Еще добавлю, что на постели осталось красное пятно, вероятно, кровь. На теле у меня тоже есть укусы. Если связать все перечисленные признаки, склоняюсь к мнению, которое высказала знакомая (что это паразит). Но я аллергик, поэтому не смогу пробовать разные средства, выбирая, которое из них сработает. Необходимо точно знать, как выглядит постельный клоп: строение тела, ног, глаз, внешний вид и внутреннее строение, как бороться с ним. Такая информация поможет мне удостовериться в том, что я видела названого паразита. Благодаря этому я смогу сразу выбрать подходящий препарат. Спасибо за участие. Анна.
The author of the portal answers the question:
In my material below, you will learn everything you need to know about bed bugs so you can be prepared to deal with these parasites.
Cimex lectularius - Bed bug. Synanthropic human parasites
There are many bloodsuckers insectsrepresenting the semiparasopods (suborder of bedbugs).
Among them, the parasite cimex lectularius is singled out, as it is more often found in human dwellings.
Other varieties of bedding bedbugs live mostly in the nests of birds, next to animals, less often bite people. Synanthropic insects are those whose life activity is associated with humans, and they are the source of food (or more precisely, their blood).
What the parasite looks like. Close-up photos of bedbugs
У parasite several names: linen, apartment, cloth, and couch. This is due to the habitat conditions - bed bugs are often found on bedding, inside furniture (sofa and bed - primarily). The bed bug is brown, and the body size is medium (6-8 mm). The length varies, which is affected by the degree of saturation of the parasite. Moreover, the female bedbug is larger. The insect has 6 legs, they are polysyllabic, located closer to the head. The body is oval and flattened. The female is more rounded, while the male is elongated.
There is 1 pair of antennae, it is necessary for insects to orient in space. The back is segmented. The shade of outer covers changes: when a bug with blood in its digestive system, it becomes red. And a brighter shade in larvae, nymphs, as their outer covers are still forming. Young individuals pass through several molts, at each stage shedding their chitinous shell. Initially, they are light colored and their body length does not exceed 1 mm.
If you're wondering what a bed bug looks like, Photo can be seen below.
Favorite places of settlement and nesting. How to find them
Bloodsuckers live close to a person. Moreover, this should be understood literally - parasites move around the apartment, but rush to his sleeping place.
The habitat usual for insects corresponds to human living conditions: temperature +25°C, humidity 50- 70%.
In this case, the parasites multiply quickly, infesting the room. They are found in different areas, but as close as possible to the bed, sofa, where a person sleeps:
- under the carpeting;
- inside the sockets, under the switch;
- behind wall furnishings;
- on the back surfaces of furniture (dressers, cabinets, nightstands, chairs);
- at the joints of wallpaper, parquet, laminate (if the coating moved away from the substrate)
- inside cabinet furniture;
- under the baseboards (when they are loose);
- in household appliances if they have not been used for a long time.
Look for pests, paying attention to external signs.
For example, insect products are left on the furniture.
Photos of resettlement sites
Bug bedwetter lives in one place for a long time. As a result, many signs are found: small black formations that turn into spots, brown shells - chitinous covers of larvae, white shells - parasite eggs are also visible, if they have become light brown and a hole appeared on one side, it means that the shell came out worm.
There are many small bed bugs and sexually mature individuals in the nests.
Blood is the source of life
Parasites feed exclusively on human bodily fluids. We are talking about blood. After eating, the chitinous membrane changes. In adults it turns black and red; in larvae it becomes distinctly red. Hungry individuals remain brown. They look different: the body is dried out and strongly flattened. The chitinous membrane is stretched, aided by many microfolds on the insect's body. They spread out, and the bedbug gets bigger.
An adult female can consume up to 7 mg of blood in one meal.
While the young are small, they suck out no more than 1/3 of a mgc of bodily fluid.
Traces of life activity. Life cycle. Stages of development.
Pests' excrement is found on habitats and coatings where bed bugs appear in the apartment. They look like dark stains and are difficult to remove.
