House mites are a problem for many people. They were discovered in 1964 by Japanese and Dutch scientists in dust that was collected from different houses. In patients who suffer from allergies, mites cause the most severe irritant reaction. Today there are more than 150 varieties of house ticks.
As a rule, allergies are caused by dust mites and mites found in places where bulk products are stored (flour, sugar, grain), as well as mites found in places where vegetables and fruits are stored.
For many people, dealing with ticks makes life a chore. You can avoid the problem by contacting tick exterminators. Biotriks employees will always be happy to help you in the fight against house ticks.
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.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of house ticks in humans include:
- Inflammation of the nose (rhinitis), accompanied by a runny nose, nasal congestion and sneezing.
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes (conjunctivitis), which leads to redness of the whites, swelling, itching and a feeling of heat in the eyes.
- Shortness of breath is a common symptom because such allergies can irritate the lungs. This can lead to a narrowing of the airways, resulting in noisy breathing or wheezing.
- The cough is dry and often insurmountable.
- A sore throat.
- Loss of smell and headache are somewhat less common.
- Severe itching in the eyes, ears, lips and nostrils.
A little myth, but more reality!
Many people believe that house mites came to us from the bird nests of domestic birds. This hypothesis has a right to exist, because we all sleep on down pillows and cover ourselves with down blankets, which means the risk of ticks appearing in our homes is significantly high. Ticks are everywhere.
They feel great in hotels, apartments, houses, hairdressers, trains, theaters, laundries, etc. The most dangerous spreader of household mites is the vacuum cleaner. Yes, yes, don't be surprised. There is a huge amount of dust in the dust collector of a vacuum cleaner, and thanks to the heat that comes from the engine, mites can multiply there for many generations. When the vacuum cleaner is turned on, the mites are blown into the air. We all know the smell inherent in a vacuum cleaner. It is this smell that is a warning that ticks may appear in the house.
The most favorite place for ticks to live in an apartment is the bed . It is there that the person himself creates favorable living conditions for the tick. Favorable temperature of approximately 25 degrees, relative humidity, all this creates simply excellent conditions for the life and activity of ticks.
At the same time, a person spends a third of his life in bed, and no one can guarantee that there are no ticks there.
Additional facts
House mites are present in almost all residential premises, both in urban environments and in the private sector. Residents who do not suffer from allergies simply do not notice such proximity and do not try to get rid of them. The microclimate and conditions inside apartments are ideal for the survival of parasites, so they can be found anywhere within the living space, but they are most numerous in bedrooms, in particular, on bedding, because:
- This is where most of the dead human skin cells are found.
- Here, people sweat more often, soaking the fabrics of bed linen, thereby creating favorable conditions for the life of ticks.
- The ambient temperature here is just right for their life cycle.
The allergen, which triggers the immune system and causes related problems, is found mainly in tick feces. These droppings are very dry, quickly breaking down into small particles that quickly disperse into the air. They very quickly settle in pillows, mattresses, blankets, carpets and upholstery, penetrating deep into the fabrics, from where they are very difficult to remove - it is difficult to eliminate the source of the problem, thereby preventing allergic symptoms.
As already mentioned, house mites are found almost everywhere, in every home. They appear there as soon as a person brings in his things and it doesn’t matter how neat the residents are. Ticks do not care at all about the lifestyle and income of the people on whom they feed and live.
When problems associated with such parasites begin to arise, the question arises not in the presence of mites, but in their quantity, which depends more on the materials from which the house is built and how it is built. Improvements in thermal insulation with cheap artificial materials, including double glazing, the lack of ventilation, reducing air circulation in the living space, contributes to the accumulation of allergens in quantities per cubic meter of air and the number of mites per square meter of area. Also, an increase in air humidity, which is often observed in such cases, creates good conditions for ticks.
Conditions that affect the quality of symptoms and the effectiveness of treatment
- Cigarette smoke worsens any allergic conditions. It aggravates already inflamed skin and membranes in the nose, trachea and lungs. No one should smoke in a house where an allergy sufferer lives.
- Children are more exposed to allergens and smoke, and are therefore more likely to develop indoor allergic diseases.
