Linen bugs
Development and reproduction of bedbugs
Ways bedbugs enter the house
Symptoms of bedbugs
Methods for controlling bedbugs
Linen bugs are small insects that feed on human blood. Other names for parasites are bed bugs, sofa bugs, furniture bugs, and house bugs. They multiply quickly, are difficult to hatch, and leave painful bites on the body. Folk remedies and professional preparations are used to fight. They carry out disinfestation independently or with the help of specialists.
Appearance
Linen bugs grow to sizes of only 6 mm. A well-fed insect looks different from a hungry one. Body color, shape, behavior changes. Detailed description of bedbugs:
- Hungry. Flattened oval body. Dense chitinous cover that is difficult to crush even with effort. It is impossible to get rid of it mechanically. The color is dirty brown. There are small straight whiskers on the head. No wings, can't fly. Actively crawling, impossible to catch. Although some eyewitnesses argue whether bedbugs crawl or jump.
- Well-fed. Bedbugs feed on blood. As blood enters, the chitinous cover expands and becomes transparent. The body is rounded, due to this it increases in size. The color changes over time as the blood clots. Initially red, then turns brown. A well-fed insect is clumsy and slow. It's easy to get rid of - crush it by pressing on the shell.
- In the stage of suspended animation. Under unfavorable conditions—lack of food—metabolic processes slow down and the stage of suspended animation begins. The insect stops moving and gradually turns into a living mummy. Without movement, the body is transparent gray.
On a note!
You need to get rid of bedbugs in the suspended animation stage immediately upon detection, since when they smell blood, they instantly come to life and return to a normal lifestyle.
You can clearly see what bed bugs look like in the photo below. Females are several millimeters larger than males.
Linen bugs
Features of bedbugs.
In fact, it is very difficult to see a bug, because during the day they hide in the seams of linen or mattresses, and crawl out to “hunt” only at night. But if you still managed to catch a bug, then they are distinguished from other bed bugs by the presence of 6 rather than 8 legs, a flat body shape, and the insects are usually brown or yellowish-golden in color. When a bug drinks blood, it turns red. It is she who supports its existence and helps to reproduce. When the bug is full, it can be 9 mm in length. During the night, bedbugs come out approximately 7 times per night. Interesting! It is very difficult to crush a hungry bug, but it is easy to crush a satiated one. This is how you can find out that you have parasites: by the blood stains on your bed.
Reproduction
The young female enters the mating process upon completion of the last molt. The entire family of parasites is included in the reproduction process itself. Males inject seminal fluid by puncturing the abdomen anywhere. They are not particularly picky in choosing a partner. It may be a male, a nymph of different ages, a female, or another insect.
When seminal fluid is injected into the male's body, the portion of sperm doubles. Such an insect is called a mega-male. When seminal fluid enters the body of a sexually mature female, fertilization of eggs is ensured throughout life.
The females begin laying eggs. Do this daily, 3-5 pieces. Attached to any surface using a special secret. Bed bugs lay eggs in the seams and folds of laundry.
On a note!
The adult lives for about 8 months under favorable conditions; in the stage of suspended animation without food, the bug can live for about a year. Over the entire life period, one female reproduces 300-500 larvae. Getting rid of it at the initial stage of infestation of an apartment is problematic.
Ways to enter the house
Ways of penetration of bedbugs into the house
Linen bugs do not enter the room through windows, doors, and are not brought in by pets. Where do parasites come from in an apartment - from neighbors, or brought by people.
- If bedbugs live in a neighboring apartment, as their population increases, they begin to make their way through cracks in the wall, floor, sockets, electrical wires, ventilation grilles into another apartment.
- Mass relocation of parasites occurs if neighbors actively fight and use insecticidal preparations. Parasites flee by all means and ways. It is much more difficult to remove bedbugs in such a situation.
- They enter with things and clothes. This happens after long business trips, travel, or overnight stays in other places.
- A person brings household appliances, furniture, parcels, watches, interior items, and toys into the house.
The danger of bedbugs to human health.
Whether bedbugs can carry infectious diseases is still an unknown fact and has not been proven by anyone. Scientists say that if a bug was in contact with a patient with Hepatitis B or typhus, then it can infect another person. Bedbugs cause great discomfort to humans: their bites cause severe itching and loss of sleep. In addition, a person who suffers from allergies may experience a relapse (fever, dizziness, weakness) with such symptoms it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Signs of infection
Symptoms of the appearance of bedbugs begin to appear from the first days. However, the person does not pay much attention.
