Everything you need to know about furniture bugs

Furniture bugs or bed bugs are small blood-sucking parasites that live in our apartments and living quarters, and also hide in secluded places. These insects live next to humans and animals. If one bug appears in your house, then in a month they already live in entire colonies and attack their prey at night. This type of insect is called synanthropus. Termites of this kind existed long before the appearance of man on Earth. But this does not mean that they should rule over us.

The abilities of bedbugs have no boundaries, because they have long been adapted to different conditions over a long period of time.... It is very difficult to destroy these insects, because they instantly develop resistance to poisons. In addition, they multiply very quickly, and mechanical methods of destruction can be ineffective and will not lead to any results.

As soon as you find them in your closet, sofa or bed, you need to immediately start fighting them. However, many do not understand exactly what a bed bug looks like. In order to figure out who is in front of you, you need to know several distinctive features. The size of this parasite does not exceed 7 millimeters, most often individuals are 3-4 millimeters in size. After they are saturated with blood, bedbugs greatly increase in size.

In appearance, a distinctive feature is the presence of a doubled crest. It is very sharp and is needed in order to pierce the skin and suck out blood. The darkness of the color of the insect depends on the degree of its saturation. The yellow color of the bug means that it is hungry. After drinking his fill of someone's blood, the bug changes color to dark brown, almost black.

The pest has a flattened and dense body, thanks to which it can be called indestructible. Because of this structure, a person will not be able to crush him even with his own weight. If you notice this parasite in your home, then, most likely, you will not immediately understand where it could have gotten from. Many people blame unsanitary conditions for this, but this is not entirely true. Let's see where the bugs come from.

Bedbugs come to us from the street. If they are not noticed and destroyed in time, then they will begin to multiply at a high speed and will cause discomfort to neighbors. They can get to you or neighbors in the apartment through the ventilation, the front door. There are also known cases of furniture bugs getting into the house through sockets.

If your friends, colleagues or acquaintances have complained about the appearance of bedbugs in the apartment, then it is better to refrain from inviting them to visit, as they can bring parasites on their clothes. Bedbugs can also appear in your home if the sofa or mattress was bought by hand. Therefore, it is better to inspect the goods very carefully before buying. There are cases when travelers brought them from trains or unverified hotels and hostels.

Summing up the above, we will highlight the main reasons for the appearance of bedbugs in the apartment.

• They enter the house not only through hand-bought furniture, but also through new ones, if the entire store or production has been infected.... It should also be borne in mind that bedbugs can hibernate for a whole year in the absence of a potential victim, for example, if the furniture has not been used for a long time.
• Parasites move at a speed of 1 meter per minute, so they can easily crawl from neighbors through the door, ventilation system or through sockets.
• Bed bugs feed not only on human blood, but also on animals... Therefore, you need to be careful when you are near livestock or bird nests, bug pests can easily move onto your clothes.
• The process of moving parasites can also be carried out with the "help" of other people's things or toys. Bed bugs can live in wooden crafts, as well as on pets, because it is convenient to lay eggs in the undercoat.
• Unknowingly, you can visit a room infected with furniture bugs, and bring them to the apartment on your clothes.

The cleanliness of the home does not in any way affect the reproduction of blood-sucking insects, because they can exist both in unsanitary conditions and in a clean room. Bedbugs can take over an entire apartment in record time. This is due to the fact that the female can lay up to 5 eggs per day. Consider the main signs that furniture (bed) bugs are in your furniture.

• If you have red itchy patches of unknown origin - this is the first signal that you need to think about it and check your furniture for furniture bugs.
• As for the bites, they look like mosquitoes, only there are a lot of them. In addition, inflammatory ulcers and so-called skin puncture pathways are formed.
• Such injuries can be seen on different parts of the body: arms, legs, hips, back. Bites on the face are very rare. Children strongly scratch these sores, in this case it is worth resorting to the use of antihistamines.
• The reaction to bites is different for everyone, and it is impossible to predict it. It is not uncommon for inflammation to increase significantly in size or itch a lot.
• Young males and females tend to bite women and children., because their skin is softer and thinner, and therefore easier to bite through.

Consider the characteristic signs of furniture bugs.

• Whole body, has no wings, the color ranges from dark yellow to brown.
• There is proboscis with two channels, which is located in front of the head.
• If you notice foreign smell in the wardrobe or on furniture, this is a sign of bedbugs. It is secreted from the glands on the back of the parasite. Initially, an unpleasant and pungent smell was needed to scare away enemies.

Females have the ability to lay clutches all their lives, even if they were fertilized only once. Furniture bug eggs can be found in small cracks, in the folds of textiles and clothing.

Bed bug eggs can be identified by their appearance:

• whitish color and oblong shape - the main distinguishing feature;
• the size no more than 3 millimeters;
• nymph will appear through a kind of "lid" at the end of the larva.

Within one week, the larva matures, and on the 7-8th day it is ready to be born and exist independently. It differs from adults in size, which does not exceed 2-2.5 millimeters, in the amount of chitin content and in the fact that they cannot anesthetize the bite, thereby causing more discomfort to their victim.

Bedbugs are found in textiles and fabric sofas. Most often, even if there are a lot of bedbugs, they are difficult to notice. This is due to the shape, structure and size of the insect's body, so they easily hide in folds and anywhere else. If you turn the sofa over, you can find traces of eggs, larvae and adults along the seams.