- Allergic symptoms may develop over time. Therefore, once a specific allergen has been diagnosed, measures must be taken as quickly as possible to reduce its burden.
It is easier to get rid of allergens by avoiding them than to try to fight them while in their field of influence. Of course, this may be difficult to do and may not always be possible or practical.
Measures to combat ticks?
Everyone knows that the bed must be kept clean. However, the very concept of purity is very relative and everyone has their own. For one person, cleanliness means the use of disinfectants, complete washing and washing, and a daily change of bed. Another might change his laundry once a month and vacuum a couple of times. At the same time, both arrive in full confidence that they are right.
The most interesting thing is that both manage to maintain relative cleanliness in the house. There is no perfect formula for cleanliness. Even if it existed, it would not imply complete sterility, since this is simply impossible. Remember, previously carpets, linen, mattresses, feather beds were beaten on special devices on the street. This method worked flawlessly. After all, ticks cannot tolerate ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes. This method of fighting ticks is still ideal for villages or country houses.
This is difficult in cities now. However, city residents can use stretch covers, waterproof mattresses, and special pillow covers as tick prevention. In this case, you should wash all this at least once a month at a temperature above 60 degrees. Mattresses should be thoroughly vacuumed when changing linen. Under no circumstances should you wait for dust to accumulate under the bed.
Be sure to wipe off the dust daily with a damp cloth. If we consider the fight against ticks in a more global light, that is, their destruction in natural conditions, then we should remember that a feature of their structure is practical invisibility.
That is why the struggle is carried out in certain areas.
- First of all, it is necessary to develop perennial sown pastures.
- Secondly, rodents should be destroyed and animals should be treated with acaricides.
- Thirdly, treat places where people are temporarily located.
If a mass infestation of people is found in certain places in the forest, then the ticks are destroyed there. Such areas should be treated with suspensions, dusts or emulsions containing trichlorvos, hexachlorane, methylnitrophos, karbofos.
Treatment is carried out in early spring, after the snow has melted, but before the first greenery appears. Only the litter is processed. Later, closer to summer, the procedure should be repeated, but on grass and shrubs.
Uniform continuous processing should be carried out. Asthma and allergies People suffering from bronchial asthma have increased sensitivity to ticks. It is almost impossible to get rid of ticks at home. Only ultraviolet radiation and air enriched with ozone are harmful to it. According to WHO, 20% of the population is allergic to mites. Asthma, respiratory lung diseases, allergies - all these are signs of dust mites in the house. If you experience watery eyes while in your apartment, feel tired, headaches, a stuffy nose and throat, or general health worsens, think about whether there are ticks in the house.
Treatment
Treatment with nasal sprays, eye drops, and antihistamine tablets often relieves or eliminates allergic symptoms. However, treatment with medications often works quite effectively in the vast majority of cases, so patients often lose motivation to avoid the causes of allergies. However, this is a prerequisite for therapy, since over time the effectiveness of the drugs decreases, which will entail increasing dosages and prescribing more complex drugs.
If it is determined that it was a domestic mite that caused the allergy, all control methods should be aimed at reducing its populations. Precisely - a reduction, since it is impossible to permanently clean living quarters of ticks and, especially, their excrement.
Preventing dust mites?
Swiss scientists have already developed a special vaccine against dust mite allergies. However, it has not yet gone on sale, so the following methods should be used as prevention.
Wash bedding and soft toys periodically in very hot water. Install an air conditioner, because it will help fight dust most effectively, and therefore prevent the appearance of mites. Install a dehumidifier in your home. It will keep the air dry, which will prevent mites from developing.
Wipe wet areas with fungicides.
Get rid of carpets, they are home to dust mites. Even hot cleaning may not help here. Carpets can be replaced with rugs. They are easy enough to wash in hot water. Wrapping the mattress with film and polyethylene will help in the fight against bed mites.
It is better to buy synthetic pillows. Despite the fact that bed mites perceive synthetic pillows just as well as natural ones, they can at least be washed in hot water, thereby preventing the appearance of mites.
There are also a number of chemicals and drugs that can fight ticks.
