What do earthen fleas look like and how to get rid of them?

Quite often, owners of private houses or vegetable gardens are attacked by earthen fleas. Since these insects multiply very quickly, in this case you have to act immediately.

In fact, the insects, which everyone calls earthen fleas, are small jumping bugs that feed on foliage. The dimensions of these creatures do not exceed 1.5-4 millimeters in length, and the color varies from several variants of black to bright green or bronze. The unusual name for the beetles appeared due to the ability to jump like fleas, relying on strong hind legs with powerful hips. Despite the fact that at first glance they look like other fleas, they, like many relatives, are not interested in blood. They differ from felines in their smaller size.

The reason for the appearance of pests on the street is often unknown: they can overwinter under foliage or in the soil, and go outside in the spring, or get directly on the gardener's clothes. When fleas appear in the garden, they primarily attack cabbage, radish with radish, fuchsia and levka. No less often insects start in private houses, cottages and summer cottages, and sometimes in apartments of old houses. Where they come from there is difficult to determine: they can be transported by pets, soil for domestic plants, dirt on shoes, or vegetables bought on the market. Once inside, insects immediately hide behind baseboards, in carpets, floor crevices or woolen clothing.

Very fast reproduction is characteristic of earthen fleas, therefore, once in the house, they are very quickly able to fill all its premises. Insects reproduce rapidly: the female is able to lay up to 50 eggs per day, of which larvae will appear in a couple of weeks. After three molts, pupation will follow, which will soon be followed by the appearance of young individuals.

The first thing to say about grass beetles is that they bite quite painfully. The resulting wounds themselves are not terrible, although they are very itchy and inflamed, but they are often followed by the occurrence of allergic reactions. In addition, insects are able to carry bacteria, viruses and microbes on their paws, which, once in the wound, will definitely harm health. In addition, fleas significantly harm crops and indoor flowers growing at home, irritate pets and make them itch. In the garden, being leaf beetles, they can even cause the death of some crops.

Before you start poisoning earthen fleas yourself, you need to prepare a "site" for the use of chemical poison. First of all, a general cleaning is organized in the house: all garbage is disposed of, and carpets and fabric surfaces are subjected to additional cleaning. Woolen clothing, rugs, fluffy bedspreads, pillows and other similar items are stretched and dried in the fresh air. Their surfaces must be vacuumed and, if possible, shaken out and knocked out on the street on a warm sunny day. Further, the struggle continues with wet cleaning.

Water for wiping all surfaces above 2 meters from the floor must be enriched with ammonia or apple cider vinegar.

One of the professional tools helps to destroy earthen fleas in a residential building. So, in a private house or apartment, a very effective "Ksulat micro" is often used, now produced in Russia. The capsules of the drug require immersion in water, as a result of which a liquid poisonous for insects is formed, which can be applied to any surface. It contains cypermethrin, a component that paralyzes the nervous system of a flea, and tetramethrin, which destroys the pest. "Ksulat" copes with pests literally in a day.

Lambda-Zone, produced in South Korea, also helps to cope with the problem. The drug is available in the form of a suspension, poured into 50 ml vials. One such package is enough to process 100 square meters of a house or apartment. The active component of the drug with a moderately toxic odor is lambda-cyhalothrin. The effect of using "Lambda-Zone" lasts for 8 weeks.

Often, an insecticide called "Agran" is chosen to eliminate pests, containing chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. The drug is universal and destroys not only fleas, but also many other insects. The liquid can be used for all hard-to-reach areas - from crevices and sills to ventilation and space behind skirting boards. When working with Agran, it is important to remember that the undiluted substance is more toxic than the one that has already been mixed with water. Despite the fact that the tool is considered effective and fast-acting, it still has an overly pungent aroma.

Of course, it will be possible to get rid of pests with the help of dichlorvos - it is better to take a variety of "Dichlorvos NEO", devoid of smell. Russian-made aerosol is able to cope with all jumping and flying individuals due to the presence of permethrin, tetramethrin, cypermethrin and other components in its composition. After use, it is important to restrict access to the premises for at least 8-10 hours. A powder called "Dust" is used to treat all hard-to-reach places. Its significant advantage is the ability not to leave the room afterwards - only to limit wet cleaning. In the fight against earthen fleas, it is also proposed to use Raptor, Chlorpyrimark and Get.

When rescuing a house, it should be understood that the toxicity of most professional drugs is so great that it will definitely harm not only insects, but also indoor plants. This means that if a pest has settled in flower pots, it should be removed using folk methods or using compounds designed specifically for planting.

