If bedbugs appear in the house, you can forget about a quiet life. Bedbugs come out to hunt at night. They find the victim by smell. Since the larvae need fresh blood almost daily for development, bedbug colonies are established not far from the beds.
In order not to scare the victim, the bug injects an anesthetic when biting. Therefore, a bloodsucker can bite several times during the night (up to 10 bites). When the injected painkiller stops working, severe itching begins at the site of the bite.
The infection is not transmitted directly through a bug bite, but infection can be transmitted through excrement and insect remains. Therefore, if bites are found on the body, they should not be scratched and must be disinfected.
At first, their bites can be confused with mosquito bites, but as the colony of bloodsuckers grows, all doubts will disappear:
- the number of bites on the body increases;
- the bed is stained with bloody spots and black spots;
- Parasite eggs resembling grains of rice are increasingly being encountered;
- when inspecting the room, you can find the chitinous covers of larvae shed during molting;
- a heavy putrid odor appears, reminiscent of the aroma of raspberries or parsley; to some it resembles the amber of cognac, bananas or nuts.
It is difficult to get rid of the smell of bedbugs even after they are completely destroyed. General cleaning will not help here. The only way out is cosmetic repairs.
Therefore, having noticed the first signs of uninvited guests in the apartment, take the most active measures to destroy them.
The advantage of folk remedies for fighting bedbugs
Household insects have always plagued humanity. There are many known means of fighting arthropod vampires, starting with folk recipes proven over thousands of years, and ending with the latest chemicals.
Despite their effectiveness, chemical insecticides have their drawbacks:
- dangerous to use in a home where children, people prone to allergies and pets live;
- some insecticides have an unpleasant and persistent odor;
- some drugs kill only adult insects and do not affect oviposition;
- the high cost of many insecticides;
- low efficiency due to the rapid adaptation of insects to individual preparations.
The use of insecticides is dangerous to human health
Temperature method
It has long been known that bed bugs cannot tolerate strong odors. Substances and herbs that emit bright, persistent aromas have a preventive effect and help prevent the re-population of bedbugs after disinfestation. What smell are house bugs afraid of?
- Table vinegar.
- Acetone.
- Perfumes with a strong aroma.
- Ammonia.
- Denatured alcohol.
- Kerosene.
- Turpentine.
For the use of all of the listed substances, the general rule applies: only a thick, concentrated odor can affect bedbugs. Therefore, treatment with odorous substances will have to be carried out regularly.
Chamomile against bloodsuckers
Looking at the gentle, modest chamomile, you wouldn’t think that it will help get rid of indestructible parasites. It contains pyrethrin, which is a natural nerve poison for bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches, ants and moths, but is absolutely harmless to humans and animals.
Not all plants called chamomile contain this substance. For example, medicinal chamomile contains fewer natural insecticides, and the results from its use are not impressive. Dalmatian chamomile, also called tansy cinerarialis, effectively destroys bloodsuckers. It is cultivated for the production of pyrethrins and as an ornamental plant.
Pyrethrum powder is made from dried Dalmatian chamomile, which in ancient times was called Dalmatian or Persian. Before the advent of insecticides, it was successfully used to combat bedbugs, ticks and even helminths. It retains its effect after use for one to two days.
Pyrethrum powder is made from chamomile
Insecticidal substances are contained throughout the plant, but their greatest concentration is concentrated in the inflorescences. Dalmatian chamomile is collected during the flowering period. Dry in a dry, ventilated area, protecting from sunlight. You can dry chamomile in the oven or electric dryer. Dried inflorescences are stored in a dark and cool place.
general information
Being around bedbugs brings a lot of inconvenience. They are blood-sucking, which means that their diet consists of our blood and animals. Therefore, their appearance is felt immediately, and when there are a large number of bedbugs, it is simply unbearable to live with them.
Parasites feed at night, when people are fast asleep. They find food using their sense of smell. Insects have a very good appetite, so they eat every day. They do not like to travel long distances and settle down near their sleeping places.
To prevent a person from feeling the bite, the parasite numbs the area by injecting a substance produced by the body. In one night, 1 adult can inflict 10 bites. After the anesthetic effect wears off, the area begins to become very itchy and inflamed.
Regarding the fact that the bug is a carrier of infection, one point should be clarified. The bites themselves are not so dangerous, since the infection is not transmitted through it. But the excrement and remains of parasites are infectious and you can become infected from them. Each bite must be disinfected and they should not be scratched.
At first, owners may confuse bedbug bites with ordinary mosquitoes and not pay much attention to this, but over time, doubts will dissipate.
The following points will help you understand:
- More and more bites are observed on the body;
- You may notice black dots and blood spots on the bed;
- You may notice pest eggs, they look like grains of rice;
- Insects have periods of molting, during which they shed their chitinous shells; they can easily be found indoors;
- A peculiar smell of rot.
Regarding the last point, this “aroma” may resemble the smell of raspberries, nuts or even parsley, of course in a rotten form. It is quite difficult to get rid of it, even after disinfestation. There are more than enough reasons to begin immediately exterminating parasites as soon as they are noticed.
How to use pyrethrum to kill insects
For the successful use of folk remedies, it is important to detect the bedbugs’ lair. Move the furniture, check mattresses, pillows, carpets, inspect baseboards, floorboards, crevices, cracks, furniture legs, books on shelves, places under window sills, behind mirrors and paintings, pay attention to peeling wallpaper. Insects love to settle in household appliances:
- TV;
- computer system unit;
- electrical appliances.
