Ticks are arachnid arthropod insects. There are about 48 thousand of their varieties in the world. Most of them feed on organic matter and produce humus. But among others, there are species that pose a danger to human health. Some are capable of causing respiratory diseases, others are carriers of infectious agents that lead to serious illness and even death. Let's try to figure out whether such mites can live in an apartment.
Types of ticks in the house
Several species of these dangerous arachnids can exist in the vicinity of humans. Moreover, some of them not only live nearby, but also prefer to feed on the blood of people and pets. And the waste products of others cause the development of allergies.
Dusty
This mite is most often found in apartments. The insect is small in size from 0.1 to 0.5 mm, so it is impossible to see it with the naked eye. The mite feeds on dust, which is why it got its name. The insect is widespread on all continents. 1 g of dust can contain up to 150 species of dust mites.
Dusty
The life cycle of the insect is 65-80 days. Dust mites can live and reproduce in an apartment all year round. Optimal conditions: temperature within +18…+250С and high humidity.
A female dust mite makes hundreds of clutches throughout her life, each containing 60 eggs. The waste products of this species are one of the causes of the development of bronchial asthma.
Ixodes
This type of tick is considered one of the largest, its body size reaches 2.5-4.5 mm. The color of the insect is brownish-brown. Ixodid ticks are found on all continents except Antarctica and are able to live in any climate zone. This species belongs to the blood-sucking category. Insects live on the street, in parks, gardens, forests, hiding in thickets of grass and bushes, waiting for their prey. They prefer warm, humid places.
Ixodid ticks are especially active in spring and late summer. But some individuals cannot sleep even in winter. Forest ticks enter apartments on the fur of pets, people’s clothing, in baskets with mushrooms, and also with bouquets of wild flowers.
How long a forest tick lives in an apartment depends on the availability of favorable conditions. For full life, it needs soil and moisture. Therefore, it cannot exist in a human home for a long time, but even its short-term stay in the house threatens residents with serious health consequences.
Ixodes
Bed
This type of arachnid insect belongs to the category of synanthropes. The bed mite has a microscopic size, its body length reaches no more than 0.5 mm, so it is impossible to detect it without a special device. It feeds on dead skin particles and dandruff. It is impossible to suffer from the bites of these parasites, since they do not feed on human blood. But this does not make them any less dangerous than their counterparts.
The lifespan of such insects is 65-80 days, but without food in the apartment, the tick is capable of falling into suspended animation and remaining there for four years until favorable conditions appear. The female lays from 3 to 8 thousand eggs throughout her life.
Bed
Special means
To make it easier to combat domestic ticks, special products are produced. They have an acaricidal effect, destroying mites, and reduce the level of allergic hazard. For example this:
- Allergoff spray, containing toxic substances of chemical origin permethrin and benzyl benzoate. They kill dust mites, and the effect lasts for a long time - about six months. This spray has low toxicity, so it is considered safe for people and animals.
- Allergoff for washing is produced in the form of powder, packaged in sachets. Contains benzyl benzoate, reriproxyfen and benzyl alcohol. Suitable for both hand and machine wash at temperatures from 10 °C to 60 °C. Protection of linen lasts 3 months.
- EASY AIR – you can find a concentrate, spray and additive. Suitable for cleaning premises and processing personal items. Does not contain pesticides.
- Aerosol "Milbiol" with azadirachtin obtained from melia seed oil. The composition is natural, so the product can also be used to treat beds, mattresses, pillows, etc. In addition, the aerosol has an attractive price
The prices of such products vary greatly. For example, spray 3. EASY AIR costs about 1,500 rubles, while Milbiol, which is similar in effect and also does not contain toxic chemicals, is much cheaper.
To prevent the reappearance of ticks in the house, you need to keep the premises clean: dust and wash the floors in a timely manner. Periodic general cleaning is also required, including moving furniture away and knocking out carpets and mattresses. If living in the same area with ticks has led to health problems, then you need to be examined by a doctor who will prescribe proper treatment.
Neighborhood Danger
Neighborhood with ticks is dangerous for humans, even with those insects that do not feed on blood. Bed and dust mites defecate up to 20 times a day. And it is insect excrement that contains enzymes that contribute to the development of contact allergies. Also, the chitinous shell from dead ticks, when crushed into microscopic particles, enters the air and causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.
