Small jumping insects in the apartment, especially if you meet them even during daylight hours, and biting people and pets are fleas. None of the blood-sucking parasites that penetrate human housing are capable of jumping anymore. Conversely, other jumping insects do not bite humans.
There are about 1,000 different species of fleas in nature. Most of them parasitize certain types of animals, but if necessary, they easily change their host (for example, a cat flea can easily parasitize dogs, and a dog flea can easily parasitize cats). Cat, dog and rat fleas are so indiscriminate in choosing their prey that they “very willingly” bite humans.
Flea bites are quite painful and can cause serious allergic reactions. In addition, by constantly changing its host, this jumping blood-sucking insect can carry pathogens that are deadly to humans and animals.
On a note
Fleas are on the animal's body only during feeding, while the rest of its life is spent in warm, secluded places. In houses, such places are animal bedding, corners and crevices in the floor, where dust and fur accumulate, forming an ideal environment for the development of their eggs and larvae.
Appearance and structure of fleas
Small jumping bloodsuckers have a fairly characteristic appearance and, even despite their small size, are easily distinguished from other insects. They have a narrow, laterally flattened body 2-5 mm long. Its color is brown, almost black, the surface of the chitinous shell is smooth and shiny. Under a microscope, you can see individual spines and hairs on the flea’s body:
The legs of the last, rear pair are significantly enlarged and have powerful muscles. Thanks to them, these small insects are able to jump far, as a result of which they easily move between shelters in an apartment, and in case of danger they jump so quickly that the jump itself is not noticed by the human eye.
This is interesting
Fleas are the insect world record holders for jumping ability. An average individual with a body length of 3 mm can jump a distance of 30 cm, that is, 100 times its length. If humans had such abilities, it would be normal for a person to jump 160 meters in length.
The eyes of fleas are simple, almost non-functional. Fleas receive basic information about the environment using small antennas and a special sensory organ capable of detecting air vibrations.
Generally speaking, fleas are winged insects, and their lack of wings is an adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle. Without wings, it is easier for them to move in the fur and elude the teeth of their victims.
Methods of dealing with black bugs
To prevent black bugs from becoming permanent residents of your apartment, you must first take care of the hygiene of your home. You should take out the trash in a timely manner and disinfect the trash can, and do not leave food in the open. Spoiled food should be thrown away immediately.
Remember that it is relatively easy to deal with midges and fleas with the help of insecticidal preparations, which can be easily purchased at the market or in the hardware department of the store. Carpet beetles can be killed by cleaning or chemically treating the carpet. It is also possible to remove tree beetles and leather beetles by sorting out and subjecting clothing and their habitats to heat treatment at high temperatures.
The most difficult thing to deal with is black cockroaches. This subspecies of bugs adapts over time to any poison and becomes insensitive to it. Also, if parasites have also appeared in a neighboring apartment, then they can settle in with you again after some time. The best way to deal with them is perfect cleanliness and the greatest possible absence of cracks through which they can enter your apartment.
In stores you can purchase a special product to combat a specific type of black bug. Following the instructions, you can actually deal with uninvited guests yourself. The main thing is to repeat the procedures cyclically until the insects are completely eliminated.
If you are unable to cope with the black bugs yourself, contact an insect extermination service.
From whom and how do fleas suck blood?
Fleas are capable of feeding on a wide variety of hosts, from birds and bats to humans and cattle. Unlike other blood-sucking parasites, fleas do not have strict specialization and easily move from one host to another.
Moreover, a flea that bit a person today could have fed on a rat or dog a few days ago. And on her body, in her mouth or intestines, there may be viruses and bacteria that she collects from all her food sources.
The oral apparatus of fleas is of the piercing-sucking type; it is equipped with special bristles with which the insect easily pierces the skin. However, due to the relatively small size of the jaws, the flea is forced to literally plunge its head into the skin in order to reach a blood vessel:
Fleas feed mainly during the day, so they can easily be seen jumping around in an apartment during daylight hours. When attacked, the insect usually makes several bites at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. Usually their traces are lined up in a chain, which is why flea bites can sometimes be confused with bedbug bites.
It is also useful to read: What domestic insects can be found in human housing: parasites and pests
And more: Convenient and effective electric insect killers
What they look like
What do black fleas look like, what behavioral features are characteristic of them? As the name of these insects suggests, they are black fleas that are small in size, no more than three millimeters.
A characteristic feature of insects is the ability to jump to considerable heights.
The body seems to be flattened on the sides, which is why they are quite difficult to catch and destroy with bare hands. Throughout its life, a flea undergoes a full development cycle.
