Raid against fleas is among the top best aerosols against blood-sucking synanthropic insects - fleas, lice, bedbugs, cockroaches, as well as flying ones: gnats, flies, mosquitoes and moths. The convenient shape ensures coverage of a large area of the apartment, penetration into the most secluded places, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.
Lamp
Parasites intensify their activity with the onset of darkness, but are attracted by bright light. The lamp trap is made very quickly and is quite effective. By using it several nights in a row, you can get rid of an entire colony of parasites.
On a note!
A table lamp-night light is best suited for these purposes. Place on the floor. A plate filled with soapy water is placed under it. Add dishwashing detergent. It creates a light film on the surface of the water, which promotes the adhesion of insect legs.
The light attracts fleas, they jump onto the white plate and immediately drown. A simple trap for fleas in the apartment absolutely free. Can be used an unlimited number of times.
DIY flea traps
Composition and principle of action
The active substance of the Raid aerosol is an insecticide from the pyrethroid group - cypermethrin. The synthetic insecticide is resistant to light and other external factors, which ensures its long-lasting effect. Reid anti-flea product retains its high activity for 26-28 days.
Reid tool
Cypermethrin is a complex of 8 isomers, each of which acts on a specific type of insect. This is the reason for the wide spectrum of action of the aerosol. Cypermethrin belongs to hazard class 3. Raid against fleas is of low toxicity to humans and warm-blooded animals, but is a strong poison for insects.
Interesting!
Scientists, studying the effect of insecticides on humans, noted their toxicity in children under 3 years of age. This is due to an imperfect immune system and the curiosity of children. If the rules for treating the apartment are not followed, the insecticide enters the child’s intestines. Pyrethroid metabolites have been detected in the urine of children. Insecticides reduce a child’s ability to perceive speech, and the repellents included in many preparations for treating apartments against insects negatively affect spermatogenesis and increase the risk of developing leukemia.
When it gets on the surface of an insect’s body or in its intestines, the drug blocks the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. Muscle paralysis leads to the rapid death of adult insects and their larvae. Raid does not affect egg laying. Therefore, in order to exterminate the entire generation of fleas, it is necessary to repeat the treatment of the apartment after a while.
Since the aerosol is used to treat residential premises, the manufacturer introduced synthetic fragrances with the smell of lavender, spring greenery or orange into the composition of the Reid product. They additionally have a repellent effect on parasites.
Floating candles
Flea trap with floating candles
You will need several special floating candles. Fill a plate or shallow bowl with soapy water. They lower the candles and light them. Place the trap on the floor overnight.
Unlike the previous option, these candles burn longer and additionally attract the attention of fleas with movement. They emit more light and heat. Insects stick to the wax or drown in the water. The wider the container in diameter, the greater the number of parasites that will be caught.
On a note!
If the room is heavily infested, a flea trap with floating candles is placed in several corners of the room. In the morning, all you have to do is throw away the contents, and in the evening prepare a new combination of candles.
Advantages and benefits of flea traps
The attraction of blood-sucking parasites is based on their weakness in relation to:
- source of light or heat;
- high humidity;
- sweets;
- detergents.
The effectiveness of the luring device increases significantly when such substances are combined. It is advisable to determine the design and principle of operation of the device based on the characteristics of each room.
Advantages of home luring devices:
- their manufacture does not require special skills or abilities;
- components for baits are always at hand;
- safe for humans and animals (you can do without traps with a strong odor);
- Insects can be attracted by the overflow of the trap, heat or light;
- with their help you can track the number of pests and their specific locations.
The only disadvantage of such designs is that they do not allow the destruction of the entire population of parasites. Thanks to their use, it is possible to slightly reduce the number of individuals, but nothing more.
TV
A DIY flea trap using a TV is suitable for those who don’t turn it off at night. Insects react extremely actively to the light of this device, even better than to candles or a lamp.
The sound is turned off, a baking tray filled with soapy water is placed under the TV. Liquid with added dishwashing detergent will shimmer under the glow of light. The attention of pests will be attracted to movement from the constantly changing image.
Then everything works according to a familiar scenario. Fleas jump into the light, fall into the water, and drown. In terms of efficiency, this is the best DIY trap. In a few nights you can catch a whole horde of pests.
Professional traps
A professional flea trap is not commercially available. Sometimes devices designed to catch cockroaches are used for such pests. But the most effective against fleas are adhesive tapes. They are placed along the baseboards. They are not poisonous to humans and pets.
A distinctive feature of such devices is their reasonable price. But experienced housewives who do a lot of things in the house with their own hands recommend not spending money on purchasing sticky traps. You can make such a device quite simply at home using simple tools and inexpensive components.
At the same time, there are many chemical products that can not only repel, but even completely destroy parasites.