Dust and bed mites cause:
- dermatitis;
- asthma;
- tearfulness;
- rhinitis;
- sneezing;
- cough;
- itching;
- rashes.
Ixodid mites are no less dangerous to humans, although they do not appear in their homes very often, unlike bed and dust mites. These insects are carriers of diseases, and when they bite, pathogens enter the open wound, which leads to serious complications.
Ixodid ticks cause the development of:
- tick-borne encephalitis;
- borrelosis (Lyme disease);
- fevers, etc.
To avoid unpleasant consequences from various types of mites, you need to know what you can use to treat the room. This will get rid of this unpleasant neighborhood and protect all the inhabitants of the house.
Bites on the skin
The whole truth about house ticks?
It is impossible to see dust mites. To do this, you should increase them at least 30 times. They do not suck blood and do not bite; therefore, a person does not experience any physical discomfort, so there is no way to detect them in a timely manner. However, they are provocateurs of various allergic and chronic diseases.
Mites feed on dead skin, which a person loses every day, unnoticed by himself, especially in his sleep. Since we always sleep in a bed, the most common habitat for domestic mites is bedding, mattresses, and even the beds themselves. It is the tick feces that they constantly excrete that cause harm. They contain digestive enzymes that contribute to severe allergic reactions in humans.
Many scientists, conducting research on enzymes, say that constant contact of mites with human skin can cause allergic reactions. The skin becomes most vulnerable to various allergens. In fact, any dust is a huge allergen. Dust can be different: cellulose, wool, dandruff, feather fragments, bacteria, fungi, cotton and much more. However, the first place among dust allergens is occupied by the house mite.
Main habitats
Treatment should be carried out throughout the apartment, paying special attention to the places where insects usually live. Thus, mites prefer to settle and reproduce on objects that are not frequently treated with cleaning agents.
Among them:
- books;
- blankets;
- pillows;
- mattresses;
- carpets;
- cushioned furniture;
- sections of the wall behind paintings, baseboards;
- sockets;
- window frames;
- cloth;
- pet bedding;
- fabric lampshades.
Preventing dust mites?
Swiss scientists have already developed a special vaccine against dust mite allergies. However, it has not yet gone on sale, so the following methods should be used as prevention.
Wash bedding and soft toys periodically in very hot water. Install an air conditioner, because it will help fight dust most effectively, and therefore prevent the appearance of mites. Install a dehumidifier in your home. It will keep the air dry, which will prevent mites from developing.
Wipe wet areas with fungicides.
Get rid of carpets, they are home to dust mites. Even hot cleaning may not help here. Carpets can be replaced with rugs. They are easy enough to wash in hot water. Wrapping the mattress with film and polyethylene will help in the fight against bed mites.
It is better to buy synthetic pillows. Despite the fact that bed mites perceive synthetic pillows just as well as natural ones, they can at least be washed in hot water, thereby preventing the appearance of mites.
There are also a number of chemicals and drugs that can fight ticks.
- Allergoff is an actaricidal agent for the fight against ticks;
- Mit-Nix – a product for treating surfaces against dust mites; • Milbiol is an excellent tick repellent;
- Acarex is a test tool that allows you to determine the presence of dust mites;
- Akaril is a special additive against ticks when washing.
The effect of any chemical drug begins immediately and lasts for 1-2 months. Just remember that you must strictly follow safety precautions and follow the instructions.
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Methods of disposal
You can get rid of bed mites in your apartment, as well as dust mites, with the help of special services. But calling them out requires significant material costs, so you can do it yourself, using comprehensive control measures.
The first thing you can do if there are ticks in your apartment is the following:
- clean all corners, baseboards under the ceiling, walls;
- wipe the cornices, lighting fixtures;
- wash curtains and clothes at a temperature not lower than 600C degrees;
- wipe dust from hard surfaces of furniture and paintings;
- vacuum the entire apartment;
- knock out carpets and blankets on the street;
- bathe pets;
- clean soft toys.
Bathing your pet
All these measures will help reduce the number and slow down the reproduction of insects in the apartment, but do not guarantee that they will completely die. Therefore, it is advisable to further disinfest the house against ticks. To do this, you need to use special products that have acaricidal properties.
