catkins, it should be removed in time, preferably with warm water, which will help prevent allergies or alleviate allergic symptoms. If the skin itching, erythema, papules and other symptoms are severe, seek medical attention in time.

Do not hang clothes outdoors

Try to dry clothes indoors as much as possible, otherwise it is easy for clothes, quilts, and bed sheets to be contaminated by willow catkins outdoors.

Install window screens to prevent catkins from flying into the room

When you open the window, remember to put down the screen to block most of the catkins. If the house is still full of white catkins, you can put a few basins of water in the house. At the same time, mopping the floor frequently can also effectively "deal with" the flying catkins.

During the catkin war,

The following two errors are likely to occur:

Please be sure to tell your children: Don’t do ❎❎❎

✘Rubbing your eyes

If flying catkins get into your eyes, do not rub them with your hands, as this will scratch the conjunctiva.

Correct method: If the foreign body is small and does not cause much stimulation, reflexive tears will expel it; if tears cannot be solved, under the premise of ensuring sterility, ask someone to turn over the upper and lower eyelids, look for the foreign body, and gently wipe out the foreign body with a sterilized cotton swab; if the flying catkins enter the deep layer of the eye, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time to ask a doctor to treat it.

✘ Scratching the skin vigorously

Willow catkins cause skin itching, so scratching the skin is not advisable; scratching the skin hard will only produce some pain to cover the itching, and the itching often cannot be stopped after the pain disappears. If the skin is scratched, it is prone to infection.

Correct method: Immediately wipe it off with a tissue or disinfectant wipes, or wash it with clean water. If the skin is scratched, it is easy to get infected.

Here are 2 tips for you:

First, tap gently because vertical force will not damage the skin.

Second, apply cold compresses, which can reduce the skin's "memory" of the stimulus.

Some children may ask:

Since willow catkins

It brings so much trouble to us humans.

Why plant it?

In fact, poplar and willow

But it is a great contributor to improving the ecological environment!

Poplars and willows are easy to reproduce and survive, grow fast, and have low maintenance costs. They are the main tree species for greening. In addition, "carbon fixation and dust retention" is also a magic weapon of poplars and willows.

According to statistics, an adult poplar tree can absorb 172 kg of carbon dioxide, release 125 kg of oxygen, and trap 16 kg of dust in a year. An adult willow tree can absorb 281 kg of carbon dioxide, release 204 kg of oxygen, and trap 36 kg of dust in a year. It can be said that poplar and willow trees are great contributors to increasing urban green space and improving the ecological environment. Seeing this, let us be more tolerant of flying catkins!

Sources: Capital Education, Capital Landscape and Greening, Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Oriental Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Shanghai Children and Youth Health