A good hiding place for bedbugs is bottom upholstered furniture. It's warm, dry, dark - ideal conditions... After a certain period of time, insects take over the territory and populate all the folds.

All vital activity of bedbugs is concentrated most often at the joints of wooden structures or at the attachment points. Insects mate, lay eggs and hide from people there. If the furniture has been contaminated for a long time, it will be very difficult to clean it. In this case, it is easier to get rid of the sofa or mattress. But there is no guarantee that the new furniture will not accommodate new tenants.

There is no need to disassemble the furniture to the ground, because it will most likely not be possible to reassemble it in its original form.

Pest control is the process of killing bed bugs. Fighting them requires special methods and tools. The main methods will be discussed below.

This method is one of the most common in the fight against parasites. It aims to destroy larvae, eggs and adults. Usually, when getting rid of bedbugs, living quarters, places of accumulation of eggs and clutches are treated.

Cypermethrin is an insecticidal agent for getting rid of bedbugs, this substance is included in the group of second generation peritroids... It can also be attributed to the insecticidal substance chlorpyrifos, which is a member of the organophosphate insecticide group. For the treatment of living quarters, the chemical control method is very effective.

This method is not effective, because bugs can settle in secluded, sleeping places. In order to reduce the insect population in a certain area, you can use regular vacuum cleaner and wet cleaning.

Temperature exposure has a detrimental effect on bed bugs, since they do not have thermoregulation. In a state of hibernation, these parasites can be for a long period of time. This state can be achieved by lowering the temperature and slowing down the metabolic processes in the insect's body.

But not only low temperatures, but also high temperatures have a detrimental effect. If you rely on research by scientists, then heated air up to 44 degrees kills adults within 100 minutes. If the air reaches 55 degrees, then the eggs and larvae will die in 7 hours. If the temperature rises to 48 degrees, then adults die in 72 minutes.

Thermal insect killing is a procedure that requires the use of expensive equipment and high energy costs.

If you have a small number of parasites, you can use this method. Often, housewives use improvised means, herbs or essential oils to control pests at home. Consider proven ways to control insects with folk remedies.

• Vinegar... It repels insects with its pungent smell, but does not destroy them. To do this, it is necessary to combine ten percent vinegar with water in proportions of 1: 1. Next, wipe the surface of furniture, window sills, doors with a ready-made solution. In places where parasites nest, you need to pour the resulting liquid.
• Turpentine... This substance can quickly help get rid of bedbugs at home, as it has increased toxicity. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to combine 300 ml of alcohol and turpentine with the addition of 15 grams of camphor. You can also mix kerosene and turpentine in 1: 1 proportions by adding 150 ml of boiling water. Next, just treat all the places where bedbugs may be.
• In places where bedbugs nest, you can expand mint, tansy or wormwood.

Today, folk remedies are used less and less often because of their ineffectiveness. They will help prevent, but will not kill, bed bugs.

There is no 100% guarantee that the above methods will save you from pests, especially when it comes to old houses that are heavily infested with parasites. In this case, only special means or complete disinfestation can completely save you from bedbugs. Despite the use of powerful agents, this method is safe for pets and humans.

Professional processing is based on the use of hot and cold mist.

1. The liquid insecticide reacts with the steam generator to form finely dispersed steam.
2. Penetrating into every crevice, insecticidal vapor fills and disinfects the room.
3. Due to the fact that the gas fills all the space, the bugs have nowhere to go, they are poisoned.

Dormitories, communal apartments, nursing homes are the most common breeding grounds for insects. Bedbugs are classified as household arthropods, which means that they will actively reproduce only indoors.

• Before moving to a new place of residence, you need initially to process the entire room and furniture and only then move in to live. You should also carefully inspect the furniture when buying it from your hands.
• It is necessary to disinfect the entire room after construction and repair work... Do not be afraid to demand the elimination of all flaws from construction organizations.
• High-quality whitewashing of ceilings, wallpapering and repair of cracks in the floor and in the wall is essential in preventing the infestation of bedbugs.
• With regards to household routine, it is necessary to carry out general cleaning with a vacuum cleaner and chemicals, Change your bedding frequently and periodically inspect furniture and carpets to rule out pests in your home.

• Desirable completely replace the floor, it doesn't matter if it is linoleum or parquet. Because if bedbugs are found in the house, it will be very difficult to eliminate all parasites from under the floor.
• You also need to audit your belongings. Throw away things that you have not used for a long time. Otherwise, it is there that furniture bugs can settle.
• It is necessary to conduct shoe and outerwear cleaning special aerosols for the destruction of harmful parasites.
• Do not collect or carry other people's toys into the house, pillows, towels or bed linen.
• If you spot bed bugs in your apartment, do not hesitate to talk about it with your neighbors. The sooner they can learn about a possible problem, the faster it will be resolved and, most likely, will not begin to scale.
• You can also try to get rid of bloodsuckers with electromagnetic waves and ultrasounds that are not tolerated by animals.

Summing up all of the above, it is important to say that all preventive measures play a big role in preventing the appearance of bedbugs. Only comprehensive care of your home, office and study will help to completely protect yourself from harmful insects, bugs and parasites.