Where do insects come from in the apartment and how to get rid of them, means and methods of struggle
A civilized person is always shocked by the appearance of insects in an apartment. After all, they are not only unpleasant to look at, but also bring discomfort into our life. Flying and crawling insects become disease carriers. The bites of some of them irritate the skin and cause allergies. Since ancient times, they have been fighting insects in various ways, but they continue to live in our houses, apartments.
Where do they come from in the house
The appearance of insects on the living space causes horror, rejection. Pests appear suddenly, it is not clear how they get into the dwelling. Pests can enter the home in several ways:
- Bedbugs and cockroaches can be brought in by neighbors or relatives with clothing and in a bag of groceries.
- Flying insects get inside through an open window, and crawling insects - cracks, ventilation ducts.
- Pets can carry fleas and lice.
- Insects appear in a private house, which can be brought with shoes, clothes after a walk, or on the fur of a dog and cat.
- It is easy to get head lice in kindergarten and school.
If there are favorable conditions for insects in the house, they multiply quickly, and then it is difficult to get rid of them. When the apartment is rarely cleaned and there are many secret corners in it, insects spread at high speed.
The modern chemical industry releases a huge amount of insecticidal agents against them.
But over time, the funds become ineffective against small pests. We need to look for other effective ways to control household insects.
Facilities
One of the most effective ways to kill household insects is to treat your home with chemicals. Funds are freely sold in stores, pharmacies. They act destructively on adults, less often on larvae and eggs. There are special preparations that destroy the eggs and larvae of parasites. Means differ in duration and mode of action, form of release.
Aerosol
Liquid preparations in the form of sprays act on places where insects accumulate.The jet, directed under pressure, penetrates the cracks where the parasites, their eggs and their larvae hide. Usually, insect death occurs when the spray directly hits the insect's body. Almost all aerosols are classified as contact insecticides. Among the popular sprays can be noted "Dichlorvos", which is used against cockroaches, bedbugs and mosquitoes.But the chemical industry offers the latest developments, such as "Combat", "Raptor" aerosols.
It is not always possible to completely destroy pests with sprays. The toxic spray acts immediately on the insects by evaporating quickly. If the larvae are not destroyed, a new batch of harmful insects appears in the apartment some time after the aerosol treatment.
Insecticide concentrates
Liquid concentrates are preferred by pest control professionals. By processing the surfaces of furniture, floors, baseboards, you can lead to the complete extermination of insects in the house. They die on contact with a toxic substance. Among the popular concentrates, the effectiveness of Geta, Ksulat and Tetrix is noted.
Concentrated insect emulsions are developed because many poisons are poorly soluble in water. Therefore, in concentrates, the insecticide is found with an organic solvent and an emulsifier. Alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons are used as solvents. An emulsifier, or surfactant, creates stable solutions when water is added to the concentrate. Prepare aqueous emulsions before processing and do not store them for a long time.
Insecticidal gels
One of the modern forms of applying pesticides against insects has a long effect. In addition to the main substance, gels contain additives in the form of glycerin, cellulose and water.The agent is applied to hard surfaces using a syringe or by squeezing from a tube. The absorption and evaporation rate of gels is low, so adults can die even after several days of treatment, accidentally hitting the pesticide with their paws.
Gels are harmful to pets, so it is necessary to remove cats and dogs from the home during the pest control procedure.
Powders
Crushed insecticides are released in pure form. Particles of the powdery agent, falling on the legs, on the body of arthropods, provide long-term contact with poisons. Bulk preparations can be placed in cracks, in hard-to-reach places where cockroaches, insects and insects hide. Only adult specimens of insects suffer from powders; eggs and larvae are rarely destroyed.
Also used are pencils in which the poison powder is mixed with an inert filler, talc or kaolin. The downside of dust is its dirtiness. In addition, the particles of the product can be carried away by a current of air, they do not adhere well to vertical surfaces. Sometimes powders are moistened with liquid and sold as suspensions. Then the effectiveness of the action of toxic agents increases, as they leave a film on the treated surface. Insects come into contact with it.
