The off-season is not only an opportunity to enjoy the renewed nature and breathe in the fresh spring air. Sometimes the situation is aggravated by the appearance of “winged guests” in the house or apartment, so instead of worrying about updating your wardrobe and getting a new hairstyle, you have to solve the problem of getting rid of midges. There are several types of these household pests, and all of them pose a threat to human comfort and food.
What types of midges are there, and how to deal with them correctly?
You need to know how to properly deal with midges in order to quickly and effectively eliminate the problem. To do this, they use chemicals, biological agents, as well as additional traps, devices with radiation, which in combination with drugs will be most effective.
There are 2 types of midges:
- blood-sucking;
- fruit.
Each of them is dangerous in its own way.
How midges are born and how long they live, read more in this article.
Blood-sucking gnats
An annoying type of midge that gets into a person’s eyes (If a midge has bitten you in the eye and the eye is swollen: how to relieve swelling, read the article here for more details), mouth, nose and ears. Insects love moisture. If a private house is located near a pond or stream, an encounter with a midge cannot be avoided.
The gnats feed on blood, painfully biting through human skin. They also bother animals. They live no more than 30 days. But in 4 weeks they are able to breed 3-4 generations of “babies”.
When going to a private home, carry an antihistamine with you. A midge bite can cause allergies.
During a bite, insects “gnaw off” a small piece of skin. They produce saliva, which can thin the blood. It also has an analgesic effect that does not last long. This is followed by itching and redness. Sometimes there is swelling.
Fruit midges
The fruit midge feeds on products that have expired - rotten fruits and vegetables. He loves sweets very much. It appears more often in places with high humidity, and actively reproduces there.
It is usually bred in private homes, especially if there is a body of water nearby. In order to get rid of fruit midges in a short time, it is necessary to carry out general cleaning and take out the garbage - this is the main reason for its appearance.
Are midges dangerous?
Unlike the harmless fruit flies, midges can cause serious harm to humans. In South America and Africa, midges are carriers of infections that affect birds and cattle.
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In European countries they can transmit dangerous human diseases:
- onchocerciasis (the disease is characterized by the formation of growths around the joints, the appearance of fibrous formations on the skin, loss of vision);
- leprosy (a rare disease that leads to damage to the central nervous system and appearance deformities);
- anthrax (with the skin form of the disease, ulcerative lesions form on the body, with the septic form, a cough with blood formations appears; the latter form of the disease is fatal).
Cases of transmission of infectious diseases are extremely rare. Much more often, midge bites lead to a severe allergic reaction. When a mosquito bites, it inserts a thin proboscis into the skin, which does not cause severe pain. The midge's mouthparts are designed differently. When biting, the midge “bites” the upper layer of the epidermis and drinks the blood protruding from the wound. Insect saliva containing anticoagulants enters the human bloodstream. This substance can cause severe allergies. The skin at the site of the bite of small parasites swells, turns red and itches very much. In some cases, the temperature rises and the heartbeat accelerates. As a rule, inflammation goes away after 2-3 days. How to get rid of midges at home, read here.
The best means to combat annoying insects
The best means of combating midges are:
- insecticides (chemicals);
- scare bracelets;
- fumigators;
- traps;
- sticky tapes;
- ultrasonic repellers;
- traditional methods.
To prevent midges from disturbing residents, preventive measures should be followed. Chemicals are used in extreme cases. Folk remedies are more often used, and to protect against insect bites - repellent bracelets, special creams, lotions and aerosols.
Crema
There are various creams available for sale against midges, ticks and other insects that can harm humans. One of these is Komar.net cream. It actively protects against bites of bloodsuckers (not only midges, but also fleas, mosquitoes, ticks). For external use. Apply the cream to cleansed and dry skin in a thin layer. No need to rub.
Before applying the drug, do an allergy test - spread a small amount on the inside of your wrist and wait 15 minutes.
Lotions
Among the “defender” lotions, 4 preparations are distinguished:
- UltraThon;
- Clean house;
- Moskill;
- Babycoccole.
