How to get rid of ticks at home: 25 best remedies and methods of control

There is a misconception that ticks can only be found in forests or parks, but these small representatives of the arachnid class have made their way much further and have long been immediate neighbors of humans. Due to their small size, they are extremely difficult to notice, and some of the species can only be seen with a microscope. But such a neighborhood is absolutely unsafe, from bites to allergic reactions. In this case, the question arises: how to get rid of ticks in an apartment and prevent their reappearance? In this article we will look at the main types of ticks that settle in a person’s home and learn the most effective ways to destroy them.

Why are they dangerous?

The main danger of ticks is that they harm human health. Ticks are ectoparasites and causative agents of natural focal diseases. Pests are capable of transmitting various pathogens through the process of sucking blood.

Diseases

The most common diseases carried by ticks are borreliosis, ehrlichiosis and encephalitis. Infections are severe and can cause disability. As a rule, the diseases are chronic in nature and have a long rehabilitation period of up to a year. In addition to the diseases listed above, ticks carry:

spotted fever;
tularemia;
babesiosis;
tick-borne typhus

The variety of linen mites is not a blood-sucking pest, but these insects are also dangerous to humans. Microscopic excrement of insects along with dust penetrates the lungs and provokes the development of allergic reactions. In combination with a cold, allergies can cause bronchial asthma.

Allergy symptoms

The manifestation of disease symptoms depends on the pathogen that enters the human body after an insect bite. Since pests carry a large number of diseases, each of them is characterized by individual symptoms. In particular:

Borreliosis is characterized by the appearance of migraines, general fatigue of the body, fever, attacks of nausea and vomiting. The most pronounced sign of the disease is a rash on the skin in the form of a ring-shaped redness.
Tick-borne encephalitis causes a sharp increase in temperature to 39 degrees. Other symptoms include muscle soreness, vomiting and migraines.
Ehrlichiosis is characterized by a sudden increase in body temperature and chills, joint pain, and a feeling of malaise. In severe cases, a skin rash appears.
Symptoms of tick-borne relapsing fever develop gradually over a couple of weeks. Primary signs are insomnia, lack of appetite and feeling weak. Subsequently, the temperature rises, pain in muscles and joints occurs, and a severe rash forms on the skin.

How can you tell if you have dust mite allergy symptoms?

One of the main signs is nasal congestion at night, snot, and sneezing. Precisely at night. If you notice that your nose is stuffy in the morning after waking up, but it goes away during the day, then this is a clear sign of a dust mite allergy. Another sign is a reaction on the skin: redness, itchy skin. There may also be redness and watery eyes.

By the way, as CNN reports, not only you, but also your cat or dog can be allergic to dust mites. It manifests itself similarly to humans - in the form of scabies, redness of the skin, sneezing - and can occur all year round, worsening in the spring. In addition, few people know that if you allow your animals to sleep in the same bed with you, this provokes an even greater increase in dust mites.

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.

Professional fighting methods

If you are going to call a disinfection specialist so that he can treat your apartment against bed mites in one session, then this procedure will only take a few hours. However, you won’t be able to stay in the treated room for about a few days, and then you will need to wash everything in hot water and wash it, so ventilate it. Specialists can be called from the FBUZ - Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

The cost of treating a 1-room apartment with domestic professional preparations using a hot or cold fog generator will be about 800 rubles, with a guarantee for 12 months - 1200 rubles, with a guarantee for 12 months and using imported odorless insecticides - 2000 rubles . These methods allow the cloud of the drug to remain in the air for several hours, penetrating into all microscopic cracks, cracks, etc. filling everything around, so the fog covers a large amount of area, destroying parasites.

Habitats

Most tick species live in grass and tall bushes. Parasites choose to settle in areas deep in the forest, overgrown with grass at least 7 cm high. The higher the grass in the area, the more likely the pest is to attack humans and animals. Insects almost never stay on well-trodden paths or paved areas.

The type of forest for ticks is unimportant - they can be found in birch, fir and mixed forests. The only exception is the coniferous forest, where insects are rare. The parasite can be picked up in meadows, cattle pastures, in city parks, and on roadsides.

Basic

Dust mites live in the home. The main places where parasites accumulate include the following:

a garbage collection bag in a vacuum cleaner, where pests settle and actively reproduce;
bed linen, mattresses, blankets and pillows;
upholstered furniture;
rugs and carpets with high pile.

A variety of dust mites are an integral part of house dust. Parasites exist next to dead particles of human and animal skin, cellulose, various fibers, excrement of other insects, and fungal spores.