Specific smell
Linen bugs have scent glands. They are activated when the insect is in danger, notifying other relatives about the location of a food source during the mating process. The smell of bedbugs is reminiscent of rotten raspberries, nutmeg, and cheap cognac. It is impossible to get rid of it, it gets worse every day.
Clear evidence
Bites appear on the body. Outwardly they resemble mosquitoes. Red blisters with baked blood in the center. However, bed bug bites have a characteristic arrangement - 2-5 punctures. A kind of track remains on the body. Several bites merge into one huge spot.
Bedbugs bite on the lower and upper limbs, neck, shoulders, and back. Photos of bed bug bites can be seen below. Bites are accompanied by severe itching. In most cases, symptoms go away on their own within a week. Alcohol tinctures, laundry soap, baking soda, and ointments from bedbug bites help get rid of them.
Symptoms of bedbugs
On a note!
Sensitive skin develops a strong allergic reaction, to eliminate which antihistamines and topical ointment are taken.
Traces on the bed
Bloody spots remain. When bedbugs bite, they inject a special substance that prevents the blood from clotting. After the meal, the blood continues to ooze and stains the linen. A well-fed bedbug can be easily killed by turning the body or moving the hand. Small dead specimens and blood stains from the bursting body remain on the bed. Black dots are excrement; skins after molting can also be found.
If at least one sign is present, it is necessary to examine the bed and the entire bedroom. Linen bugs form nests:
- in bed;
- mattress;
- on the bed frame;
- from the back of the furniture,
- in carpets, interior items.
This is interesting:
Due to the fact that the bug larva does not go through all stages of transformation, as happens in other insects, it was called Nymph. Having passed the larval stage, the larvae are born from the egg as fully formed insects and differ from adults only in size and color.
You can tell by the size and color of the pest whether it is hungry or not. Well-fed bedbugs become much larger and change color to a darker one. Blood-sucking bedbugs are classified as hemipterans. Their head is triangular in shape. On the lower part of the head there is an elongated proboscis, which is pressed tightly against the lower region of the cephalothorax when the insect is not eating.
The feeding process is as follows: there are two channels in the proboscis, with the help of one the parasite sucks out blood, and through the other it injects saliva, which thins the blood and anesthetizes the bite site.
The larvae do not have the ability to produce a special secretion, which makes the process of their feeding very noticeable. Therefore, if you feel a bug bite in a dream, then most likely it is a Nymph. In a hungry state, the bug’s body is flat, looks like a coin and is almost invulnerable. This allows parasites to crawl into even the narrowest cracks.
Also, the flat body allows the bug not to be crushed by a person who, tossing and turning in his sleep, can accidentally crush the pest with his body. The same cannot be said about well-fed insects, which themselves often become victims of their own night attacks.
Fighting methods
Methods of dealing with bedbugs
There are several proven methods to get rid of bedbugs. However, you should additionally disinfest the entire room, paying special attention to the room where the person sleeps.
- You can get rid of clothing parasites at home by simply washing your bedding. Bedbugs die at temperatures below 20°C and above 60°C. They take off their clothes and throw them in the wash. The water must be at least 60 degrees Celsius, exposure must be at least 30 minutes. When boiled, the eggs of parasites die instantly; getting rid of them is very simple. You should dry your laundry outside. Finally, iron with steam. For delicate fabrics, steam treatment is recommended.
- To combat bedbugs, folk remedies are used, which have a deterrent effect. In the evening, wash the floor with the addition of citrus essential oils, lavender, mint, chamomile or vinegar or ammonia to the water. Lay out tansy and wormwood.
- A remedy for bed bugs indoors is an insecticidal preparation in the form of an aerosol, concentrated liquid. Disinsection is carried out according to general rules. The drug is diluted according to the instructions. Getting rid of solutions is much faster.
How to remove bedbugs depends on the degree of infestation of the room. Using the concentrate, you can remove parasites in 2 treatments every 14 days. Effective drugs that can help you get rid of it even in 1 treatment:
- Tetrix, Get, Executioner, Sinuzan, Delta Zone;
- Karbofos, Forsyth, Cucaracha, Fufanon;
- Dichlorvos, Clean House, Raptor, Combat.
If you cannot get rid of pests, or independent efforts do not give the desired result, you should seek help from specialists. In Moscow, the destruction of bedbugs is carried out in 1 day by professional means, using special equipment.