Fumigators
The new form against insects includes spirals, tablets and plates impregnated with insecticides. When fumigators work, the chemical particles are slowly released into the air. Use "Raptor", "Moskitol", "Fumitoks" in the fight against flying insects: mosquitoes and moths. Such preparations are safe for humans and animals, since the concentration of poisons in the air is low.But the efficiency of fumigators is also low.
Pitfalls
One of the safest and most effective forms of pest control is often used. Place traps in places where pests accumulate. Products soaked in poisons are used as bait. Cockroaches are fought with paraffin briquettes, gel pastes. Ants are caught in traps with liquid and dry baits, to which borax is added. The flies stick to a special tape hanging from the ceiling. Cockroaches, ants, fleas end up in the floor glue trap.
Popular
If insects have just appeared in the apartment, you can get rid of them in a simple way and without danger to others. The result of the use of folk remedies will be positive with the speed of their use.
Household chemicals
In everyday life, a person uses various chemicals. Both baking soda and salt are useful compounds for cooking. Some of these substances can be harmful to household insects. They are also used in preventive measures to scare away pests.
A mixture of soda and salt
The benefit of a baking soda and salt product is that it:
- available;
- does not require complex preparations and costs;
- without issue.
Mix salt with soda in a 1: 1 ratio, rub them into the pile of rugs and carpets with a brush. After 12-14 hours, things should be vacuumed. The procedure should be repeated after 4 days two more times. You can prepare an aqueous solution and moisten it with fleas, their eggs, larvae, woolly surfaces.The invasion of ants in the house is prevented by the dispersion of soda and salt on the paths of movement of insects.
Boric acid and borax
Crystalline substances can drive cockroaches, bedbugs and ants out of the house without harming human health. Borax is a compound of boric acid with sodium ions. Boric acid and borax have a depressant effect on the nervous system of insects and cause dehydration. Individuals die when powders are scattered in their habitats or along migration routes.
You can sprinkle chemicals on harmful foods like: jam, pieces of fish, meat. Saucers with bait are placed in the room so that they are out of reach of animals and children.Mix the powders with the sugar, the flour, spreading the balls near the garbage cans, between the cupboards in the kitchen. Funds are valid for 2 weeks. Then the old powder is removed by adding new portions.
The chemistry of flowers
Many plants, their smell has a depressing effect on pests. Then the insects are forced to leave the house or apartment. Before using plants, it is necessary to determine whether household members are allergic to them.
Collection of natural herbs
Among the plants from insects, they are chosen with a strong smell:
- lavender, mint, bay leaf and rosemary, arranged in bouquets on cupboards or hung on the walls;
- extracts of essential oils of lavender, rosemary and eucalyptus, added to water to clean the floor;
- vegetable oils with essential oils, spraying sofas, armchairs, furniture, baseboards.
Wormwood is often used to control fleas, and tansy, which spreads in insect habitats, is used with cockroaches.
Citrus flavors
For various insects and midges in the apartment, the aromas of lemon, orange and tangerine will be a kind of scarer. The furniture is sprayed with an aqueous solution with drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can boil pieces of lemon with the zest and wipe the surfaces of furniture with this water, spray the pile of sofas, armchairs, carpets.
Garlic and onion solution
The recipe for the preparation is simple: 50 grams of onion and garlic are chopped, poured with a glass of water, leaving for 1-2 days. It remains to process the baseboard with a solution, the entrances to the basement in order to scare away insects.
Edible traps
Traps are prepared for insects, in which should be the product they like. Prepared balls are laid out in the corners, slots. After their use, cockroaches, ants, bedbugs die. Prepare balls from:
- sugar and boric acid, borax;
- flour and alabaster;
- grated raw potatoes with boric acid.
You can catch parasites on chopped pieces of meat or fish, poisoned with pesticides.