This is one of the main signs of substance bed bugs parasitization that is evident throughout the life cycle of the pest.
Key steps:
- Egg;
- larva;
- nymph;
- imago.
Bug - insect with an incomplete transformation cycle. It skips the transition to the pupal phase. As a result, a larva emerges from the eggs at once, which becomes a nymph (an insect at the last stage of development before turning into a sexually mature individual), and then an imago.
The duration of the life cycle depends on the environmental conditions where the insects live.
At an indoor temperature of +25°C, the bed bug lives an average of 10-12 months. In a slightly colder environment, the life expectancy increases to 14 months. In a cold environment, the insect may survive for up to 18 months.
Table: Bed bugs in different stages of development - how they look, how they differ
To recognize parasites, it is necessary to understand how they differ at different stages. Common features in larvae, nymphs, and adults are similar. They differ in size, as well as the color of the outer covers. There are also differences between the development of insects, but they are invisible upon external examination.
| Stage of the life cycle | Body length, mm | Coloring | Other features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larva | 1-2,5 | Milk | The outer covers are transparent, so the digestive tract can be seen better, the shell is bright red after eating |
| Nymph | 3-4 | Light brown | The degree of transparency of the chitinous covers changes, the insect is similar to imago in many respects, only 1-2 mm smaller |
| Imago | 5-8 | Brown | Chitinous covers faintly transparent, after ingestion the body darkens strongly, becoming almost black |
Photo under a microscope: female, male, larva
Bed bugs can get into an apartment
There are different reasons for parasites to enter the territory of a human dwelling.
A bedbug is in the apartment by accident or comes crawling in on purpose.
To block access routes, you need to know how bed bugs spread:
- migration - The insects move from the neighboring apartment to new, uninfested areas, which becomes possible if the colony population increases significantly;
- lack of food in the habitat, as a result, the bed bug will seek out more accessible food sources;
- Pest extermination by neighbors: If this is not done jointly, pests will spread throughout the apartment building;
- accidental entry into new territories with a bag, purse, for example, if a person comes to visit;
- parasites are carried inside the suitcases where they get in the hotel, motel;
- If bed bugs have appeared in the apartment, the cause could be traveling in transportation (cabs, trains and even planes);
- transportation on clothing, for example, if a person who has an infected apartment comes home;
- Insects can appear through cracks in the walls, floor, between the ceiling and utilities;
- bedbugs are moving through the ventilation system;
- pests enter the apartment through the window, but this method is not suitable for individuals living in a private home, as they do not leave the dwelling to find a food source;
- bed bugs appear in the apartment along with purchased appliances;
- You can buy furniture with parasites, and pests can get both in a new and in an old sofa or armchair;
- movement on animal hair;
- bed bugs appear in the apartment along with the workers who are making repairs;
- parasites are carried in toys bought from the hands.
Signs of bed bugs in the house
Bed bugs contribute to noticeable manifestations:
- black dots around the nest - excrement;
- specific smell - recalls different flavors: old cognac, sour raspberries, and sometimes almonds;
- red spots that appear on the bed are blood left over from a crushed insect;
- husk inside the furniture are the chitinous covers of young individuals.
Bites are the main symptom of bed bugs
Parasites look harmless, but they are dangerous. The reason is the risk of allergies in people who bitten insects. This results in itching and redness. Affected people tolerate contact with indoor parasites in different ways.
Some people develop severe allergies, Quincke's edema, and anaphylactic shock.
The growth rate of a colony. Reproduction as a way to survive
Insects all the time mating. And they do not distinguish between sexes. Males may attempt to mate even with nymphs that have not yet formed a sexual system, as well as with males. But the direct reproduction process occurs only when the sexual appendix is inserted into the abdomen of the female. At the same time, the seminal fluid enters the Berleza organs, where it is stored.
Later on, the female can reproduce on her own due to this feature of her body.