Reliable folk and store remedies

There are a lot of reliable folk and store remedies for protection against tick attacks. The first of these is equipment. There are special anti-tick suits. So-called traps are sewn onto them, crawling to one of which the tick cannot continue its path and falls off. Also, such suits must have acaricidal inserts. Such equipment necessarily includes cuffs in the sleeves and legs, as well as a hood. These parts of the suit will prevent ticks from getting under your clothing.

Forays into nature can be carried out in ordinary clothes, but subject to certain rules:

Only the face and hands should remain exposed areas of the body in such clothing, although the latter can be protected with gloves.
It is advisable to choose high shoes; otherwise, tuck your trouser legs into your socks.
To prevent ticks from crawling under your sweater, tuck it into your pants.
Be sure to wear a hat and place the hood of your sweater over it.

An additional means of protection will be special repellents and acaricides, which respectively repel and kill blood-sucking parasites. There are also insecticidal-repellent agents that both repel and kill ticks.

You need to use store-bought products with caution, following the recommendations on the label and not forgetting that such means of protection against ticks are harmful to humans, which means they should be applied exclusively to clothing. Particular care should be taken to treat areas of clothing around the ankles and hips, as well as around the waist, sleeve cuffs, and collar.

Do not forget about repeated treatment with an anti-tick agent, because it only works for a certain time. In addition, extreme heat, wind and rain reduce the period of action of the protective agent.

You can also make a repellent at home. It is known that ticks are repelled by strong strong odors, so essential oils (basil, bay, geranium, cedar, lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus) are often used to create folk anti-tick remedies. They are mixed with water in equal proportions and rubbed into open areas of the skin.

You can make your own repellent folk remedy for spraying clothes. To do this, essential oil or a combination of essential oils is mixed with water and alcohol (for 1 glass of water, 2 teaspoons of essential oil and 2 teaspoons of alcohol). The resulting liquid is sprayed onto clothing, after pouring it into a spray bottle.

A very important way to protect yourself from a tick bite is to mutually inspect your clothes in the forest, if you are not out in nature alone. In addition, when you get home, undress naked in front of the mirror and examine your skin. If a tick does bite you, you need to act as soon as possible.

How to detect

The microscopic size of ticks does not always allow them to be visually detected. If the pest has left a bite on the skin, then, depending on a number of factors, various signs will appear. A pronounced manifestation of an insect bite is observed in people suffering from allergic diseases, as well as in the elderly and children. In other situations, the bite may become painless and not noticed immediately.

The area affected by the pest is characterized by redness and slight swelling of the skin. In the center of the irritated area is a small dark dot left by the insect. If the parasite did not have time to fall off, then part of its small body can be seen over the redness.

Dust mites are absolutely impossible to see. You can suspect their appearance by painful symptoms and skin rashes.

Where to look for ticks in an apartment and how to catch them

Forest ticks can hide anywhere in an apartment. Of course, you shouldn’t look for them in foods, because they are blood-sucking insects. Most likely, he will find a secluded place where it is dark and a lot of moisture, or he will hide, not very far away, and will wait for the victim. It doesn’t matter to him who he attacks, it’s especially scary if there is a small child in the house. Home safety will definitely be at risk. It is almost impossible to catch a tick. If only what is called “live bait”, but this method is not recommended for use even by the most extreme people. You can try to attract him with a heat source, but it’s not a fact that he will fall for this trick, and you can sit in ambush for several hours in a row. It is not clear who to take for analysis if the tick escapes after being removed from the skin. There is a chance to see him and grab him, but it is negligible.

The period of activity of the forest tick begins at zero air temperature. And temperatures above twenty degrees have a depressing effect on them, the insect becomes lethargic.

Methods of control and prevention

If there is an infestation of ticks, you must immediately take measures to combat the parasites. To reduce the likelihood of pests reappearing, preventive measures must be taken.

Low temperature and humidity

Ticks live comfortably at high temperatures and excess air humidity. To combat the invasion of parasites, it is necessary to create a low temperature and reduce the humidity level. In the cold season, to eliminate insects, you can ventilate, and leave mattresses and bed linen on the balcony or outside and thoroughly beat them before returning them to their place. Also, dust mites die from washing bed linen at a temperature of 60 degrees.

Wet cleaning of the apartment

Regular wet cleaning and dusting eliminate the majority of insects and reduce the risk of their reproduction and spread. It is recommended to wipe the floor and baseboards with a salt solution, which has a more powerful effect against insects. A solution for wet cleaning against insects is prepared using the proportions of 5-7 tablespoons of salt per bucket of warm water.