Exposure to ultrasound
Insecticides are driven out of the market by ultrasonic insect repellents. But the devices are only effective against parasites that communicate with their loved ones using sounds. When the devices emit sounds of a special frequency, they can act on cockroaches and other insects, forcing them to leave the territory of the house. They release magnetic resonance devices that scare away bedbugs. Among the known devices with ultrasonic waves, there is the Typhoon LS-500, EMR-21, Pest Reject.
Choice criteria
Before starting the fight against household pests, you need to decide on the choice of pest control method. Here the focus is on what kind of insect bothers in the apartment, its number and how long it has been parasitizing. It is necessary to determine how safe the insecticide is, whether it has an unpleasant smell.
Human security
All pesticides are divided into highly toxic, medium and weak. Before using aerosols, concentrates of insecticides, you should read the instructions for use of the product. The premises processing procedure takes place when the household members leave the apartment. Boric acid, borax, strong smelling plants to scare have higher safety, environmental friendliness. But care must be taken that children do not try these substances or the bitter grass.
unpleasant odor
Many insect repellents have an unpleasant smell. It will make you dizzy if you stay in the house during the treatment. With aerosols, the smell disappears quickly. Gels are produced with a pleasant aroma or odorless. The plants smell strongly of wormwood, which is often used to scare away cockroaches and fleas.
Ease of use
Self-pest control in an apartment requires the use of convenient tools for applying to surfaces. No wonder they choose sprays in aerosol containers. Also, preference is given to ultrasonic devices, which are included in the network and that's it.
Performance
Store-bought pesticides work faster than folk remedies. Professionals use concentrated poison emulsions for a reason. So, in one procedure you can get rid of unpleasant roommates. The sprays work for a short time. After spraying them, after 2-3 weeks, the pests may appear again. Gels act for a long time, the effect will appear only after a month.
Methods of pest control at home
Methods for getting rid of insects are different, as are the pests themselves from each other. Blood-sucking fleas and bed bugs can be controlled with the same insecticides. To destroy cockroaches, you need your own methods.
Drawing pins
One of the common household insects is rare during the day, hiding under wallpaper, in the corners of sofas and beds. They can sneak into equipment and hide in electronics, books. It is difficult to deal with leeches in bed, so you should use:
- solution of "Karbofos";
- "Phospholan" or "Difocarb" powders;
- "To have";
- aerosols such as "Neofos 2" and "Carbozol".
The product is applied by brush or spray on furniture, baseboards, wallpaper in the bedroom. Bed bugs die at low temperatures. You can leave the house for a while by turning off the heating. It is worth taking out infected objects in the cold.
From folk remedies, a solution containing green soap, kerosene and turpentine is used for bed bugs. Use such a composition as ethyl alcohol and turpentine, 100 milliliters and 5 grams of camphor. The mixture is applied to the bedbug habitat several times with a break of 2-3 weeks.
Cockroaches and ants
Fertile cockroaches cause a lot of trouble for home owners. Insects need water and food for their vital functions, so they prefer to settle in the kitchen, where they feel quite comfortable.You can get rid of cockroaches with boric acid, which is poured along the plinths, near the tray.
Dichlorvos aerosol is used from chemical preparations.A dense putty soaked in insecticidal gels is used to fill the gaps between the floor and the walls. It is also advisable to use special ultrasonic traps, placing them indoors.
Folk methods will help:
- freeze the room;
- hot water treatment;
- scary with the smell of geranium, medicinal chamomile.
They arrange bottles with fermented juice or beer, where cockroaches and ants like to climb. Special pencils and gels protect from garden pests, with which they lubricate the migration paths of ants.
Moth
The insect settles in the isolated corners of the cabinet, where it is dark and there is no supply of fresh air. Therefore, it is necessary to sort things more often and dry them. You can put cellophane-wrapped clothes in the freezer to kill the larvae hiding there.