What are the dangers. What infections are transmitted. Possible complications in humans and animals
Bedbugs do not carry dangerous infections, they do not transmit pathogens to humans or other warm-blooded creatures when bitten.
You need to learn more about bed bugs so that you don't have to worry about the consequences if you come into contact with them.
Thus, harmful microbes that were contained in the blood of the previous host end up in the digestive tract of the insect, from where they can only get on human skin if you crush the bedbug.
When the outer covers of a new victim are traumatized and not much time has passed since the pest ate, it is theoretically considered possible that pathogens are transmitted this way.
Parasite reaction to too high or too low temperature
There is a direct correlation between environmental conditions and the life activity of the insect:
- decrease to +20°C - decrease in activity of insects, increased life span, speed of development;
- a cold snap to +10 ° C - all processes in the body are slowed down;
- 0°...-5°C - insects enter diapause phase;
- -25 ° C - death comes instantly;
- promotion temperatures up to +40 ° C accelerates all processes in the body, life expectancy is reduced;
- +45°C - after 1 hour under these conditions the bedbug will die;
- +55°C - instant death.
Differences between bed bugs and other insects in the home
Pests that live in people's homes look different. To make sure it's bed bugs in a blanket and not fleas or other pests, you need to know how they differ:
- cockroaches: much larger, their larvae are more similar in size to bed bugs, but they move faster and have longer antennae;
- fleas are similar in body size, but the chitinous sheath is darker, the hind limbs are longer, and the body is narrower;
- The body of a dressing louse is similar in length to that of a bedbug, but it is lighter in color (gray with brown undertones) and separated by a narrow lintel;
- mites - in the color of their outer covers they resemble a bedbug, but the back part is wider, and the front part, on the contrary, strongly narrows closer to the head, the number of legs - 4 pairs.
Only bed bugs can feed at night; other insects and arthropods can be found during the day.
By comparison, ticks cannot live permanently in a person's home.
How to get rid of and how to fight effectively
All methods of exterminating bed bugs can be divided into two groups:
- handy (Folk);
- specialized.
The latter includes specialized household (chemicals) and professional (exterminator services).
Handy folk methods and remedies
It is an auxiliary household method of insect control. It has its own advantages:
- ease of preparation of remedies;
- the uncomplicated principle of processing;
- low cost of substances used;
- most often there are no toxic components.
Disadvantages:
- short-lived effect;
- low efficiency;
- Some components smell too strong, so strong that it is difficult even for a person to stay in the room.
The folk remedies include:
- essential oils;
- herbs (Wormwoodlavender, rosemary, etc.);
- household chemicals: kerosene, turpentine, ammonia, bleach.
Physical methods (exposure to heat and cold) are considered separately. They are effective, but have their own peculiarities.
Recipe from essential oils: tea tree, eucalyptus, grapefruit or ylang-ylang
You can use each of them separately or mix them in equal proportions. Add it to water (1 tsp. to 1 cup), then spray it over places where bed bugs can crawl.
Incense in the form of sticks with the scent of wormwood, nag chump, bergamot, cinnamon, and other "heavy", spicy aromas
Conditions are created that are difficult for the insects to tolerate. Even incense is used for this purpose.
Such a remedy does not kill the parasites, but helps to get rid of them.
When the stick is lit, an intense aroma is released.
Common air fresheners
It is necessary to spray it regularly to create unacceptable conditions for insects. But it would be difficult even for a human to stay in such a room because of the strong odor.
Freezer
This control is suitable for treating compact items such as furnishings or clothing. They are first placed in a bag, hermetically sealed and left for 1-3 days in the freezer.
Vacuum cleaner
The electric device will help to collect insects when their nest is detected.
Remember, however, that eggs, larvae, or adults sometimes remain inside the enclosure after cleaning.
This can cause reinfection.
Chemicals (insecticides for do-it-yourself use)
When bed bugs appear at home, treatment is first carried out with your own efforts. To do this, you should choose a product:
- Combat. The release form is an aerosol. The preparation helps to exterminate bed bugs from the removed crevices thanks to a thin roost.
