The nuances of exterminating bedbugs in an apartment, to order and independently

Bedbugs are one of the varieties of blood-sucking insects that can settle in close proximity to a person, causing him a whole lot of inconvenience.

The difficulty lies in the fact that in terms of unpretentiousness to conditions and degree of survival, only cockroaches can compete with these parasites.

For this reason, before you begin the process of removing and destroying them, you need to know some features of bedbugs:

1. Maintaining cleanliness inside the apartment cannot be a measure that will completely protect against the occurrence of these insects, since, unlike cockroaches, bedbugs do not need deposits of garbage to find food.
2. Bedbugs can parasitize both domestic animals and humans ; their constant bites cause discomfort and disrupt proper sleep and rest.
3. Many common types of insecticides do not work against these parasites due to their natural resistance to them.
4. They prefer to settle in the most inaccessible places and create large colonies, so the destruction of one of the nests cannot contribute to the complete removal of insects.
5. They have a unique ability to go without food for a fairly long period of time , so leaving the apartment cannot help eliminate them.
6. Reproduction occurs at a rapid pace , so the destruction of insects must be carried out as quickly as possible.
7. Most chemicals can destroy adults and their larvae , but will not harm the eggs in any way, so parasites may reappear.

Disinfection methods

Today, there are many different methods for disinfecting premises from bedbugs; when contacting specialized services, the most common methods are:

1. Cold fog irrigation is the treatment of all indoor surfaces and furniture using an antiparasitic aerosol. The peculiarity of this product and its microscopic structure make it possible to use a much smaller amount of special equipment, which reduces toxicity, but at the same time the drug has a strong toxic effect on insects. In addition, wet processing of this type allows you to avoid flooding of the room or damage to the surface of the walls. This disinfection option is the most effective, since the residues of the product remain in cracks and crevices, so the new generation of bedbugs hatching from the eggs will also be exposed to poisonous effects.
2. Fumigation involves treatment with hot fog, carried out using specific thermomechanical equipment or special generators. Their functioning is based on the breakdown of the active antiparasitic agent; the particles are so microscopic that a person is unable to see them. This method not only allows you to get rid of insects as quickly as possible, but the fog will remain inside the room for several hours after treatment, after which it will need to be ventilated. This is its main difference from cold fog, after which the ventilation process is carried out immediately.
3. Do-it-yourself products, which are presented on the market in the form of sprays, insect traps, gels, poisonous powder preparations and other toxic products. Often this technique is less effective than professional treatment.

Treatment with chemicals

Treating the premises with chemicals is one of the most popular methods in the fight against bed bugs. There are many types of insecticides that you can use yourself. They are safe for pets and people. Also characteristic of such products is the absence of odor, which allows you to return to the house soon after treatment.

Such chemicals are produced in a convenient aerosol or spray format. They come with instructions, following which you can achieve success in the fight against bedbugs. However, in order not to harm yourself, the use of such products requires certain skills and maximum caution. Therefore, self-treatment with chemicals is not for everyone.

But the sanitary services will cope with this task very easily and at the same time effectively. All professional companies use only high-quality products that have been tested in their work several times and have been successful. It is also important that specialists treat every nook and cranny in the apartment, not a single millimeter of space is left unattended, which guarantees a high degree of positive results. Therefore, you should not save, but it is better to seek help from professionals who will definitely save you from such uninvited guests. In addition, many chemicals cannot be used independently.

Preparing the apartment

Regardless of the chosen disinfection method, if a full-scale treatment is planned, then the apartment also needs preliminary preparation for this procedure.

Preparatory measures are as follows:

1. Removing carpets if they are hanging on the walls.
2. All folding furniture, such as sofas or armchairs, must be disassembled first.
3. All clothes and other things from closets must be removed and packed in secure and airtight bags; after processing, all this will need to be washed in hot water.
4. All apartment residents, as well as pets, must be absent during the treatment of the premises and not appear there until the insecticides have completely evaporated.

If the apartment is processed by a professional service and the products they use require any additional precautions, then the specialists will definitely warn you about this.

Will re-sanitization be required?

Most often, for professional baiting of insects, strong drugs are used that affect not only adults and larvae, but also eggs. If the treatment is carried out efficiently, and the owners follow all the recommendations of specialists after it, a second procedure is usually not necessary.

It happens that after treatment, bed bugs still appear, but most often this lasts no more than a few days, after which the insects disappear.

If the parasites continue to bother you, you need to contact the same organization. Usually, under the contract, specialists are required to carry out re-treatment to destroy bedbugs on preferential terms.

Disinfection procedure

Even if it was decided not to use the services of insect removal specialists, if you treat the premises yourself, the disinfection procedure will look the same.

Destruction of bedbugs involves the following set of measures:

1. Poisoning the nest, as well as all places where bedbugs may be located, with insecticides. The most effective remedies against them are Tetrix, Biorin, Ectermin or Sinuzan.
2. All people not taking part in the processing of the apartment must leave the premises.
3. If necessary, treat carpets and interior cabinet surfaces with insecticides.
4. Additionally, it is necessary to wash all clothing and bedding to eliminate any remaining parasites. Washing must be done at high temperature, after which all linen must be ironed, paying special attention to seams and other hard-to-reach places.