For moths, tablets, powders containing naphthalene and camphor are used. The pest does not like the smell of lavender. You can put strawberry soap in cabinets, hang garlic cloves, tobacco in bags. True, then it will be necessary to get rid of the unpleasant smell. Here you can use dry mustard in linen bags.
Lice or fleas
These blood-sucking jumping insects are so small that they are difficult to spot, but they are of great concern. They settle in carpets, rugs, grooves and crevices, and find their way into the fur of pets. You can fight them:
- treat animal hair with sprays, drops, wash with special shampoos;
- take out the sheets, the carpets in the cold;
- iron things with a hot iron;
- professional steam pest control;
- spraying of infected surfaces "Dichlorvos", "Raptor".
The drug "Cucaracha" and other insecticidal solutions are effective against insects. A mixture of garlic with yeast, spruce needles, wormwood and tansy perfectly repels fleas.
Mosquitoes
Flying leeches attack humans during humid and hot summers. They are found not only in villages, but also in cities. It is very difficult to get rid of the annoying squeaking, itching of insects. That residents do not run away from mosquitoes in summer:
- window screens;
- fumigators with special plates;
- scary smells of tomato tops;
- the smell of lavender oil and cloves.
It is possible to destroy mosquitoes completely with aerosol pesticides. When a cold snap begins, insects disappear from our homes and apartments until next summer.
Lice
There are types of lice and underwear. These and others feed on human blood. You can get rid of the parasite with alkaline water when washing clothes with laundry soap. Before washing, it is better to soak things in a solution of kerosene and soap, the concentration of which is 20%. Lice do not tolerate the smell of tar soap. For the destruction of eggs, larvae of pests, the action of high or low temperatures is used.
Modern means against lice effectively "Nyuda". It should be used according to the instructions. For the preparation of herbal decoctions of blood-sucking insects, euphorbia and tansy are used.
crickets
Orthoptera prefer to settle near radiators, in basements, where it is warm and humid. The insect does not cause much harm, but it interferes with sleep with its chirping at night.
You can force the cricket out of the house by drying and airing the rooms. Adhesive tapes placed in the corners of the house help get rid of the chirping insect.Prepare cricket traps by pouring sweet juice into a deep container. Among the chemicals used against crickets "Dichlorvos", "Tornado".
Fumigation of insect sites with wax smoke helps. It also escapes the smell of hairspray or cosmetic spray with a pronounced aroma.
Small brown bugs
Miniature pests with a hard brown shell can often be seen in a cupboard with cereals and flour. Weevils can be found behind heating radiators, on windows, behind baseboards. They do not like moisture, so they prefer to live in books, gnaw through passages, in loose foodstuffs. Insects damage furniture, books and eat away at drywall.
It is necessary to fight the pest gradually:
- vacuuming and freezing carpets, rugs, blankets;
- clean upholstered furniture with a steam generator;
- having sorted the bulk products;
- after treatment of baseboards, furniture with means "Antimol", "Difox" twice with a break of 14 days;
- fill cracks in baseboards with boric acid.
Periodic cleaning of rooms and furniture, thorough cleaning of the apartment can prevent the appearance of insects.
White insects in the bathroom
The appearance of insects in the bathroom with whitish scales on the body causes aversion. Insects are nocturnal, so when you turn on the light in the bathroom, they quickly hide in cracks and grooves. They feed on mould, scraps of wallpaper paste and damp paper.
You can remove silverfish from the bathroom by thoroughly cleaning the room. If there is no power in the room, the insects will disappear. The floor should be rinsed with water and copper sulphate.It is worth treating the surfaces of the room with aerosol agents "Raptor", "Combat".
A wet birch broom placed in the corner of the bathroom will be a trap for white bugs. Insects will climb on it, and the owners will have to burn the broom. Glass jars with sweet juice also attract the attention of silverfish. They like to put themselves in rolls of wet toilet paper or newspaper.