Washing bed linen and upholstered furniture at high temperatures

Washing bed linen in a machine at high temperature destroys accumulated parasites. After washing, bedding should, if possible, be thoroughly dried in the open air or on a balcony with open windows. To combat insects, the upholstery of upholstered furniture can be periodically wiped with a cloth soaked in warm water or a specialized detergent.

Freezing

Exposure to extremely low temperatures is detrimental to insects, so parasites can be removed from small items, fabrics and clothing by freezing. It is enough to leave things in the freezer for several hours to destroy all ticks and other insects.

Special bedding

It is recommended to replace feather and down bedding with synthetic ones, since they are less likely to harbor parasites. The same should be done with upholstered furniture, including chairs and sofas made of down and feathers, which serve as a habitat for parasites.

Ciliate soil

Ciliate soil is often used in garden plots against pests. In dry form, decorative paths are treated with soil to prevent insects, and solutions with soil are used to spray vegetation that has been attacked by parasites. Infusor soil is also used to remove ticks and other pests from animal fur.

Eating edible soil removes parasites from the animal’s body and prevents their reproduction.

Minimum indoor plants

Dust mites love to settle on house plants and leave larvae on them. Parasites live in the soil and on the surface of the green parts of plants. Since processing plants takes a lot of time and does not guarantee complete destruction of insects, it is recommended to keep no more than a couple of pots in the room. This will reduce the number of pests.

Essential oils

There are several essential oils whose scent is repellent to ticks and other parasites. Common pest control options include geranium and palmarosa oils. To prepare a remedy against ticks, you need:

Mix 2 tablespoons of vegetable carrier oil and 10-25 drops of essential oil.
To protect against parasites, apply a few drops of the resulting solution to clothing and skin, avoiding areas around the eyes.

A mixture of essential and base oils to combat parasites can be stored for six months. After this period, the substance gradually loses its protective characteristics and has a worse effect on pests.

Vacuum cleaner

According to the principle of operation, a vacuum vacuum cleaner differs from the standard version. The equipment helps remove dust mites and insects from any soft surfaces, including furniture upholstery, carpets, curtains, bedding and toys. Immediately after surface treatment, it is quite difficult to notice the result and the absence of pests, so to assess the effectiveness it is worth looking into the filter where dust accumulates.

It is recommended to clean with a vacuum cleaner on a regular basis, combined with wet dusting, which will help to better get rid of parasites.

Types of house ticks

Several species can simultaneously live in a person’s apartment, each of which has its own location. Some species can be blood-sucking, others feed on dead cells, and still others parasitize houseplants and animals. But there are also more dangerous representatives of this class, which do not just attack a person, but settle on the body, under the skin or in the ears.

Dusty

Dust mites are the most common neighbors of humans and can be found in almost every apartment. This species cannot be noticed by the human eye, but if the parasite population exceeds acceptable standards, this can have an extremely negative impact on health, especially for young children. These mites feel most comfortable at a humidity of 50% and a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees, which is most often room temperature.

The favorite locations of dust mites are books, soft toys, sofas, bedding, carpets and absolutely any surface on which a large amount of dust accumulates.

Such parasites feed on dead skin cells and do not have direct contact with the human body, which does not make them any less dangerous. The greatest threat is posed by the waste products of the parasite, which accumulate in a person’s home every day. They are one of the most powerful allergens and easily penetrate the respiratory tract. The consequence of a large accumulation of dust mites is allergic rhinitis, asthma, dermatitis, conjunctivitis and even angioedema.

Ixodes

Ticks of this species are one of the largest representatives of the class and are found on absolutely any continent and in any climatic zone. Such parasites are not permanent residents of apartments or houses, but very often get there with the help of pets or on clothing. Parasites are blood-sucking and easily find a future victim. Ixodid ticks are most active from May to September; when returning from a walk during these months, it is necessary to carefully inspect the clothing and fur of your pet. The most terrible consequences are considered to be encephalitis, borrelosis and Lyme disease. If an ixodid tick bite is detected, you should not only remove the parasite, but also take it for analysis to the nearest laboratory.

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Arachnoid

If a spider mite has settled in an apartment, the first place to look for it is a windowsill with house plants. This parasite, contrary to the erroneous belief, is not an insect, but an animal and is constantly in search of food. It may appear with a new purchased plant or sneak through an open window. This species attacks the plant quite quickly and easily moves onto healthy flowers. It does not pose any direct harm to humans, but may not destroy all home greens.

