April 24, 2022
Not long ago, bedbugs remained the insects of classic 19th-century novels, but today the situation is changing dramatically. Not only in Russia, but throughout the world, new outbreaks of blood-sucking insect activity are observed with enviable regularity. Accordingly, the demand for our pest control service is growing in the same proportions: if in 2001 these works accounted for only 1% of all requests, then by 2015 the figure had grown to 7.2%. The situation is especially acute in megalopolises and large cities; it is the residents of large-scale settlements who most often become victims of blood-sucking bugs, which is typical; in urban conditions it is much easier for bedbugs to spread. How urgent the problem of bedbugs is can be judged by the number of people who annually go to medical institutions with bedbug bites. How to deal with aggressive and dangerous insects if they have settled in your apartment? We advise everyone who is looking for a reliable and quick way out of the situation to listen to our recommendations.
Biological and epidemiological features of bedbugs
There are three types of house bugs known to the world, of which only one is common in Russia - Cimex lectularius L. or bed bug .
The bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) is a house parasite and belongs to the blood-sucking wingless insects. Insects live indoors in colonies and lie in wait for their prey mainly at night.
Each female can reproduce daily, laying 1 - 12 eggs, the total contribution to procreation over her entire life is from 250 to 500 eggs. With the help of a special secretion from the glands, the insect attaches the eggs to a solid base (furniture, wall, baseboard, etc.), the secretion has a persistent unpleasant odor. Adults and their larvae feed exclusively on blood, mainly human; insects can also attack other warm-blooded animals (rats, pigeons, cats, dogs). In suburban areas and rural areas, insects can live in poultry houses, pens for domestic animals, and then from there move into human habitation. It is to transform into an adult that the larva must receive a full portion of blood, after which it molts and becomes a nymph. After going through several molts, lasting about 1 month (if the environmental conditions are comfortable), the individual will be ready for reproduction.
Each female lays up to 12 eggs daily
The average lifespan of a bedbug is one to one and a half years. Finding itself in uncomfortable conditions (for example, low room temperature, absence of people and animals), the bug can starve for the same year and a half, and then resume its development cycle when conditions become favorable. Drying out during hunger, the bug becomes like a thin translucent leaf. Under good circumstances, bedbugs need to feed every 24 to 48 hours.
Biological and epidemiological features of bedbugs
During the day, insects hide in secluded dark places (in elements of upholstered furniture, under baseboards, behind paintings and wall hangings), and at night they come out and attack sleeping people. Insects are afraid of artificial light. In exceptional cases, a hungry bug can attack during the day. To bite, parasites choose open areas of the body - neck, arms, head, legs. It is impossible to feel a bug bite, thanks to the anesthetic substance; usually the insect bites several times before it finds a place convenient for blood-sucking. The feeling of a prick, a burning sensation appears much later, allergic reactions can develop at the site of the bite, the strength with which they manifest themselves depends on the individual characteristics of the body of the bitten person. Although bedbugs do not have sanitary and epidemiological significance as carriers of infections, the causative agents of tularemia and Q fever can be stored in the salivary glands of insects for a long time, and insects are also involved in the transmission of hepatitis B.
Precautionary measures
Not only insects, but also pets do not like intense odors. Humans can also be highly sensitive to concentrated scents. Natural essential oils and their synthetic analogues can cause allergies when in contact with the skin. In high concentrations in the air it can lead to poor health, headaches and nausea. When using them, monitor your body’s reactions and at the slightest sign of discomfort, stop using oils, thoroughly ventilating the entire apartment. If there are cats, dogs, allergy sufferers, or people with chronic diseases of the respiratory system in the house, it is advisable to choose another option to combat bedbugs or use oils and pungent odors extremely carefully, monitoring the reactions of others.
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Spread of bedbugs
High fertility and endurance contribute to the rapid spread of bedbugs. Bedbugs can also enter human territory through new or used furniture. Insects are most often found in residential buildings (hotels, dormitories, residential buildings, medical and children's institutions). Books, cabinet and upholstered furniture, wooden window sills are places that bedbugs primarily choose to live.
The most common way for parasites to spread is through the transfer of things, furniture, items of clothing; sometimes you can pick up an insect in transport. In rare cases, bedbugs can travel from house to house on their own, using ventilation shafts, electrical outlets, and, in the warm season, the outer walls of houses to move. Birds living in the attic can be a breeding ground for bedbugs. It is noted that in recent years, cases of bedbugs associated with the purchase of furniture, paintings, and wall clocks have become more frequent.
7) Nightstands
Almost always, next to the bed or sofa on which a person sleeps, there is a bedside table or chest of drawers. Bedside furniture is a favorite place for bedbugs to hide during the day. Insects quickly move there directly from the bed or sofa, comfortably placing themselves in the unlit interior space.
You can find a bug anywhere on the bedside table, but you should especially carefully examine the joints between the individual parts of the product - shelves, walls, ceiling and floor. In order to find parasites, you will need to remove all the objects located inside the furniture and carefully inspect all the listed places.
Preventive actions
Since bedbugs are blood-sucking insects, the sanitary condition of the premises does not play a big role in their spread. However, it has been repeatedly noted that crowded living conditions, when the population density in an apartment is very high, are most optimal for arthropods of this species. Communal apartments, change houses, dormitories, nursing homes are premises characterized by poor sanitary and technical conditions, where bedbugs are most often found.