UltraThon contains a polymer that, when applied to the skin, creates a protective layer. Valid for 12 hours. It withstands rain - in bad weather the product can protect against midges - these insects love moisture.
Clean Home is a repellent lotion that should not be used on children or pregnant women. To protect babies, it is better to spray the product on clothes. Valid for 6 hours. It has no pungent odor and does not leave greasy marks on clothes or skin. The drug exudes a pleasant aroma.
Moskill is the best remedy for midges. Valid for up to 8 hours. The main thing is not to exceed the dosage to avoid an allergic reaction and follow the instructions in the package. The drug is prohibited for pregnant women and children. Before use, the skin is slightly moisturized. Pros: low price and high efficiency.
Babycoccole was developed by Italian scientists. Based on the name, you can understand that the drug is safe even for newborns. Cons – the price is steep – 1 bottle costs 900 rubles. The composition contains essential oils of lemon, geranium, lemon balm - their smell repels insects. Additionally, oils soothe newborns. There is no alcohol in the composition. The product is considered natural and harmless. Acts as a repeller.
Aerosols for spraying onto skin
They produce many aerosols, but 2 of them are professional and effective: Mosquitoll and Gardex Baby.
Mosquitoll is valid for up to 10 hours after use. This is professional protection against mosquitoes and midges. More often, the products of this particular manufacturer are used to combat insects in the fresh air. For a reasonable price of 150 rubles you can purchase a 120 gram bottle.
Gardex Baby is perfect for young children. This drug was tested in Germany by experienced dermatologists. Allowed for children from 2 years old. Pros: Can be applied to the skin. Valid for up to 4 hours. Then you should apply it again, but no more than twice a day. The spray smells like chamomile. Contains calendula extract.
Prevention of small insects
Keeping your apartment clean, especially in the kitchen, is the most effective way to combat midges. Set the frequency of home manipulations.
- Regular wet cleaning of the premises, daily removal of food waste. The hob should be wiped weekly with special compounds. Wash the trash can periodically using disinfectants.
- Avoid food spoilage and throw it away at the first sign of spoilage.
- The sink and washbasin must be cleaned using household chemicals; special products must be used for siphons and pipes. You can use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. The reaction will help remove internal deposits.
- You can insert matches into the soil of indoor flowers with the sulfur heads facing down. In addition, it is important to follow the watering regime. You can sprinkle the ground with a small amount of ground pepper. You should not water flowers with tea leaves - this can also become a source of damage. The top layer of soil from flowers affected by larvae must be replaced with fresh ones.
- Clean your pets' feeding and toileting areas regularly.
- You can prevent the occurrence of midges by planting geraniums in advance. This beautiful plant has a specific aroma that midges cannot stand. This will prevent the appearance of fruit and flower guests.
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Clean your kitchen regularly
If midges are found in cereals, they should be thrown away immediately and the storage container should be thoroughly rinsed. If you find onion midges, you need to completely sort out the vegetables and throw out the rotting heads.
If the advice does not help, you should call representatives of the sanitary service. They will treat all rooms with stronger compounds.
Timely identification of the source of spread and the use of effective methods guarantee a positive result. Home hygiene, storing food in the refrigerator, and periodically cleaning sewer pipes will prevent the appearance of midges. In addition, they simply will not have anything to eat. And if effective methods appear, they will come to the rescue.
Effective insecticides and repellents
Effective and professional insecticide chemicals include:
- Dichlorvos;
- Raptor;
- Raid spray;
- Reftamide;
- Thunder, Thunder 2.
Dichlorvos and Raptor are top sellers. They are often bought because of their attractive price and fast action. The chemicals will kill all midges within the spray radius in a short time. It is important to wear protective clothing, a mask or a respirator when working with these drugs. Gather the hair on your head into a ponytail. While working with chemicals, do not smoke, eat or drink water. The drug has a pungent odor.