After detecting insect colonies, use the method available to you to combat bloodsuckers.
Attention! Most often, bedbug settlements are located near beds within a radius of 3 meters.
How to deal with bedbugs in an apartment
Biological features of culture
Dalmatian chamomile belongs to the group of perennials. Reproduction occurs under natural conditions by self-sowing seeds or targeted sowing in a designated area for plant cultivation on a large scale.
Pyrethrum seeds germinate quickly, but the first year is spent forming a rosette of leaves. The very next year the bushes grow rapidly, producing up to 50 side stems. At the end of May - beginning of June, chamomile produces its first delicate flowers. Flowering lasts up to 30 days. Then the petals begin to droop and dry out, forming small seeds.
Using Dalmatian chamomile to kill bedbugs
Attention! Pyrethrum use can cause watery eyes, contact dermatitis, and asthma attacks in people with pollen allergies. Therefore, when working with powder, use protective equipment:
- respirator;
- gloves;
- After treatment, ventilate the room.
Method 1
If necessary, grind the required amount of inflorescences in a coffee grinder or blender. The resulting powder is sprayed in a thin layer over surfaces: on mattresses, baseboards, under the bed, in ventilation. You can use a rubber bulb for this. The approximate consumption of pyrethrum is 20-23 g per 1 square. meter.
Pyrethrum is sprayed in bedbug habitats
In the light, the powder quickly loses its properties, so treatment is carried out twice a day. This method of treatment with a small number of insects will get rid of bedbugs in 5 days.
Method 2
If it is not possible to grind the herb into powder, prepare an aqueous infusion. To do this, the container is half filled with crushed raw materials and filled with water. Let it brew for a day, then filter. You can add planed laundry soap or washing liquid to the infusion. The resulting product is used to treat surfaces against pests, for example, using a spray bottle. This method is used to treat hard-to-reach places: crevices, cracks.
Method 3
Prepare a decoction of Dalmatian chamomile and wash the floor, as bedbugs often crawl there.
Evidence of the effectiveness of the product will be the appearance of dead insects.
Dead bedbugs after treatment
If there are a lot of parasites, then with the help of pyrethrum, as well as with the use of powerful industrial insecticides, it will not be easy to cope with them.
Step by step chemical treatment
Regardless of the insecticide chosen, there are general rules for carrying out treatment, after which bedbugs will leave the house forever. How to remove these insects at home using insecticides?
- Before starting treatment, be sure to prepare the home in order to protect people and pets from the harmful effects of the insecticide components: pack dishes, clothing and personal hygiene items in film, having first checked for the absence of insects or their larvae. The same applies to children's things.
- If necessary, dilute the chemical. Thoroughly treat all surfaces in the house, not just areas where bedbugs accumulate.
- If possible, it is better not to stay in the house for 24 hours after treatment.
- Do not forget that each insect repellent has a different duration of action. During this time, ventilation and wet cleaning cannot be carried out.
- Treatment with chemicals must be completed by thorough cleaning and ventilation. You will need to wash all surfaces, knock out or thoroughly vacuum carpets and furniture. It is important to minimize the likelihood that bedbug eggs will remain in the apartment, so it is better to dry clean all items that can serve as a “hiding place” for larvae: pillows, blankets, soft toys, fur, synthetic padding, etc. If possible, it is best to replace items such as pet bedding, furniture covers, filters and the vacuum cleaner dust bag with new ones. Bed linen, textiles, and towels must be washed at 90°C or boiled.
Where to buy the drug?
Oddly enough, it is difficult to buy pyrethrum in pharmacies or hardware stores. You can order the product from an online store or prepare it yourself. The best option would be to find Dalmatian or Caucasian chamomile. They are grown by summer residents as an ornamental plant. You can buy medicinal chamomile at the pharmacy, but the concentration of natural insecticides in it is much lower. It is ground in a coffee grinder or blender. To enhance the effect, add a little naphthalene to the powder. Used in the same way as Dalmatian chamomile.
Dalmatian chamomile
Reviews about the use of chamomile against bedbugs are contradictory. Users who noticed the appearance of parasites in time and applied the product at the initial stage of insect reproduction spoke positively about pyrethrum. Those whose homes were highly infested with bedbugs were dissatisfied with the results.
The effectiveness of using pyrethrum against bedbugs largely depends on how carefully and with what frequency the treatments were carried out, whether all insect colonies were found and how numerous they were, and whether the product was properly prepared and stored. Therefore, at the first sign of arthropod vampires, take decisive action. Every day it will become more and more difficult to cope with them.
Use pyrethrum for prevention, especially since it is effective against many household insects.
How are they dangerous to humans?
First of all, their bites cause severe itching and swelling; in 80% of cases allergic reactions can occur, especially in children. The danger of bites lies not only in the likelihood of swelling, but also in the fact that when scratching, an infection can get into the wound and cause suppuration. Most often, bedbugs bite sensitive places such as fingers and hands.
How to distinguish a mosquito bite from a bedbug bite? Mosquitoes leave single red spots, and bedbugs leave red dots located in a chain or in a cluster. This happens because the parasite is unable to get enough in one sitting, and it has to bite into the skin several times.
Doctors still differ on whether bedbugs carry dangerous diseases, and there is no clear answer to this question. The causative agents of diseases such as tularemia, tuberculosis, anthrax, hepatitis B, and typhoid fever actually enter the body of bedbugs through the bite of a sick person. However, no cases of direct transmission from a patient to a healthy person through a bug bite have been identified. However, such a possibility cannot be excluded in theory.
