Ticks in the apartment: ways and methods of getting rid of them

Not only household members live with us in our houses and apartments, but also various types of insects. One of them is house ticks. Such a neighborhood is unpleasant and poses a threat to human health. It is very important that more than 150 types of parasites can live in a house, among which are:

Dust;
Predatory;
Krysinykh;
Lesnykh.

At the same time, dusty and predatory representatives of this class can constantly coexist with people, but forest ones are not permanent residents.

What kind of ticks live in the house?

Bed mite.

This microscopic insect, 0.1 to 0.2 mm, belongs to the genus of saprophagous dust mites. It feeds on dead particles of human skin. Causes allergenic reactions.

Ixodid tick.

These insects do not live in the apartment, but can get into it if they are accidentally brought on clothes. An insect can also sneak into a home on the fur of a dog or cat. By the way, animals can also bring scabies mites into the house.

Dust mite.

The insect constantly lives in house dust, barely reaching 0.2 mm in size. Causes severe allergic reactions.

Spider mite.

Lives on indoor plants, causing them harm.

Clothes mites photo

Those people who have never had these insects at home should definitely know about the great harm that linen mites cause to humans. This can push them to quickly and timely destroy these parasites. The harm from linen mites is, in fact, extremely great. In addition to the fact that they feed on human blood in large quantities, they also secrete poisonous saliva into the victim’s body. As a rule, it does not cause any irritation, but sometimes linen mite bites, their symptoms, and consequences are very unpleasant.

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A slight swelling of the skin at the site of the bite, inflammation, and itching and pain begin. Subsequently, nervousness, lack of sleep, malaise may appear, and the human body significantly reduces its performance. All this, as a rule, is reflected even at the psychological level, gradually worsening the situation.

Chemicals for home control

You can treat your apartment against ticks yourself, provided you follow safety rules. There are many special products on sale:

Bedlam Plus
Acaril
All-Rug
X-mite
Allergoff
"Dobrohim Micro"
"Raid"
Akaitoks
Cypermethrin
Tea tree oil
Spray Easi Ai

Linen mite bites

Often, linen mite bites are practically harmless, but sometimes they can cause significant harm to the bitten person. Let's now try to find out how to distinguish a tick bite from the bites of other insects, how to treat the bites of linen mites, which constantly bother you with pain and itching. Diagnosing mite bites is difficult because they can look different, like flea bites, mosquito bites, or even pimples. Their appearance changes depending on the human body’s reaction to toxic saliva. Linen mites bite at night when a person is sleeping, but the annoying parasite is definitely not in danger. The tick uses a very sharp beak to pierce the skin, through which poisonous saliva is injected into the skin.

Bed bug bites

It contains a special substance to quickly prevent human blood from clotting, which also works as a pain reliever. Due to this, linen mites can be completely saturated with blood; a person does not experience any strange sensations at the moment of the parasite’s bite. Young linen mites become saturated with blood very quickly, but adults require much more time - up to 15 minutes. After a bite, the tick looks for the nearest crevice or some hard-to-reach place in order to hide securely and calmly digest food.

Symptoms of linen mite bites

The initial signs of a tick bite are the appearance of many small, flat and scar-like redness on human skin. They are arranged linearly or in clusters, since the linen mite prefers to feed in only one place. Such scars often turn red and cause a variety of unpleasant sensations: pain or itching. A tick bite often looks like the bite of almost any insect. This is redness, sometimes inflammation, causing itching. However, if you know the symptoms of linen mite bites well, then you can easily recognize them. Remember that linen mite bites should not be scratched, as this can easily introduce a dangerous infection into your skin. There may also be other signs that you have linen mites in your home.

Their bites occur systematically, and their number on a specific place on the skin of your body increases every night. And small blood stains appear on the bed. This signal should awaken you to take very active action to eliminate linen mites, since the bites of these parasites are not only unpleasant, but also have a very negative effect on any person. Linen mite bites can also be identified by their location. Bites most often occur on the open and most unprotected places of the human body - on the face and neck, on the arms and legs, on the back. Having noticed any signs of a bite in these places, comparing them with known symptoms, you will already be sure that you have a rather unpleasant neighbor.

The body's reaction to a bite

Linen mite bites can cause very different reactions. After all, each individual human body has some individual characteristics. Some may not have particularly unpleasant sensations at all, while others may experience allergies, quite severe itching and pronounced discomfort. Linen mite bites appear after a couple of hours, but may not appear on the skin even for several days. Traces from such bites last for about three days and then disappear. However, the consequences of linen mite bites may not be so simple; sometimes they cause severe allergies, which require prompt medical intervention.