Advantages and disadvantages of calling SES

Hiring specialists from the sanitary and epidemiological station to treat an apartment or house against bedbugs has many advantages. The main ones:

• efficiency and speed of processing, prolonged action;
• use of modern powerful drugs and special equipment;
• the ability to process a large area;
• no need for owners to be present at home during the procedure;
• guarantee of results.

Corpses

Disadvantages of calling representatives of the SES or commercial organizations to get rid of bedbugs:

• substantial financial costs;
• high toxicity of some of the drugs used;
• the risk of turning to scammers, losing money and not getting the promised result.

It is also necessary to take into account that even professional sanitation against bedbugs can misfire. In this case, some of the insects will either survive or go to neighbors, and eventually return. But this option is most often provided for in the contract. The company undertakes, in the absence of the promised result, to carry out re-processing either at a reduced price or free of charge.

Necessary measures after disinfection

After the room has been treated for bedbugs, it is necessary to take a number of measures that will help avoid possible negative consequences, they are as follows:

1. Do not return to the treated apartment for several hours. It is necessary to refrain from long visits until the smell of the toxic substance is completely exhausted.
2. Dishes that remained in the apartment must be washed with special cleaning products.
3. Products remaining inside the apartment during processing become unfit for consumption and must be disposed of.
4. A thorough wet cleaning is required, first of all, it is necessary to wash those surfaces with which a person has frequent contact: chairs, stools, surfaces of bedside tables and tables, door handles. This should be done only after the bedbugs have completely disappeared or the drug has shown its effectiveness; the final result will depend on this.
5. If disinfection was carried out on your own, then the clothes that were worn at that moment must be washed at a temperature of at least +50°.
6. A few days after disinfection, it is necessary to vacuum the baseboards and all furniture; this will help get rid of the bedbugs that died as a result of the treatment, as well as their eggs, which were not affected by the toxic substances. The vacuum cleaner bag must be shaken out exclusively outside so that insect eggs do not accidentally end up in the apartment again.

How to get rid of bedbug bite marks

If bedbugs are found in an apartment or the consequences of their vital activity directly on a person’s skin, the first step is to get rid of bite marks. To do this, various means are used to reduce inflammation and itching, as well as minimize possible negative consequences. The following methods are most often used for this purpose:

• rinsing the bitten area with plain water, followed by treatment with a weak solution of citric acid or vinegar;
• soaping the problem area of ​​the skin with soap containing glycerin. Then you need to wait 7-10 minutes and rinse off the foam with warm tap water;
• Applying a paste mixture of baking soda and water. The resulting composition acts on the affected skin for half an hour or 40-50 minutes, after which it is washed off with water;
• treating skin with rashes from bedbug bites with a decoction of St. John's wort or lemon juice. Problem areas are lubricated with a solution applied to cotton wool;
• applying special gels or ointments containing aloe vera to the affected areas of the skin. Such products protect well from the spread of infection throughout the human body, and also have a calming and healing effect.

Several medications specifically designed for such situations deserve special mention. The first group of pharmaceuticals is ointments containing cortisone or hydrocortisone. If you follow the instructions for use, the compositions have several positive effects at once - they remove the consequences of bites, reduce or completely eliminate itching, reduce pain and promote rapid resolution of rashes and blisters.

To reduce swelling and possible allergic reactions that often accompany bedbug bites, it is recommended to use Benadryl and other antihistamines (anti-allergic) drugs. For example, “Claritin”, “Cetrin”, “Suprastin”, “Ceterezin” also help get rid of skin reactions to bedbug bites. In this case, it is necessary to take into account contraindications, the list of which is individual for any such tablet.

Important: If you notice any consequences of bedbug bites, such as fever, nausea, fever or chills, headaches and muscle weakness, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Self-medicating in such a situation is not only ineffective, but also simply dangerous.

Professional disinfection

Recently, fewer and fewer people are carrying out self-disinfection against bedbugs, since today there are a large number of organizations providing this service at a professional level.

Such treatment of the room will have the following advantages:

1. Specialists use only proven products that are designed to completely destroy this particular type of insect.
2. All insect extermination organizations carry out their professional activities on the basis of concluded contracts and provide a guarantee for quite long periods.
3. The poisonous substance will have a high degree of permeability, so even hidden places will be treated. When carrying out disinfection yourself, it is often impossible to achieve such an effect.
4. In addition to exterminating insects, specialists will provide the premises with certain barriers that will not allow new bedbugs to enter the apartment if their main refuge is with neighbors.

Poison yourself or contact a specialized service?

Having discovered the presence of bedbugs, many begin to take measures to remove them, using available insecticides and folk recipes. Sometimes this gives good results, and some people manage to completely clear their home of parasites.

However, often independent actions have only a temporary effect: the number of the colony decreases, but then the insects become even more numerous. In addition, there are situations when it is very difficult to cope on your own. You should contact a service that provides bedbug extermination services in several cases:

• severe contamination of the premises;
• spread of parasites over a large area;
• lack of results from measures already taken.