These include:
- Allergoff spray and laundry detergent;
- concentrate and spray EASY AIR;
- aerosol Milbiol.
These preparations can be used for spraying in places where arachnids are likely to accumulate, as well as for treating objects and things. And to completely get rid of ticks in the apartment, it is necessary to additionally carry out wet cleaning with the addition of bleach. It is contained in Whiteness and ACE gel.
The product should be dissolved at the rate of 100 ml per 10 liters of water. Cleaning should be done with rubber gloves and with the windows open. And upon completion, additionally ventilate the room for another 15-20 minutes.
How can you tell if a tick has bitten you?
People who do not have pets or who rarely relax in nature will not immediately be able to identify the symptoms of a bite from a dangerous parasite, especially at home. You should know that even when the skin is pierced, there is no pain, since nature has endowed this type of arthropod with a powerful anesthetic contained in their saliva. You can find out that a small pest has attached itself to a person if you see it or by certain signs:
- Unexplained chills;
- Increased fatigue and drowsiness;
- Photophobia.
Ticks in the apartment: what to do? If the insect has already attached itself to the skin, you should urgently take all measures to remove it and treat the wound with an antiseptic. Under no circumstances should the parasite be thrown away, as it is subject to mandatory testing in the laboratory of the sanitary-epidemiological station in order to exclude the possibility of infection with encephalitis or Lyme disease. After primary medical care, you need to go to a clinic or any medical facility for a blood test.
How to fight
To rid a property of pests, you should use chemicals designed to reduce pest populations. It should be noted that it is impossible to completely destroy, since every day a person brings new individuals into the house along with dust. The remedies will only help prevent further proliferation of parasites and reduce their numbers. There are many drugs used for these purposes, but some of them have become “people's favorites”.
Allergoff - produced in the form of a spray. The product is active not only against them, but also against their waste products. Easy Air is a spray made from natural ingredients. It can be used to treat all surfaces because it is non-toxic to humans.
Milbiol is an aerosol product used to cleanse bed parasites. The aerosol is applied to any fabric surface (upholstered furniture, mattress, sofa cover). The active ingredient of the drug “kills the appetite” of ticks, thereby interfering with their ability to further function and reproduce.
Order an antiparasitic drug directly from the manufacturer
Dani Earth is designed for cleaning upholstered furniture, toys, and carpets. The product is not sticky and dries quickly.
Tsifoks is a toxic substance. Therefore, when working with it, you must adhere to all safety measures and use personal protective equipment. The drug is used to disinfect the entire living space with a high degree of contamination. Dilute the substance in the proportion specified in the instructions, strictly follow the dosage.
All-Rug - the product is produced in the form of a shampoo used for wiping soft surfaces and washing floors. If you do not want to use chemical compounds, then when cleaning the room, you can use a saline solution, which is prepared at the rate of 10 tablespoons of table salt per 10 liters of water.
Order an antiparasitic drug directly from the manufacturer
Facilities
If a person has an allergy to mites in the form of an external rash or asthmatic attacks, then mandatory therapy is needed. Treatment is carried out with antihistamines, and desensitization is also performed. This method consists of introducing an allergen extract into the human body, gradually increasing the dosage. Thus, the body's resistance to the effects of the allergen increases.
Important! Only an allergist can prescribe such treatment. He also indicates the required dosage, which should be strictly followed.
The influence of ticks on humans
The greatest harm is caused not by the parasites themselves, but by the shells of dead individuals and feces, which contain proteins hazardous to health. It is important to understand why dust mites are so dangerous. Some people exhibit increased sensitivity to arthropod waste products.
An allergic reaction can be recognized by the following signs:
- systematic attacks of cough that restricts breathing;
- pressure in the chest area;
- redness, itching of the skin;
- shortness of breath and wheezing;
- tearfulness, redness of the organs of vision;
- nasal congestion.
Parasites do not bite humans, and residents of megacities with reduced immune defenses are most susceptible to an allergic reaction. Symptoms appear at night, during cleaning, and also when interacting with woolen products.
In these things, arachnids reproduce most intensively.
It is because of the influence of dust mites that diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, various dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and Quincke's edema most often develop. Sometimes allergies can lead to death.