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How to treat bites

If you know what linen mite bites look like, it will be much easier to fight them. Once you recognize a tick bite, you should immediately rinse it with warm running water for a couple of minutes. This will definitely relieve the itching, and also slightly calm the first stages of inflammation. If the symptoms of the bite are more serious, special means must be used to relieve and treat them:

Ointments.
Lotions.
Medicines prescribed by specialists.

Special means

To make it easier to combat domestic ticks, special products are produced. They have an acaricidal effect, destroying mites, and reduce the level of allergic hazard. For example this:

Allergoff spray, containing toxic substances of chemical origin permethrin and benzyl benzoate. They kill dust mites, and the effect lasts for a long time - about six months. This spray has low toxicity, so it is considered safe for people and animals.
Allergoff for washing is produced in the form of powder, packaged in sachets. Contains benzyl benzoate, reriproxyfen and benzyl alcohol. Suitable for both hand and machine wash at temperatures from 10 °C to 60 °C. Protection of linen lasts 3 months.
EASY AIR – you can find a concentrate, spray and additive. Suitable for cleaning premises and processing personal items. Does not contain pesticides.
Aerosol "Milbiol" with azadirachtin obtained from melia seed oil. The composition is natural, so the product can also be used to treat beds, mattresses, pillows, etc. In addition, the aerosol has an attractive price

The prices of such products vary greatly. For example, spray 3. EASY AIR costs about 1,500 rubles, while Milbiol, which is similar in effect and also does not contain toxic chemicals, is much cheaper.

To prevent the reappearance of ticks in the house, you need to keep the premises clean: dust and wash the floors in a timely manner. Periodic general cleaning is also required, including moving furniture away and knocking out carpets and mattresses. If living in the same area with ticks has led to health problems, then you need to be examined by a doctor who will prescribe proper treatment.

The whole truth about house ticks?

It is impossible to see dust mites. To do this, you should increase them at least 30 times. They do not suck blood and do not bite; therefore, a person does not experience any physical discomfort, so there is no way to detect them in a timely manner. However, they are provocateurs of various allergic and chronic diseases.

Mites feed on dead skin, which a person loses every day, unnoticed by himself, especially in his sleep. Since we always sleep in a bed, the most common habitat for domestic mites is bedding, mattresses, and even the beds themselves. It is the tick feces that they constantly excrete that cause harm. They contain digestive enzymes that contribute to severe allergic reactions in humans.

Many scientists, conducting research on enzymes, say that constant contact of mites with human skin can cause allergic reactions. The skin becomes most vulnerable to various allergens. In fact, any dust is a huge allergen. Dust can be different: cellulose, wool, dandruff, feather fragments, bacteria, fungi, cotton and much more. However, the first place among dust allergens is occupied by the house mite.

Appearance and causes of appearance

The size of pests can reach 3 mm, but most often the size of insects is 0.1-0.5 mm. Insects are classified as arachnids, and as characteristic representatives of this species, they lack wings. Adult insects have 4 pairs of legs. Orientation in space in ticks occurs due to the sensory apparatus, since they do not have eyes. Pests are able to smell a person at a distance of up to 10 m. Based on their structure, mites are divided into leathery insects with fused head and body, and armored parasites with a movable head.

There are several common causes of pests in summer cottages or in residential premises. Once you discover a parasite infestation, it is important to find out the specific cause to prevent further reproduction.

Neighbours

In suburban areas, ticks can enter the area from neighbors or from the forest. If a neighbor's property has been attacked by a pest and no extermination measures have been taken, then there is a high probability of the insect spreading to adjacent areas.

New things and equipment

The smell of new things often attracts pests. This reason is especially relevant for new technical devices, which usually have a pronounced odor.

Animals

Many animals carry ticks and other insects. Pests live and lay eggs in the fur of dogs, cats and rodents. The population size of pests spread by this method is usually insignificant. You can notice the presence of parasites on pets by frequent scratching and gnawing of fur.

Neighborhood dangers

When it comes to blood-sucking or subcutaneous mites, there is no need to talk about danger; direct contact can cause many diseases, but everything is completely different when it comes to dust mites. Even taking into account regular cleaning, this type of mite is a constant neighbor of a person and becomes dangerous only when the level of dust exceeds 500 units per gram of dust.

In this case, the amount of their waste products significantly exceeds the norm and can cause a number of dangerous diseases, such as asthma, eczema, Quincke's edema, dermatitis, various skin inflammations and allergic reactions. If a rash regularly appears on the body, conjunctivitis does not go away, or allergies are tormented, then in 90% of cases these are the consequences of an undesirable neighborhood with an increased colony of mites, in which case you should definitely consult a dermatologist.