Presentation and features
No matter how safe folk remedies for parasites at home are, they work for a long time and are not always effective. We have to resort to pesticides in order to quickly free the house from insects that harm human health and damage objects, things and food.
"To have"
The whitish liquid suspension is used to destroy pests, as it contains chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide. The preparation for contact and intestinal action is oriented towards the fight against all insects in the house. Parasite death occurs within 1-3 days of product application. Suspension-based working solutions are prepared for each insect species. Treatment with the agent is carried out with a spray, protecting the eyes, hands, mouth and nose from the ingress of poison. The preparation is also suitable for spraying hard surfaces. Spraying is repeated after 2 weeks.
"Tetrix"
The main substances of the pesticide are cypermethrin and metaphos, which, getting into the stomach of an insect, kill it. The action of the tool is aimed at destroying blood-sucking parasites, bedbugs. The solution is sold in cans and is intended for pest control professionals. After treatment with the product, no pests remain in the house.A 250 milliliter bottle is enough to treat a room of 60 square meters.
"Clean House"
Aerosols in aluminum cans with a capacity of 600 milliliters are purchased to destroy crawling pests. Substances from the group of pyrethroids have an intestinal contact effect, they are able to eliminate all insects from the house. Getting on the body of a cockroach, an insect, substances get inside, causing paralysis. The main advantage of the spray is its versatility. With it, you can clean the house from pests. After treatment, the chemical does not leave traces on clothes, linen, carpets.
But the agent kills only adults, rarely destroying eggs.
"Fight"
2 drugs are produced under the Kombat brand. Combat Superspray destroys crawling insects, bed bugs and cockroaches. And the action of "Combat Multispray" is universal. Aerosols contain poisons that cause paralysis and death of parasites. The insecticide is of low toxicity to humans. Due to the presence of fragrances, the product does not leave an unpleasant smell in the room.
"Executioner"
The fenthion insecticide in the composition of the solution acts paralytically on pests. Before use, a bottle of poisonous liquid is diluted in half a liter of water. Cracks in baseboards, cracks in furniture are sprayed. The procedure is repeated after 5 days. The agent acts on bed bugs for 6 hours.
"Raptor" from insects
The aerosol has a paralyzing effect on bedbugs, ants, cockroaches and fleas. The agent is especially effective during the first 2 days after spraying.Poisons such as cypermethrin, tetramethrin do not give insects a chance to survive. The tool differs:
- Security;
- absence of strong odor;
- ease of use;
- profitability.
You can handle "Raptor" not only furniture, walls, but also bedding.
Mosquito
The drug is produced in the form of a spray in an aerosol canister. It has a neuroparalytic, contact, fumigant effect. The composition of the product should be used to treat surfaces on top and inside furniture. Just spray the aerosol for 2-3 seconds. Then they close the windows and doors, airing after half an hour. Avoid contact with the spray in the eyes and on exposed parts of the body.
Overall
It is used for sanitary disinfestation of premises with cockroaches. Chloropyrifos in the composition of the drug is manifested by contact intestinal fumigant activity. Cockroaches and other insects are destroyed within a few days after applying the "Global" product. The gel-paste is produced in tubes of 75 grams.
"Klopoveron"
To offer bed bug remedy powder and granules. Before treatment, prepare a working solution by diluting the drug in water. It is necessary to apply to the habitat of bed bugs with a spray. During the intervention, do not forget to use personal protective equipment: gloves, glasses, mask.
After spraying the product, you cannot stay indoors for several days.
"Karbofos"
Use a pesticide against garden pests, household insects. It is effective against bed bugs. The main substance, malathion, belongs to the group of organophosphorus compounds. It is a preparation in the form of an oily liquid of dark brown color.
The agent is characterized:
- low solubility in water, good - in organic acids;
- resistance to the sun, low temperatures;
- hydrolysis reaction with alkalis.