A characteristic feature of these parasites is that they pass through the stage of eggs, larvae or nymphs, and then adult individuals capable of reproduction.
Life expectancy under favorable conditions can be about one and a half years.
How dangerous are jumping bloodsuckers?
In the process of biting, the small jumping bloodsucker pierces the skin, simultaneously injecting excreta of the salivary glands under the skin, which causes irritation and itching on the victim’s body. In some cases, irritation can reach the size of an allergic reaction and is called pulicosis. In this case, the affected area involves the mucous membranes (the appearance of ulcers and abscesses), the lymphatic (swelling of the lymph nodes) and even the nervous system.
However, the greatest danger lies in the ability of fleas to carry pathogens of various diseases. Plague, encephalitis, tularemia, erysipeloid, pseudotuberculosis, brucellosis, melioidosis, pasteurellosis, anthrax, typhus - this is only a short list of diseases that a jumping blood-sucking insect can give a person.
What causes the jumping ability of insects
The technique of insect jumping has been studied since 1967. The theory of how a flea jumps appeared in 2010.
Studies have shown that parasites do not jump in the dark, so low lighting was used for filming. When viewed in slow motion, it was discovered that the joints of the insects' hind legs are used as springs and levers. This is facilitated by the developed muscles of their legs.
The insect kneels, its body compresses like a spring. This is possible thanks to the elastic shield in the parasite's chest. Clinging to the spines on its hind legs and releasing a large amount of energy, the parasite makes a strong jump.
Flea removers
Flea killers are divided into two types. The former are intended for treating animals and usually contain low concentrations of insecticides. With the help of the latter, premises are treated to completely destroy fleas, and these preparations mostly contain insecticides in fairly high concentrations, so they are not suitable for baiting fleas on pets.
Preparations for the treatment of animals are produced mainly in the following forms:
- drops on the withers - the most famous of them are Stronghold, Hartz, Bars, Frontline
- flea sprays – Hartz, Blokhnet, Advantix, Bayer
- anti-flea collars – Kiltix, Bars, Bolfo, Hartz
- flea shampoos - Lugovoy, Fitoelita, Rolf Club.
To get rid of fleas on animals with normal hair, sprays or drops are usually used on the withers. Shampoos are well suited for pets with very sensitive skin and long hair. Collars are often used not to kill insects on an already infected pet, but to protect the animal from their attack (parasites can easily jump on a cat or dog unprotected by a collar, for example, on the street).
The composition of indoor treatment products mainly includes organophosphorus insecticides and pyrethroids. When used correctly, they cause the death of all insects in the room, but if handled carelessly, they can cause allergies and poisoning in humans and pets.
The most effective and accessible of these remedies are Get, Lambda Zone, Delta Zone, Executioner, Cucaracha, Chlorpirimak, Forsyth, Tetrix, Karbofos, etc.
Review
“In the summer at the dacha, the child was bitten by everyone. I arrived and saw that my arms and legs were all swollen. Yes, I was bitten too, especially when I slept during the day. My sister immediately identified the fleas because they were jumping. They immediately rushed to treat the cats. They washed them, put the collars on - nothing. The fleas began to jump around the house no less, even more. I had to treat the whole house with Karbofos. They opened the basement, and it was absolutely terrible. In general, we were exhausted, but at least we had a good rest for the last month of summer.”
Elena Anatolyevna, Cheboksary
It is also useful to read: What small insects can be found in an apartment
And one more thing: Ultrasonic insect repellers are just a dummy (the article has more)
How to control insects using store-bought products?
If there are midges, it is not always possible to get rid of them using folk remedies. In this case, store-bought preparations will be more effective; they will kill all insects quickly and without harm to plants and people. The most popular anti-midge remedies are:
- Regent. It will help remove all types of midges. The drug dissolves in water, which is used to water the flowerpots;
Rotten fruits promote the breeding of midges - Agravertine. It needs to be diluted in water and sprayed with this liquid on indoor plants. Helps against insects themselves, but not against their larvae;
- Aktara. The solution prepared with its help can be used for watering and spraying. Completely destroys adult pests and their larvae;
- Inta-vir. The drug in the form of powder or tablets is dissolved in the water used for irrigation;
- Bazudin. It is used against pests in the garden, but is no less effective against indoor ones;
- Actellik. Quickly destroys all pests. They are not allowed to be used during periods of intense flowering.
What to do if parasites are jumping in the apartment
If jumping blood-sucking insects are found in the apartment, you should follow the following sequence of actions:
- first establish the source of infection;
- then treat the animals;
- then treat the entire room.