Dichlorvos
Dichlorvos is most often purchased to combat midges. It is unsafe for the human respiratory tract. The best time to use is in the morning from 8 to 12 o'clock. At this time, the children go to classes. By evening, the smell of the drug will disappear. When working with chemicals, unauthorized people without protective clothing, children and animals should be removed from the premises.
Raptor
The second most popular chemical after Dichlorvos. Raptor is easy to use. This broad-spectrum drug can additionally eliminate not only midges, but also cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies and other pests from an apartment or private house. When working with chemicals, it is important to remove indoor plants and animals and children from the premises. The drug has a pungent odor. Raptor should be used strictly according to the instructions.
Raid spray
Raid spray is less popular, but is not inferior in effectiveness to the best sellers. Sold with instructions. It indicates at what minimum and safe distance from a person the chemical should be sprayed. Be sure to wear a mask before work to protect your respiratory tract. After getting rid of midges using Reid spray, you should thoroughly wash your hands and throw protective clothing in the wash. As a preventive measure, 5 hours after working with Reid spray, you should wet clean the entire apartment.
Reftamide
Reftamide is a good and effective drug that will kill flower and fruit gnats. Before working with the chemical, you should wear medical gloves. Reftamid is not dangerous for plants. It is necessary to transplant indoor flowers into other pots in advance, carefully inspecting the roots for the presence of pests. Then get to work following the instructions.
Thunder and Thunder 2
Like Reftamid, Thunder and Thunder 2 are a series of insecticides that do not harm plants. These drugs are produced in the form of granules. They have no smell. Easily absorbed into the soil located in flower pots. Thunder 2 is toxic to insects - it causes convulsions and stops breathing, thereby eliminating midges. Valid for 3 days. It is better to store the product out of the reach of children and animals.
Thunder 2 contains diazinon, which causes convulsions in insects. The chemical can penetrate human skin - protective gloves should be worn when working with the drug.
The advantages of this product include speed and efficiency, as well as a low price. The downside is toxicity to fish and other aquatic fauna. Use near a home aquarium or outdoor pond is undesirable.
If a chemical gets into a person’s stomach, drink 2 glasses of warm water, then induce vomiting, take activated charcoal and contact a gastroenterologist or primary care physician. It is easy to poison yourself with an insecticide and cause complications.
Insect repellent bracelets
There are many scarer bracelets for children and adults to choose from. Among them are:
- reusable (you can change the cartridge);
- disposable - not valid for long.
Before purchasing, you should consult with the seller and carefully study the instructions. Some of the bracelets are contraindicated for use in children under 3 years of age.
Popular brands include Gardex and Bugslock. The cost of the first one is up to 150 rubles. Approved for use by children over 1 year of age. Looks like a stylish accessory. Effective outdoors.
Gardex is fastened on the arm using a fastener. There is a children's and adult version on sale. This is a reusable product - it comes with 3 cartridges included. Made from silicone. As protection, the manufacturer chose the pungent scents of lavender, mint and geranium.
Children love to put silicone trinkets in their mouths. The manufacturer made sure that the child did not get poisoned - the bracelet contains a food additive that tastes bitter. It is not toxic.
Bugslock is not inferior to Gardex in price. Its cost is no more than 150 rubles. It is fixed on the hand using a button. It is impossible to lose the bracelet. This is a disposable product - no cartridges included. The repellent bracelet will have to be changed every 2 weeks. It is better not to wear this “accessory” on children under 5 years of age.
Fumigators
Particularly popular is the fumigator in the form of a flashlight from Patio Lantern against midges. It can be left outdoors or indoors as decoration. Glows in the dark. Works without a battery, not from a wall outlet. Doesn't make any sounds.
When turned on, the midge fumigator will begin to heat up in the apartment and emit an odor that is not toxic to people (which cannot be said about insects). It is capable of immobilizing and eliminating midges within a radius of 20 square meters. m.
Traps
A trap is an effective way to quickly, without the use of chemicals, deal with annoying midges.