Most often, shavings of laundry soap are added to the Karbofos working solution. For bedbugs, you can use a powder agent.Poisoning with "Karbofos" occurs at a high concentration of poison in the solution.
"Avalons"
The concentrated emulsion is used against cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas and ticks. The organophosphate compound temefos quickly kills insects. Processing is carried out in rooms from which all residents, pets are removed, aquariums and flowers are removed. Spray the product on areas where pests may be present. They keep the accommodation with windows and doors closed for 40 minutes, then ventilate.
"Foresight"
A versatile remedy that helps kill bed bugs, cockroaches, fleas and ticks. Houses, apartments are treated with a golden liquid with a pungent smell, it is used for disinsection of children's institutions. The neuroparalytic effect of the insecticide is felt by both adults and larvae. Forsyth traps with duct tape soaked in poison are also thrown. A gel product is popular, in the box with which there is a syringe.
"Xulat"
The drug is produced in the form of capsules, inside of which there are active pesticides. You can use the remedy against any pests that appear in the house. Microcapsules adhere to the body of insects, poisonous substances enter the parasites.
"Delta Zone"
The microencapsulated agent has a detrimental effect on all pests in the house. The drug is adapted to the conditions of the home. The balloon contains a poisonous substance with a volume of 50 milliliters. The insecticide has a rapid action against insects.
"Super Cobra"
The aerosol exterminates crawling insects. Spray the spray at a distance of 20 centimeters from places where beetles, cockroaches, bed bugs accumulate. The treatment is carried out with the windows open, respecting all the precautions. Do not spray the product near naked flames.
"Cucaracha"
Insecticidal concentrate is diluted with clean water immediately before processing places where bedbugs and cockroaches accumulate. Enough 5 grams of concentrate per liter of water. Spray liquid with a special device, paying attention to hard-to-reach places. Miticidal aid flea remedy and mosquito larvae. You can use the insect repellent in powder or gel form.
When and how to call specialists
Not every owner will be able to cope with unwanted guests in the form of insects. If the number of parasites is low, success is guaranteed. With a huge area of the house, it is difficult to destroy pests. It is better to call professional exterminators. You can ask for help in private services or in the state sanitary-epidemiological station.
Service workers guarantee complete cleaning of the house against insects for a fee.
Preventative measures
Each of us can prevent the appearance of pests in the house. It is more difficult to do this if you moved to an old house, and cockroaches and insects, other insects remained from their previous owners.
Cleaning
The floors in all rooms are regularly mopped at least 1-2 times a week. It is best to clean the kitchen, toilet and bathroom every day. Acetic acid, a special means for cleaning the floor, is added to the water.Furniture should be cleaned of dust, carpets should be vacuumed, cleaned with a brush.
Protect food
Store food in well-ventilated cupboards. For cereals, flour, use special tightly closed containers. Leave leftover food on the table should not be so that cockroaches, flies and other disease carriers do not start feeding on it.
Protect the animals
Pet fur is a favorable habitat for fleas and ticks. It is necessary to constantly examine the animals, treating the wool for insects in time. It is necessary to wash dogs 3-4 times a month, cats 1-2 times and comb their fur.
Vigilance
You cannot take clothes, shoes, bedding from someone else's hands. If this happens, the products are washed and ironed. Insects accompany food. Therefore, goods purchased in the market must be checked and processed.
Sealing
By blocking the paths of the spread of pests, it is possible to completely prevent their appearance in the apartment. It is necessary to grease the cracks of the plinths, to seal the grooves of the ventilation, to heat the batteries with foam. Frequent netting, carried over the ventilation windows, closes the passage to crawling insects.
Disinsection
When moving into a new home, you should check for any remaining pests from previous owners. If pests are found, disinfestation measures are carried out.
frighten
It is not necessary to wait for insects to appear in the house. In summer and autumn, they are carried out with insecticidal pencils along window frames, baseboards, scaring away pests.You can hang bouquets of lavender, mint, cloves in the kitchen. Many insects do not like their smells.