Also, those who want to save time or avoid carrying out pest control measures on their own turn to specialized services.

Precautionary measures

Regardless of whether disinfection is carried out independently or a professional service is involved, certain safety measures must be observed:

1. The entire procedure should be carried out only in disposable rubber gloves and a respiratory mask. It is also recommended to use safety glasses.
2. If possible, carry out self-processing in unnecessary clothing, which can then be disposed of.
3. Dishes remaining in the apartment must be placed in bags that have a hermetically sealed closure system or wrapped in plastic wrap.
4. Children's things should not be in the apartment during disinfection, but first they should be separately checked for the presence of parasites or their eggs.
5. Pets must be removed from the apartment during disinfection, including aquarium fish, as well as other inhabitants of aquariums and terrariums.

Criteria for choosing a disinfection service

In order not to regret your choice in the future, you need to take this process as seriously as possible.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the following factors that can influence the choice of professional service:

1. Reputation of the selected organization. Today, there are a large number of companies providing such services, so you can always choose in favor of specialists who have already proven themselves on the most positive side.
2. The methods the service uses to kill insects. In particular, you need to find out how safe the poisonous drugs are if chemical treatment is used, as well as the guarantee that specialists are willing to provide, usually from 1 to 3 years.
3. Value for money. Since the competition in this industry today is quite strong, it makes no sense to overpay for the service, however, unreasonably low prices should also put you on guard. Even the presence of good reviews can only be a trick of scammers.
4. Quality of service and attitude towards potential clients. These are criteria that many people do not attach importance to, but they are extremely important. If employees of an organization are rude when communicating with potential clients on any issues, and if the office environment is careless or looks like a temporary workplace, then this should warn against possible cooperation.

Cost of the procedure and factors on which the price depends

As already mentioned, today there are a large number of insect extermination companies, each with its own pricing policy, so the cost of services below is approximate.

Its formation is influenced by the following factors:

1. The number of rooms in the apartment that will be subject to disinfection. Depending on this criterion, the price can vary from 1500 to 2500 rubles. The treatment of rooms such as the bathroom, kitchen and toilet is carried out separately, and in total it costs 1,500 rubles.
2. Type of processing performed. The cost of disinfecting a one-room apartment with cold fog costs about 1,500 rubles, and treatment with the hot variety will cost at least 4,500 rubles.
3. The warranty provided for a one-room apartment can be 1.5-3 years. Depending on this period, the price varies from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles; the provision of a warranty period is an additional service.
4. Separately, you can ask to treat sleeping places, the price of the service is 150-300 rubles , disinfection of vehicles will cost 1500-2000 rubles.
5. Travel outside the city is paid additionally , most organizations send their specialists to a distance of 20 to 100 km, 500-1500 rubles will be added to the cost for this.
6. Country houses and private cottages are usually disinfected at separate prices. On average, buildings whose area does not exceed 100 sq.m can be treated for 3,500 rubles. If you need to treat a building that is large in area, then an additional payment is made for each square meter.

Do-it-yourself fight against bedbugs

If you decide not to involve professional services, but to solve the problem with parasites yourself, then you can use the following methods:

1. The safest option is to destroy bedbugs by creating an unfavorable temperature regime for them. However, this may be impossible if residents cannot leave the apartment for a long time or simply ensure that the temperature in it changes.
2. The use of bedbug traps and special poisoned baits has not been shown to be highly effective, since people and pets live near bedbugs, which are a source of blood - the main food of these parasites.
3. A special aerosol is an effective remedy if chosen correctly. It is necessary to spray the drug not only on bedbugs or their discovered nests, but also in places where insects can move.
4. Mechanical and physical destruction of bedbugs . This can be done by killing insects encountered, washing bedding at high temperatures, or destroying their shelters with a vacuum cleaner.
5. There are various folk remedies against bedbugs, but they are not intended to kill insects. A bug may die if it falls into a container filled with vinegar or turpentine, but in other cases the smell of these products will only repel parasites.

What means are used?

To kill bedbugs in an apartment, professionals most often use:

• Averfos;
• Xulat;
• Tetrix;
• Sinuzan;
• Eslanadez.

Averfos

These products destroy adult individuals, nymphs at all stages of development, and bedbug eggs. All of them contain toxic substances that allow you to quickly kill bedbugs.

But in fact, the difference between the drugs is not so important, especially since the compositions of many household and professional bedbug remedies are similar. The most important thing that ensures the effective destruction of parasites is the competent work of the exterminator and his experience.

Preventive measures

Since it can be quite difficult to destroy or remove bedbugs, it is better to take the following preventive measures to help avoid the appearance of insects:

1. Maintain sanitary standards in the premises: carry out regular cleaning, cleaning furniture, washing and replacing bed linen.
2. When moving to a new premises, pre-treat it with insecticides that have a poisonous effect on bedbugs.
3. Elimination of cracks in floors and walls, as well as other similar loopholes in which insects can settle.
4. Wash dirty linen and clothes in a timely manner; long-term storage is not allowed.
5. Observe the presence of insects, if traces of their vital activity are found, then it is urgently necessary to take appropriate measures before their population has time to grow.