- Dichlofos Varan. It contains two types of pyrethroids. Comes in the form of an aerosol, destroys various insects.
- Dichlofos Echo. The composition includes 2 types of poisonous substances, as well as a fragrance. The product is effective, it does not leave an unpleasant odor.
- Get - high concentration liquid insecticide solution (contains chorpyrifos). Microcapsules inhibit the process of poison release, due to which the period of action of the drug is increased.
- Clean House. Active ingredients: cypermethrin, tetramethrin. Powder and aerosol can be purchased.
- The Executioner. Available as a liquid concentrate. Contains 1 poisonous component - fentione, but in high concentration.
- Delta Zone - is a professional product. It contains chlorpyrifos, destroys various parasites. The form of release is a liquid concentrate.
- Raid. Contains cypermethrin and imiprotrin. It is available in the form of aerosol. In addition, it contains lavender fragrance.
- Tetrix. Highly concentrated liquid product contains cypermethrin, metafos. This prevents the development of resistance in insects.
- Raptor. The drug is three-component (contains pyrethroids), one of the substances is a synergist that enhances the action of the product. The release form is an aerosol.
Pest control services
Specialists who fight bed bugs have more effective means of extermination. They use special preparations, but use other ways of delivering the poisonous substances to the insects' habitat - hot and cold fog. This generates microparticles that are easily retained in the air for 4-8 hours, they are carried inside cracks, furniture.
After receiving a dose of poison through the outer covers and respiratory system, the insects will not be able to live long.
Video tip (video + photo): what a bed bug looks like, how to find the nest quickly and get rid of the parasite
Question and answer section
When bed bugs appear, you should act step by step, using different preparations and remedies. It is also necessary to prepare the room, learn about the peculiarities of pests.
Is sanitary condition in the apartment important?
Do pets carry bedbugs, such as cats or dogs?
Do bed bugs live in clothes?
Can they fly or jump?
Do bed bugs drink water or other foods?
Do insects bite a select few or everyone?
How long do parasites live?
Do parasites smell, and if so, how strong?
Is it possible to repel parasites with something?
Preventing bed bugs in the house
To avoid having to deal with pests that are annoying to bite because they eat human blood, consider ways to protect the room from possible infestation:
- Minor repairs are carried out in order to eliminate all cracks;
- dusty floors under furniture are regularly wiped with solutions (based on bite, ammonia, essential oils or even kerosene);
- leave bundles of fragrant herbs (lavender, wormwood) inside the sofa and under the mattress;
- The ventilation grille is additionally protected with a mesh with microcells to prevent insects from crawling through.
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Expert tips
- It is better to scare away parasites with ammonia, perfume and essential oils - these are weak means, in a few minutes the parasites will be able to overcome such obstacles;
- You do not have to kill the insects a second time if you treat the apartment with a steam generator, but it is important to act consistently so as not to miss any area.
Conclusion
Cimex lectularius is a bed bug. It lives close to humans and is therefore also synanthropic. Other features:
- The appearance of such pests is memorable: brown color, body length 5-8 mm, back oval, segmented, there are antennae, 6 limbs. They can be mistaken for other insects: fleas, mites, cockroaches (or rather, larvae), dressing lice, but the body shape, speed of movement, coloring or other features give away such parasites.
- Bed bugs feed on blood and are therefore found inside a person's sleeping quarters or venom (under the carpet, behind wallpaper, etc.). Look for them by traces of feces, chitinous membranes (brown husk).
- Parasites come home from neighbors accidentally or deliberately. They are also brought in with things, appliances or furniture.
- Against insects use folk remedies (essential oils, ammonia, garlic, vinegar, etc.), as well as chemicals (Get, Executioner, Dichlofos). The most effective is the hot fog method.
- Insects will not get into places where access is blocked, so you need to repair the floor, walls, remove cracks. Also repel bed bugs with strong-smelling products.
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