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How to get rid of ticks yourself

It’s important to understand right away that it is impossible to completely remove ticks. They enter the room through open windows and vents along with street dust and air. But there are a number of rules that will help cope with the situation.

Getting rid of things always starts with cleaning. A salt solution will help kill the tick. They wipe the furniture, the floor, and spray the curtains. For 10 liters of water at room temperature, 6 tbsp is required. spoons of kitchen salt. It is imperative to wipe books with damp wipes to prevent the accumulation of dust and the proliferation of parasites.
You can fight a colony of parasites with a dry climate. If unfavorable conditions are created, adult individuals will die, and the new generation will not be able to develop. The house should have a humidity level below 55%. Use special air dryers.
Experts recommend fighting ticks with a vacuum cleaner. But we are not talking about an old household appliance, from which a column of dust rises in the house, but a modern one - with an aqua filter and separator.
The fight against ticks in the sleeping area is carried out by regular washing of bedding. They need to be changed every week, washed in hot water, dried in the fresh air - street, balcony, well-ventilated room.
You can get rid of house mites by replacing feather pillows with silicone ones, replacing the feather bed with an orthopedic mattress, and removing curtains and carpets. Replace furniture with fabric upholstery with leather goods. It is recommended to get rid of soft toys or wash them regularly.

Fighting dust mites

On a note!
House pests are afraid of drafts, so you need to regularly ventilate the room. However, if it is dusty outside, the effect will be the opposite.

Preventing dust mites

First of all, it is necessary to regularly thoroughly clean the house using soap or saline solution, and wash linen and towels as often as possible. Constantly ensure that books, lampshades, paintings, especially embroidered ones, and so on, are not covered with a layer of dust. You should also wipe the leaves of your plants because dust mites can also breed on them. Nowadays, mattress covers and pillows are being sold that are designed specifically against mites, so they will prevent the development of allergies.

Main habitats

Treatment should be carried out throughout the apartment, paying special attention to the places where insects usually live. Thus, mites prefer to settle and reproduce on objects that are not frequently treated with cleaning agents.

Among them:

books;
blankets;
pillows;
mattresses;
carpets;
cushioned furniture;
sections of the wall behind paintings, baseboards;
sockets;
window frames;
cloth;
pet bedding;
fabric lampshades.

How dangerous are dust mites?

Dust mites themselves do not parasitize the human body and do not bite it. The greatest danger is posed by their waste products. The arachnids leave behind feces about 30 micrometers in diameter containing digestive enzymes (Der f1 and Der p1 proteins) and the P1 antigen. Enzymes help destroy human skin cells, which these microscopic creatures feed on. As a result, the immune system begins to react to them as an allergen, provoking a severe allergic reaction, especially if a person is genetically predisposed to it.

He may have:

allergic rhinitis;
respiratory allergies - due to periodic inhalation of mites and their excrement;
atopic dermatitis;
conjunctivitis;
acarodermatitis - due to dust mite bites;
rhinoconjunctivitis;
Quincke's edema;
bronchial asthma.

Allergy

Allergy is a chronic disease caused by an inappropriate and unexpected response of the immune system to substances that the body falsely identifies as dangerous, even though they are not harmful to health. This can be food, pollen, medicines, insect poison, cosmetics. Manifestations of allergies are varied: for example, digestive disorders, cough, shortness of breath, sneezing, itching, watery eyes, red eyes, skin rash.

Symptoms:

cough;
facial pain;
itchy, red or watery eyes;
itching in the nose, roof of the mouth, or throat;
nasal congestion;
nasal discharge;
runny nose, sneezing;
swollen blue skin under the eyes.

If dust mite allergy accompanies asthma:

a whistling or wheezing sound is heard when exhaling;
have bouts of coughing or wheezing that are made worse by a respiratory virus such as a cold or flu;
chest tightness or pain;
labored breathing;
sleep problems caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing.

The following factors increase your risk of developing dust mite allergies:

Family history of allergies. In this case, you are more likely to develop sensitivity to dust mites, especially if several close relatives have allergies.
Work in dusty areas where cleaning is not carried out regularly.
Age. A person is more likely to develop a dust mite allergy during childhood or early adulthood.

Methods of disposal

It is extremely difficult to get rid of ticks in an apartment due to the wide variety; each individual species requires additional means of extermination and it is not always possible to eliminate unpleasant neighbors the first time. First, you need to decide what type of ticks you have to fight, and then start choosing household chemicals or give preference to folk remedies.

Folk remedies

To effectively get rid of annoying parasites, not only expensive and specialized products can help, but also some improvised products and substances that can be found in almost any apartment. The main difficulty in removing ticks at home is their small size and large area to be treated. But with the help of traditional methods, the risk of poisoning is reduced, especially in the case of apartments where there are small children.