Bed

This type of mite is often found in a person’s apartment; it can be found on upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedding and soft toys. The parasite does not exceed 1 mm in size, but it is unlikely that you will be able to miss the appearance of such a neighbor. The peak activity of bed ticks occurs at night; it is in the dark that they are easiest to detect. The parasite is blood-sucking and leaves behind many bites on the body, close to each other. Bed mites are responsible for allergic reactions in humans, rashes, redness of the eyelids and cause bouts of coughing or runny nose without additional symptoms of ARVI.

Additional precautions with pets

To prevent pets from becoming carriers of ticks and other insects, it is important to adhere to a number of rules and precautions. Including:

Regularly vaccinate your pets against ticks and parasites;
care for the coat and wash it thoroughly, removing ticks;
If you notice signs of the appearance of pests and the development of the disease (lethargy, fever, coloration of mucous membranes), contact a veterinarian.

Ventilation

Periodic ventilation helps control optimal humidity and temperature levels. During the cold season, ventilation of the room directly contributes to the destruction of pests, including ticks. To increase the effectiveness of the fight against parasites, it is recommended to ventilate the room as a whole and potentially dangerous objects separately - in the open air or on the balcony.

Rugs and slippers

Dirt brought into the apartment from the street is one of the reasons for the development of dust mites and other parasites. A large number of pests live on staircase landings. By using a grate mat at the outer door, it is possible to reduce the number of insects entering the apartment. Changing your shoes when entering the house into slippers also helps reduce the amount of dust and stop the development of mites. Rugs and slippers should be washed periodically for maximum effect and pest control.

Air filter and cleaner

Installing air purifiers with a built-in HEPA filter in an apartment can eliminate up to 90% of dangerous allergens and insects. In order for the purifiers to function properly and resist parasites, the filters should be constantly cleaned. When turning on the air purifier, you must close the windows in the room, otherwise its operation will be ineffective and some of the pests will remain in their original places.

Minimalism

Household clutter contributes to the active collection of dust, the emergence and reproduction of mites and other parasites. By sticking to minimalism and cleaning regularly, you can reduce the risk of insects.

It is recommended to remove all items that strongly attract dust and pests, including unnecessary decorations, books, stacks of papers, picture frames.

If possible, you should reduce the number of decorative pillows on upholstered furniture, and hang blinds instead of fabric curtains. It will also be helpful to remove thick pile carpeting where mites live. It is better to give preference to a tiled or wooden covering. This will not only eliminate dust mites, but will also simplify subsequent cleaning.

Steam generator

A steam generator is a device that heats water to a high temperature and converts it into steam. The equipment is used for processing furniture upholstery, carpets, and bedding. Steam generators differ in power rating, method and pressure of steam release, and other functional features. For home use, it is recommended to purchase a device with a power of at least 800 W. You can spray soft products with steam not only when signs of pest spread are detected, but also for preventive purposes.

Ozone generator

Ozone is a component of air and has oxidizing and disinfecting properties. Like other gases, ozone penetrates into the thickness of materials and interacts with mold, fungi and harmful microorganisms, including mites. The influence of ozone destroys pests and prevents their further spread.

The device is capable of producing up to 3500 mg of ozone per hour. Regularly turning on the air purification device allows you to destroy all bacteria, sterilize the air and remove unpleasant odors from the room. The ozone generator is easy to use and operates on electricity. To start the device, just plug it into a power outlet and leave it working indoors for the required period of time.

Where do ticks appear most often?

House.

You can find dust mites in the house, including bed and linen mites, as well as spider mites.

Forest.

In the forest there are various species of these insects that live on plants. Ixodid ticks, which carry dangerous diseases, pose a particular danger to people and animals.

Personal plot.

Here you can find a whole group of different mites that are dangerous to people and are pests of garden and vegetable crops: • ixodid • spider • gall • brown. Almost every fruit tree or bush can have a certain type of mite. They live on roses, currants, and various flowers. They also live in greenhouses.

Apartment.

Dust, linen and bed mites predominate. The appearance of cobwebs on indoor flowers is possible.

Chemicals for home control

Effective extermination of pests in residential areas is possible with the help of highly active chemicals. A powerful effect on ticks repels or kills them, preventing re-invasion.

Bedlam Plus

Bedlam Plus is produced in aerosol form and is intended to combat ticks and their eggs, fleas, beetles, bedbugs and other harmful insects in residential areas. The substance can be used to treat bedding, carpets, upholstery and toys. The required surface is sprayed with an aerosol and then left for a couple of hours. After using Bedlam Plus, you should wash the treated product.