- Allergoff is an actaricidal agent for the fight against ticks;
- Mit-Nix – a product for treating surfaces against dust mites; • Milbiol is an excellent tick repellent;
- Acarex is a test tool that allows you to determine the presence of dust mites;
- Akaril is a special additive against ticks when washing.
The effect of any chemical drug begins immediately and lasts for 1-2 months. Just remember that you must strictly follow safety precautions and follow the instructions.
Remember, fighting ticks is the first path to health. Don't neglect this. If you do not have the opportunity to follow the recommendations given in this article, then simply use our services.
Nevertheless, the help of specialists in this matter is always better and safer. We are always ready to help you in any circumstances. Thanks to our experience and the use of innovative processing technologies, as well as modern certified safe products, we can guarantee a positive result.
Our company’s specialists will definitely find places where ticks are spreading and will help you destroy them. Simple, fast, inexpensive, high quality, forever. These are the main postulates that we follow. You can see for yourself the high quality of the services we offer. Call us
Use of chemicals
These drugs should be used when the tick population has increased significantly. In this case, you need to use the following means:
Milbiol - this plant-based product is available in the form of a spray and can be used for bedding;- Easy Air is a liquid preparation that is the most effective today and allows you to destroy all insects;
- Tsifoks is a product in the form of a powder, which is diluted in water and used in liquid form. The greatest effect from using this drug can be achieved by re-treating the room;
- Akaritox - this drug is also available in powder form and diluted with water. Its effect lasts up to two weeks, during which most of the insect population dies;
- X-MITE - used for dry carpet cleaning only;
- Alergoff is a spray that destroys not only the insect population, but also copes with the products of their vital activity.
Where do they usually live in an apartment?
The main habitat is the bed. Why is that? Because thanks to the “owners” the most favorable conditions have been created for them there. Dust mites feed on fallen particles of epithelium. A person can lose up to 1 gram of skin per week, which is enough to feed several thousand mites.
In addition, the required temperature and humidity are maintained in the bed. “Climatic conditions” are not the same in different places of the bed. The worst place is the head and neck area. The density of mites is about 1000 per 1 gram of dust. A population of dust mites of more than 100, or 200 individuals per 1 g of dust is a fairly high indicator that poses a danger. More than 500 individuals per 1 gram of dust is a factor that provokes bronchial asthma.
Operating principle
The general principle of operation of an acaricide is the effect of a toxic active substance on the nervous system of the parasite, followed by paralysis, failure of internal organs and death. According to the mechanism of action, acaricidal drugs can be divided into several groups:
- contact - the parasite dies after the toxic substance gets on its outer integument;
- intestinal – enter the body through the digestive system;
- enteric contact - more effective means that combine the properties of the previous two;
- fumigants - toxic vapors penetrate the respiratory system;
- systemic - quickly absorbed into the plant tissue, and then poison the mites parasitizing on it.
Depending on the acaricidal effect of a particular product, the method and frequency of its use changes.
Environmental Resistance
Most acaricides are destroyed fairly quickly when exposed to weather conditions. They are affected by precipitation, air temperature, and wind. For example, the hotter it is outside, the shorter the duration of the drug. That is why the products used to treat premises remain effective longer than those used to treat the area.
Treatment of the area
What are acaricides?
Acaricides are substances with toxic properties that help quickly kill ticks and harmful insects and prevent their re-spread. The active ingredients are represented by chemical or biological compounds. Preparations produced on their basis are used to treat agricultural and ornamental crops.
The acaricidal effect is as follows: the active substance, penetrating inside the pathogenic organism, disrupts its vital functions, affects nerve cells, resulting in paralysis.
There are different forms of production of acaricidal preparations:
- emulsions;
- pastes;
- suspension concentrates;
- powders;
- granules;
- smoke bombs.
What is the danger?
The ticks themselves are not dangerous. But their chitinous shell and feces can cause sensitization in very sensitive people. In other words, the sensitivity of the human body to tick antigens increases, and an allergy develops.
Further, this condition can provoke the occurrence of the following diseases: atopic dermatitis, damage to the nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, bronchial asthma, conjunctivitis and rhinitis. Children and adults with weak immune systems are at risk. The exacerbation of diseases occurs in the autumn-spring period, especially symptoms manifest themselves at night.