- You will need a glass jar, sweet fruits, a paper funnel, and tape. Pre-cut fruits are placed at the bottom of the container (it is better to choose fruits that have expired). A funnel is inserted into the neck of the jar. Its joint is taped with tape. The midge will flock to the sweet smell, fly into a glass jar, and will not be able to fly back.
- To make a trap, take a plastic glass, bait (fruit, yogurt or sweet compote), cling film, and a thick needle. Place bait on the bottom of the glass, then cover the container with cling film. Make several small holes in it. One condition is not to overdo it with the diameter, otherwise the midges will be able to get out.
- A very simple and effective way is to use a plastic bag and rotten apples or other fruits. The missing products are poured into the bottom of the bag. The midge will begin to actively “frolic” inside the bag. You should simply tie it up and throw it away.
Adhesive tapes
The adhesive tape is treated with a special substance that is aimed at attracting midges. This is a cheap and easy-to-use remedy for midges in an apartment, private house and outdoors. It is enough to hang the tape above the ceiling or on a tree - the annoying insects will stick tightly and will soon die. The tapes have no smell.
Ultrasonic repellers
Ultrasonic repellers include Typhoon, UltraSonic and special bracelets that affect midges with simulating sounds. Only female insects feed on human blood and rotten food to ensure the life of their offspring. Therefore, ultrasonic devices imitate the sounds from the wings of males, driving away females (they try to avoid males).
The impact area of the key fobs depends on the power. They can be used indoors and also outdoors. Ultrasound is not harmful, but it helps to quickly get rid of mosquitoes and midges. Human hearing is not able to detect these sounds.
Typhoon-200 and UltraSonic-410 are devices with three emitters that protect an area of up to 40 square meters. m. They work from the network. Do not affect other devices and human hearing.
What helps against mosquitoes and midges
With the onset of warm summer days, midges and mosquitoes begin to appear on the street and at home, which cause a lot of trouble. They not only flicker before your eyes, buzz and swarm near a person, but also attack him - they bite and drink blood. The bite of a midge is different from that of a mosquito.
Summer midge
The mosquito pierces the skin with its proboscis and drinks blood, and the small insect bites off a small piece, releasing saliva for pain relief, then licks off the protruding drops of blood. The effect of anesthesia in saliva quickly wears off, and the person feels a burning sensation, pain, and itching. A local allergic reaction in the form of redness and swelling may often occur.
Midges are much more annoying than mosquitoes; they usually fly in small swarms and attack simultaneously; swatting them away is almost useless. Only special means can protect, which can be grouped by mode of action:
Remedies for midges
- repellents;
- fumigants.
Repellents are substances that repel insects from humans. They can be made in the form of sprays, creams, lotions. Apply to exposed skin or clothing. The active substances contained in these products repel insects with odor or block their olfactory receptors.
Repellents can be:
- chemical;
- made with your own hands according to folk recipes.
The chemicals in the composition contain ethyl ether, toluic acid and diethyltoluamide. These substances are designed to deprive midges of the ability to smell, because thanks to this receptor they seek food for themselves - in this case, human blood.
Creams, lotions, gels, pencils and other emulsions form a protective layer on the skin against midge bites
Homemade folk remedies for midges are aimed at repelling them due to the smell that insects cannot tolerate, for example, lavender, citrus fruits, valerian, tobacco smoke.
Fumigants are a group of products that release substances that are toxic to insects and kill them. This is the main difference from repellents, which only scare away. There are two types of fumigants:
- smoking spirals are the most suitable option for outdoor use;
- electric fumigators - liquid or plate, used in enclosed spaces.
Before purchasing any product, you should pay attention to what insects its action is directed at. Mosquito repellents do not always protect against midges. For example, ultrasonic repellers that produce a sound in the range of 4–7 kHz, similar to that produced by a male mosquito when danger arises. Such devices have no effect on midges at all and are therefore ineffective.