For preventive purposes, it is recommended that if you move to a new territory (change of apartment, rental housing, etc.), it is mandatory to treat it with insecticides against bedbugs.
We recommend treating new housing with insecticides against bedbugs
Imported new or old furniture and household items also need to be carefully inspected and treated for parasites. Utilities or construction organizations are required to maintain premises in proper sanitary and technical condition so as not to create conditions that are comfortable for bedbugs. Repairs, whitewashing, and eliminating cracks in floors and walls are important components of bedbug prevention.
In order to prevent the “infestation” of bedbugs, be careful and attentive to the room in which you live. Change bedding regularly, wash it immediately after removing it, and do not store it in linen drawers for a long time. Vacuum all surfaces thoroughly. Pay attention to any traces of the presence of insects (dark spots on surfaces, pieces of chitinous cover, etc.).
No. 5. Tea tree oil
A standard folk remedy made from plant materials. It has a traditional repellent effect, thanks to which it is possible to rid an apartment or house of the presence of bed bugs. Most often, treating a room with tea tree oil is used as a preventive measure, the purpose of which is to eliminate the possibility of parasites reappearing in the apartment.
The usual recipe for preparing a solution for practical use: 18 drops of oil per half liter of plain water. The resulting composition does not have a pungent odor, although it is very sensitive to bed bugs. Therefore, daily treatment of the apartment for several days in a row is allowed.
How to trap?
Another method of getting rid of domestic parasites is traps. You need to lure insects into them, knowing their preferences. For example, bedbugs like to make their nests in tight, dark places. Corrugated cardboard is great for this. If there is one in the apartment, then nocturnal parasites will definitely make their shelter out of it. You need to specially bring such cardboard, leave it next to your sleeping place as a trap, throw it away after 2 - 3 days, or better yet, burn it.
Bed bugs find a sleeping person by the carbon dioxide they exhale. There are special traps that are based on this weakness of the parasites. They are very effective.
The device consists of a kind of vessel with liquid. It evaporates and reaches the surface in the form of a dome. The gas attracts parasites, but does not kill them. They get stuck in a trap. In the morning they are flushed down the toilet. To increase effectiveness, you can add a piece of napkin soaked in human sweat to the device. The device is expensive because it is manufactured abroad. This is the only “minus” of the device.
Traps are currently being created that will imitate the odors produced by bed bugs when navigating in space. This will help attract parasites to the traps.
Using traps to control nocturnal parasites is not the most effective way. It does not work against eggs, which means you will need to use the devices for a long time. Making traps specifically for bed bugs is difficult. To attract other domestic parasites, it is easy to choose bait. It will be bread, sweet water or cheese. Bedbugs will only be interested in human blood; they are not very willing to accept all other baits.
Ways to control insects
Now it becomes clear that protecting yourself from bedbugs is difficult, but it’s still worth trying. Insects can only bite at night. You need to be able to protect yourself, so for some time you can get up between two o’clock in the morning and five o’clock in the morning, turn on the lights in the apartment and inspect the bed to understand whether mosquitoes or bedbugs are biting.
A specific aroma, similar to the smell of souring raspberries, shells after molting and the accumulation of black dots on furniture, linen or under wallpaper are clear signs of the appearance of bedbugs. If these parasites are found in the house, then the question of how to protect yourself from bedbugs becomes especially relevant.
Professional processing
In Moscow and other large cities there are special services that deal with issues of prevention and disinfestation. They will suggest a method for treating housing depending on the degree of infestation. You just need to prepare the room for the exterminators to work in advance: pack toys and dishes, put away food, and most importantly, do not stay in the apartment for a day or several hours after disinfestation. During this time, all chemicals will have time to disappear.
Review
Why bedbugs appeared at a friend’s dacha remained a mystery, because the house had been empty for a long time. She found the address of the nearest SES on the Internet and asked for pest control and prevention. The service arrived quickly. We did the processing for about an hour. The bedbugs disappeared and never appeared again. Still, you need to trust this matter to professionals.
Tatyana, Moscow
Protection against bedbugs at home and prevention can be carried out on your own. In this case, you need to be patient and get some information about modern insecticides and the rules for their use in the apartment. They will be quite effective if you strictly follow the instructions. All these products must have a contact effect and last a long time on surfaces that have been treated.
Such modern substances include:
- powdered dusts;
- spraying agents;
Bedbug sprays - gels and pastes;
- insecticidal crayons, pencils;
- microencapsulated preparations with a restraining barrier effect.
You just need to remember that when working with insecticidal preparations it is necessary to use protective equipment: masks, gloves, special clothing.
Review
There were bedbugs in the apartment. Noticed on a child's arm at night. The next day we went to the nearest household chemicals store and asked what we could take to get rid of bedbugs. True, they didn’t say that it was ours. It was somehow embarrassing. The seller advised to take the drug Clean House: it is easy to process and the effect is good. They sprinkled it everywhere in the apartment where they could. We went to the village for several days to ensure that these parasites were eradicated. After returning, we carried out cleaning and maintenance as indicated in the instructions. No more bedbugs are visible yet, I hope we have said goodbye to them forever.
Olga, Bryansk