Often insects that actively reproduce in the yard or in the garden gradually penetrate into the house, so the fight against the problem should be carried out not only inside the living space, but also outside. TO The best products used on the site include the domestic "Averfos" - a high concentration solution used for spraying the area. The effect of the formed toxic layer lasts from 3 to 5 weeks. Chlorpyrifos present in the composition paralyzes the nervous system of the insect, which is why it quickly dies. Quite often, "Karbofos" is used on the beds. The product is available in the form of an emulsion or powder, diluted in water and suitable for spraying. It decomposes in the open field from 5 to 7 days and does not accumulate in fruits and plants, and therefore it is used in the garden without any special difficulties.

The "Delta Zone" is also offered to take advantage of the open air. The drug containing deltamethrin is active for 2 weeks, but the insecticidal effect itself lasts for another six months. We also recommend to gardeners the powder "Biocifen", which contains fenthion and cypermethrin.

In principle, it is possible to control pests at home with the help of folk methods, the implementation of which usually requires those components that are always present in the household. For example, fleas are afraid of the pungent smell of plants such as tansy, wormwood, mint, and walnut leaves. You don't have to do anything special with the branches of these crops - just spread the shoots with leaves on all surfaces.

An alternative is to prepare a highly concentrated solution from a green material, which is then used for spraying. For hard-to-reach areas such as crevices, cracks or narrow openings, a blend of essential oils is suitable. To prepare it yourself, you will need to dissolve 5 drops of "ether" with a rich aroma in a liter of pure water - lemon balm, mint or lavender. Then the finished mixture is poured into a spray gun and applied to the required areas. In principle, the resulting solution is also suitable for protecting fabric items from earthen fleas.

It is customary to use turpentine to kill insects in non-residential premises - in the attic, in the basement, shed or outbuilding. Pine shavings tend to be scattered in the corners of rooms to keep insects away. Very quickly it is possible to use a mixture of salt and soda, which also crumbles in hard-to-reach areas. The advantage of such a homemade product is its budget and the absence of any smell. Citrus zest has a similar advantage: the peels left after eating oranges and lemons are laid out around the perimeter of the room.

If insect control is carried out outdoors, the most effective way to protect vegetables is to cover them with a dense non-woven material that is free from holes. You will have to use the curtain immediately after planting the crops, leaving a supply of free space inside for the formation of fruits. The edges of the covering material are reliably covered with earth so that fleas cannot get inside. To scare off pests, some unpleasant crops will also come to the rescue: catnip, spinach and others. It is important to remember that, on the contrary, mustard attracts earthen fleas, so it should be planted with great care.

Sticky traps won't kill insects, but they will at least be able to minimize their numbers. The leaves, covered with a sticky substance, are laid directly on the ground or suspended on a low base. Experienced gardeners recommend taking yellow planks as a base, and covering them with a special long-drying glue. Relatively quickly removing earthen fleas is obtained with the help of a special decoction based on tomato tops or tansy. The poisonous liquid will destroy the insect, but it should be remembered that it can harm the person himself.

Cultures can be treated with citrus infusions made from a kilogram of orange peels and 10 liters of water. The mixture should stand for 3 days, and then be strained. The finished liquid is used for spraying, which is carried out in the evening, necessarily not on a rainy day. The fight against flea beetles can take place with the help of an infusion of onion peels or even nine percent table vinegar, which is diluted in an amount of 0.5 liters in 10 liters of plain water.

Material such as makhorka can also help. Raw materials in the amount of 400 grams are first diluted with 10 liters of water.After daily infusion, the mixture is boiled for a couple of hours, cooled, filtered and supplemented with another 10 liters of water. Before spraying, it will be possible to pour soap shavings into the infusion, which will allow the active ingredient to be “fixed” on the leaves and shoots of plants.

To ensure that the house is never attacked by earthen fleas, sufficient attention should be paid to preventive measures. So, it is extremely important to regularly carry out wet cleaning of all surfaces, and it is better to use water, to which any disinfectant is added, to wash floors and wipe dust. On a daily basis, not only living rooms should be ventilated, but also darkened areas with high humidity, for example, a pantry. Such a procedure will not only prevent the spread of fleas, but also reduce the likelihood of mold growth. Items that are rarely used, such as formal tablecloths or guest bedding, should still be stretched from time to time.

In order to avoid the appearance of flea beads, carpets will need to be regularly vacuum cleaned, as well as antibacterial drugs. Domestic animals, including birds, must be provided with adequate protection against parasites. Finally, if earthen fleas have already appeared in the house, then in the future it will sometimes be correct to use disinfectants as a prophylaxis.

In order not to detect pests in the personal plot, it will be necessary to regularly remove weeds, mainly rape and shepherd's bag. The row spacing of the beds should be filled with crops that repel pests, such as garlic, whose pungent odor is not to the liking of flea beetles. Since these insects love dry land, the soil, on the contrary, will have to be well moistened, accompanying the procedure with loosening or mulching.