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Chemicals for treating private houses and apartments
Among the chemicals for treating apartments and cottages are:
- Digital. The poison contains cypermethrin, which paralyzes the nerve endings of insects and soon kills them. Has a pungent odor. Available in 500 ml bottles. To treat large rooms, you can purchase an increased chemical capacity of 5 liters.
- Medilis-zipper also contains cypermethrin. Works similarly to Tsifoks. It is important to follow the instructions when working with the chemical. If you do not protect your respiratory tract with a respirator or mask, this can lead to poisoning.
- Sinusan paralyzes insects thanks to chlorpyrifos in the drug. Quickly and effectively gets rid of annoying midges in a short time. You should wear a respirator. By accidentally inhaling a chemical, you can cause an allergic reaction or complications such as asthma or poisoning. Has a pungent odor.
- Mosquitoll spiral looks like a burner. To rid your house of midges, you need to set Mosquitoll on fire - this will repel insects well. The fuel coil emits an unpleasant odor that paralyzes the midge.
How are indoor flowers treated?
If a fruit midge has attacked indoor plants, you should act immediately to prevent the flowers from wilting. Pests leave larvae on plant leaves. To completely eliminate insects, you will have to use a chemical like Dichlorvos, Raptor or Reid. You need to put the flower pot in a plastic bag (you can use trash bags), then spray the chemical directly into the soil and tie it tightly. Remove the plant after 6 hours. During this time, all insects in the soil and on the leaves of the indoor flower will die.
It is prohibited to spray the chemical on the leaves!
18 ways to get rid of midges in indoor flowers
The procedure should be repeated after a week as a preventive measure. And if the midge has not laid eggs in the soil, you can simply hang a sticky trap tape near the pots.
Preventive measures against midges in the country
The insects that make up the midges live and reproduce mainly at ground level - in soil, reservoirs, humus. Proper maintenance of the site will help make the environment more uncomfortable for pests, which, in addition to chemicals, will influence their numbers on your territory.
- Mow the grass once a week and remove the clipped lawn from the ground - the shorter the grass, the better.
- Store anything on the site as little as possible - construction waste, building materials “just in case,” cut branches of bushes and trees.
- Provide good drainage in areas of high humidity on the site - near the outdoor shower, outdoor sink or washbasin, pool area.
- Cover your pool with a cover when not in use and change the water regularly to keep it clean.
- If possible, remove the compost heap from the site and do not store manure to fertilize the garden; you can purchase only as much as is needed for one season.
- From time to time, clear the natural and decorative reservoirs on the site from mud, thickets and dirt; if there are wetlands, it is advisable to drain them.
- Treat greenhouses annually with pest control agents - the microclimate in them is ideal for breeding the vast majority of species of midges and garden pests.
- Weed and periodically dig up the soil in the garden where possible.
Which measures will be most relevant depends on the specific site. Select a few actions from the list above and implement them into your regular practice. Look around your area - perhaps you will come up with some other ideas on how you can make the environment on it more uncomfortable for flying pests and their larvae.
note
Preventive measures are not an alternative, but an auxiliary means in the fight against midges on the site. Using them in parallel with insect baiting methods, you will increase the effectiveness and increase the duration of the results from any treatment. Separately, without the use of chemicals, they will not help get rid of midges.
Other effective ways
If the midge is detected in a timely manner, instead of insecticide chemicals and other sprays, you can resort to traditional methods. Among them are:
- horseradish repeller - you will need the root of the plant, which should be placed in a plastic bag and hung in the room. Leave the package open. The smell will repel insects, and they will disappear within a day;
- vinegar-soapy water - pour 3 tbsp into a 5-liter bucket of water. l. vinegar and 100 ml of liquid soap. A midge will fly to a pleasant smell and drown in a thick liquid of soap;
- bait with essential oil and liquid soap - pour water into a plate, add 5 drops of lemon balm or lemon oil (for bait) and liquid soap;
- orange-clove repeller - in a place where there is a large concentration of annoying insects, you should lay out an orange peel, in which you need to wrap a dry clove in advance.
Traditional methods will get rid of adult insects, but not clutches of midge eggs.