There are usually two main sources of infection: fleas are either brought from the street by pets or family members (on clothing), or fleas themselves enter the apartment from basements and attics, where they initially parasitize rats or, less commonly, birds.
Pets should be treated in accordance with their age and health status. For young animals, as well as animals weakened by disease, specialized preparations of mild, slightly toxic action should be used.
Wherein:
- Shampoo gets rid of existing fleas, but does not protect against the appearance of new ones, so after bathing you should use a flea collar.
- The use of sprays requires a 2-3 hour wait after treatment, then the animal must be thoroughly washed. The residual effect of the spray allows you to do without the use of collars.
- Drops are applied pointwise to the withers, less often along the spine. They may not wash off for several days and continue to act for a long time.
After treating the animal, the main thing is to ensure its protection from fleas in the room. Otherwise, some of the jumping parasites will still end up on the fur, and after exterminating the insects in the apartment, some of them may survive on the animal.
Dog and cat bedding is subject to mandatory treatment and ventilation: a large number of adult fleas and flea eggs are concentrated in them. You can even find developing larvae - legless, worm-like, translucent creatures of a yellowish-brown color up to 4 mm in length:
The flea distribution area covers the floor and walls at waist level. Beds, wall and floor carpets, and soft toys are at risk. Insects feel at ease in warm and moist crevices, under the floor, behind the baseboard - in those places where dust accumulates the most. Under these conditions, the eggs develop quickly, and the parasites safely pass through all stages of development.
The actual treatment of the apartment from jumping insects occurs in the following sequence
- All inhabitants, including pets, are removed from the house.
- Soft items should be thoroughly vacuumed to remove dust before treatment.
- The floor surface also needs to be vacuumed and wet cleaned.
- According to the instructions, spray the drug itself.
- Leave the room in this state for several hours to consolidate the result.
- Before returning people and animals to the house, the apartment should be thoroughly ventilated and, if necessary, washed surfaces.
If there are a lot of fleas in the apartment, one treatment may not be enough. In this case, the treatment must be repeated after 2 weeks.
Basement fleas: danger and specifics of control
The so-called basement fleas, which often penetrate apartments on the first floors, are the most dangerous. They often parasitize rats and can carry pathogens of serious human diseases.
On a note
It was rat fleas that caused deadly epidemics of bubonic plague in medieval Europe. Because of them, according to various estimates, up to 60 million people died over several years.
If fleas come into the apartment from the basement, then even high-quality treatment of the living space will only give a temporary effect. It is necessary to remove parasites first of all where they are most numerous - in the basement. Treating the basement yourself, especially in an apartment building, can be quite difficult, and it is more rational to call special pest control services to destroy parasites.
And finally: the most reliable protection against fleas is prevention. The main preventative measure is to protect pets from fleas on the street. Pets should not be allowed near stray dogs and cats; after a walk in the field, they should be thoroughly combed, and in the summer, collars should be put on them.
To protect the premises from fleas that penetrate here on their own, it is necessary to regularly carry out wet cleaning with the addition of wormwood decoction to the water, and hang insect repellent sections near windows and entrance doors. This will significantly reduce the risk of flea infestation.
An example of a flea infestation in apartments of a multi-storey building
Useful video: 5 main mistakes made when treating a pet for fleas
Jumping midges
Jumping domestic insects include different types of midges, which settle in damp, warm places and cause housewives a lot of trouble. Midges do not pose a threat to human health or life.
- Midges on indoor flowers live on stems and leaves, jump from plant to plant along the windowsill and shelves, and lay eggs in the soil. The larvae damage the roots.
- Sewer midges climb through empty pipes at night and settle in the bathroom.
- Kitchen midges appear when vegetables or fruits are stored for a long time in a warm kitchen, pantry or in long-standing garbage.
In the fight against midges, you can usually do without strong insecticides. It is enough to regularly clean the bathroom and wash the sink with cleaning products, releasing water into the drain. At night, for prevention, you can close the drain holes of the sink, bathtub and shower stall. Indoor geraniums (pelargonium) are grown on windowsills, which bloom beautifully and repel midges from themselves and neighboring plants. It is advisable to “relocate” infected plants to new soil or soil mixture by rinsing the roots in a manganese solution. The main remedy against kitchen midges is timely consumption of vegetables and fruits and removal of their remains from the premises.
In addition to jumping insects, people's companions throughout their lives are mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, bedbugs, and spiders. Many domestic insects do not cause us any inconvenience, but their presence in the apartment is unpleasant for us, so we constantly fight them with various means.
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