Effective insecticides are available from the following manufacturers:
- Raptor;
- Raid;
- Clean house;
- Butox 50.
In addition, you can turn to a specialized company for help and carry out a full disinfestation of the premises.
Carpet
With the help of such a trap, you get rid of not only fleas, but also larvae, even eggs. The option is best suited if fleas have settled on the floor under the carpet.
Destruction of parasites in the apartment
The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the evening.
- First, you should vacuum the carpet.
- Mix washing powder or baking soda with boric acid.
- Thoroughly rub the mixture into the carpet, remembering to use rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Leave until morning. The next day, the destruction of parasites continues. Vacuum several times, throw the contents of the bag outside or flush it down the toilet.
Instructions for use Raid
The flea raid, the instructions for use of which are written on the surface of the container, should be used when the apartment is not heavily infested, since the concentration of insecticides in the aerosol is low. In case of severe damage, it is better to use professional means of fighting fleas and other parasites.
Reid tool
One can of Reid is enough to treat a room once. The drug should be sprayed, placing the can 20-30 cm from the surface. It is necessary to treat areas of accumulation and possible presence of fleas until droplets of the product appear on the hard surface and until the tissues are lightly moistened. Carefully spray the areas where parasites accumulate and the area where the pet's bedding is located with an aerosol. Then you need to treat upholstered furniture, carpets, floors, walls, baseboards. To erect a “barrier”, the product must be sprayed around window frames, door frames, cracks in the floor, along the perimeter of air vents to prevent fleas from entering from basements and attics.
Important!
After drying, the raid leaves a greasy film on surfaces that prevents the rapid destruction of the insecticide. It can be removed by wet treatment with an alkaline solution. Therefore, all surfaces that apartment residents touch with their hands should be wiped with soap and soda solution and rinsed thoroughly with water. The product does not leave stains on fabric, which makes it possible to use it on upholstered furniture and carpets, but it is better to wash textiles by first soaking the products in an insecticide solution.
The room should be treated by closing the windows and doors to prevent large consumption of the drug and its weathering. The spray forms tiny droplets in the air that can enter the respiratory tract of the person doing the treatment. Therefore, you should use personal protective equipment - a respirator or a cotton-gauze bandage and goggles. Cypermethrin irritates the skin and mucous membranes, so the body must be protected from contact with Reid.
The room must remain closed for at least 2-4 hours. The same amount of time will be required to properly ventilate it.
Cypermethrin negatively affects the condition of birds and aquarium fish. Therefore, they should be removed from the premises during the period of disinsection of the apartment from fleas and other parasites. If the aquarium cannot be removed, then it is covered with glass and the compressor is turned off. During treatment, animals must be removed from the premises.
Repeated treatment is carried out a week after the first. This time is necessary for the larvae to emerge from the eggs. If necessary, the third treatment is done 21 days after the first procedure.
Flea larvae
Important!
The instructions for the product warn that the product may be dangerous for pregnant women, weakened people and small children. During treatment, they should be removed from the apartment and they will be able to return only after thorough ventilation and neutralization of drug residues.
The fight against fleas must be comprehensive, so it is necessary to eliminate fleas on the animal that carries them using special products for cats and effective drops for dogs.
Interesting facts about traps
Flea traps have been used since ancient times. They looked like pendants or pendants. They were hollow inside and contained a piece of cloth soaked in blood or honey. The insects crawled in there, but couldn’t get out. Such objects were located in the folds of clothing or under wigs.
Sometimes fleas actively jump around, but do not fall into traps well.
The reason for this may be incorrect placement of the bait. We need to re-analyze where pests are most likely concentrated and change tactics. If you have pets, bloodsuckers often live near bedding or food bowls, so the bait should be placed there first.
If there is a person or a pet in the room, they will interrupt the action of the baits. If this is possible, then for 1-2 days a person should not spend the night in an infected room with baits placed. Or at least take the animals away from there. Especially if the bait is a houseplant.
Precautionary measures
Although homemade flea traps are considered safe for humans and pets, certain precautions should still be taken:
- When using an incandescent lamp, it is important to read the instructions for use so that you know how long it can be turned on without interruption.
- When using a burning candle, you should not leave it unattended to prevent a fire.
- When preparing the trap, do not add toxic insecticides to the water. It is enough to use any detergent.
- You should not add detergents with a strong smell to the water, as this can cause headaches in a person.
- It is important to regularly change the soap solution in flea traps.
- Do not allow small children or pets near flea baits.
If your living space is infested with fleas, then traps will help reduce their population, but will not completely get rid of such parasites.
To completely destroy blood-sucking insects, an integrated approach is needed. It is important to fight not only the consequences, but also to eliminate the root cause of their occurrence.