Dust mites . These parasites have to be gotten rid of most often, and the places where they spread occupy almost the entire area of human habitation.

,To prevent and get rid of such a neighborhood, it is recommended to use the following means:

Salt and soda. It is necessary to add these products when washing floors or wiping dust; just 1 tablespoon of each product is enough for 10 liters of water. Do not increase the amount of the substance to avoid the appearance of a white coating on the floor and furniture. It is recommended to use this method at least once a week.
Essential oils. Ticks have an extremely negative attitude toward most essential oils with strong, rich odors: lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, geranium, orange, grapefruit, and so on. For 10 liters of water you need an absolutely large amount, no more than 5 drops.
Natural flowers. By analogy with essential oils, dust mites are repelled by many indoor plants or fresh flowers. It is recommended to grow geraniums and place small bouquets or sachets of mint, lavender or chamomile in the most vulnerable places. This product has its effect only during the period when it is capable of emitting an odor; if necessary, the sachet should be changed.

When fighting dust mites, these folk remedies are the most effective, but they will not save the entire situation without regular cleaning of the apartment, changing of linen, constant dusting and humidification of the room.

IMPORTANT:

When fighting ticks, cleaning alone is usually not enough; it is also necessary to thoroughly treat the furniture, wash clothes and bedding, followed by ironing at high temperatures or steaming.

Ixodid ticks . An encounter with such a parasite not only cannot be called pleasant, but also far from safe. However, in this case, it is recommended not only to use protection methods, but also to follow simple rules: do not go into the forest and main habitats during the period of parasite activity, use clothing that protects the body as much as possible.

ON A NOTE:
To get rid of ticks, there are a number of specialized products, but you should carefully study the instructions for use; a large percentage of purchased formulations cannot be used in rooms where there are people, much less children and pets.

Peppermint spray. It is very simple to prepare this repellent; you need to add three teaspoons of a small percentage of vinegar to 25 drops of mint essential oil and finally combine with three teaspoons of water. For ease of use, it is recommended to place the resulting product in a small bottle with a spray bottle and use it before walking.
Carnation. It is not the plant itself that has a deterrent effect, but its inflorescence, which is a spice. A tablespoon of cloves is added to a small container with 250-300 ml of water, the liquid is brought to a boil and infused for 10 hours. The resulting solution can be used to protect the body from tick bites, and can also be used to treat the main cracks and furniture in the apartment.

Spider mite . This species is small, barely noticeable in size, but is capable of destroying not only home flowers, but also the entire crop of people living in their home. The most gentle methods for plants will be traditional methods, which can be used for any type of flower.

Laundry soap. A solution of this substance gets rid of most known microbes and parasites, and also perfectly protects against spider mites. 200 grams of pre-grated soap are dissolved in a bucket of warm or hot water. It is recommended to leave the resulting solution for several hours and only then treat the affected plants. The leaves are treated with a sponge; you also need to wipe the pot with it and spray the ground. Soap foam should be washed off with cool water after 3-4 hours.
Ammonia. Treatment with an alcohol solution is also a highly effective way to combat emerging pests. To prepare the solution, combine a bucket of water and 30 ml of alcohol, then treat the leaves and stems with the resulting solution. It is worth acting as quickly as possible, especially on plants with thin leaves.
Rosemary. To effectively get rid of spider mites, you should dissolve a few drops of rosemary essential oil in a liter of water and wipe the infected areas with the resulting solution.

Physical and mechanical methods

Direct action on ticks is the most effective, and most importantly safe for humans. To get rid of ticks, you need to create unfavorable temperature conditions or significantly change the humidity in the room; there are several ways to get rid of several types of ticks yourself at once:

Steam cleaner. This method is one of the simplest to implement and can cope not only with existing ticks, but also serve as an excellent preventive measure. Regular cleaning and frequent changes of bedding will minimize the reappearance of mites in high concentrations.

Ventilation. This method of fighting ticks is especially relevant in the cold season, which is the least comfortable for the main life processes of ticks. A comfortable temperature for all the most important life processes of a tick is a delta of 18 to 25 degrees. By lowering or raising the temperature, not the most comfortable conditions for the existence of ticks are created, thereby allowing the pest to be eliminated quickly and almost forever. It is also recommended to wash bedding at high temperatures and dry it in frosty air in winter and in direct sunlight in summer.

INFORMATION:

All actions to get rid of ticks must be done from top to bottom; first, baseboards and corners under the ceiling, cornices and chandeliers are treated. Next, wipe the hard surfaces of furniture and doors. Then start processing the batteries and washing the floor. After cleaning, be sure to ventilate the room.