Acaril

Acaril is a component added during washing of textile materials. The product contains a mixture of alcohols, surfactants and tea tree oil in a suspension of methyl salicylate. The purpose of Acaril is to eliminate dust mites and combat allergens. The substance is safe for colored fabrics and produces results when washed in water of any temperature.

All-Rug

Highly concentrated All-Rug shampoo is suitable for treating carpets, upholstered furniture, mattresses and bedding. The product can be added to a washing vacuum cleaner. The main advantages of All-Rug include the following:

slight foaming;
anti-mite purpose;
the ability to clean pile, eliminate insect allergens and prevent the proliferation of pests.

X-mite

X-mite powder is used to kill allergens caused by dust mites, pets and various pests. The optimal frequency of processing bedding, carpets and upholstery is once every 3-4 months.

Allergoff

Allergoff is available in a form designed to spray a surface up to 20 square meters in size. The aerosol ensures the destruction of dust mites at all stages of their spread. After treatment, the effect lasts for six months. Spraying with Allergoff spray must be combined with treatment with an anti-allergenic drug.

"Dobrohim Micro"

The Dobrokhim Micro insecticidal agent is intended to combat household pests, including dust mites. The drug has become widespread due to the following advantages:

contact and intestinal effects on parasites;
long-lasting effect for 6 months, eliminating the need for frequent treatment;
activity under unfavorable conditions (high humidity and temperature, direct exposure to ultraviolet rays);
minimal danger to pets;
no unpleasant odor or streaks after treatment.

"Raid"

"Raid" belongs to the category of insecticidal preparations and destroys dust mites within a week after use. The composition stops the ability of pests to reproduce and affects insects even in remote places. After using the insecticide, no traces or pungent odor remain.

"Acaritox"

"Acaritox" has a combined insecticidal and acaricidal effect against ticks. The drug destroys pests and prevents their recurrence for several months.

"Cypermethrin"

Household insecticide "Cypermethrin" is suitable for use in residential premises and outdoors. The drug is especially effective in the fight against blood-sucking parasites.

Tea tree oil

A mixture of 50 ml of water and 10 drops of oil is used to treat clothing against insects before going into the forest. You can also use tea tree oil at home by treating household items with the solution.

How to get rid of ticks on the body using folk remedies

• Apply crushed garlic compresses to the area for several days.
• Lubricate the tip of the tick with wax. After a while he will come out on his own.
• Make lotions from infusion of wormwood or calendula.
• Try to remove it yourself with tweezers.
• Lubricate the area with sunflower or any other oil.

In addition to those listed, there are many options on how to get rid of ticks. But the best solution would be to go to a clinic, where the insect will be painlessly removed and all the necessary tests will be carried out to find out whether the tick was infected with something or not.

In order to avoid an insect attack, it is best to entrust the problem of how to get rid of ticks to real professionals.

What should I do if bitten by a tick?

If a tick does bite you, then you need to start acting as soon as the parasite is discovered. First of all, the tick must be removed. This can be done either in the hospital or on your own.

Remember - the longer a tick is on the body, the more pathogens can enter the body and the higher the chance of getting sick if the tick was a carrier of any pathogen.

To remove a tick, you need to grab it at the base of the hypastome (proboscis) with a special device, tweezers or thread and, turning 3-4 times counterclockwise, gently pull. Be sure to disinfect the wound and cover it with a bactericidal bandage.

The extracted tick must be carefully examined for integrity.

Never throw away a tick! Place it in a glass jar and take it to an infectious diseases hospital or the nearest SES point. There the tick is examined for the presence of pathogens of any diseases.

Do not remove the tick by depriving it of oxygen (by filling it with vegetable oil or wax), since in this case the tick can spray harmful substances into the wound through the hypostome and the chance of infection will be higher.

Initial consultation on what to do if you are bitten by a tick can be obtained by calling 103.

A few words about the pigeon mite and some other pests that can be found in homes

In houses and apartments there are species that live indoors, but are completely “unwanted guests”:

cockroaches;
cat fleas;
spiders;
bedbugs.

Ticks belong to a separate group because they have several types:

hairy - settles in food, causing various kinds of skin rashes.
scabies - parasitizes the moist human body, is the causative agent of scabies;
rat - lives on the body of rats, but in the absence of rodents it can attack humans, causing severe rat dermatitis;
chicken is the most common species, living in the feathers, nests and feces of poultry. Causes rash and irritation in humans.

There is also a pigeon mite. It parasitizes the feathers of wild and domestic pigeons. The parasite is found in the nests and feces of birds. It easily “travels” along the walls of houses, enters the home and is capable of attacking humans, causing dermatitis. The tick attacks humans only in the warm season.

Varieties