Useful tips on how to get rid of ticks in the apartment

The question of how to get rid of ticks in an apartment is relevant for many. It is difficult to find a dwelling in the nooks of which there was no dust. Even by avid lovers of cleanliness. It is in dust that mites live, the skins and excrement of which cause people allergies and impaired respiratory system.

What ticks live in the house?

In most cases, home ticks mean representatives of the genus Dermatophagoides - Dust Mite. In total there are about 150 species. The life of pests is inseparable from the human home, because insects use dead particles of human and animal skin as food. The climate is maintained stably favorable for ticks, thanks to which they feel safe and actively breed.

It is impossible to detect ticks without the help of special magnifying equipment, because they have microscopic dimensions - 0.1-0.5 mm. For this reason, their presence in the house often goes unnoticed, although the number of pests is growing rapidly, and they begin to bring serious harm to human health.

Proteins that are strong allergens are present in the feces and chitinous dust mite skins. Therefore, when they are inhaled or in contact with the skin, household members have painful symptoms:

• sneezing, coughing;
• shortness of breath, rhinitis;
• redness on the skin, accompanied by itching.

With prolonged proximity to a house tick, diseases acquire a chronic form. Therefore, you need to deal with the pest and prevent its occurrence in the room. One of the easiest ways is to call specialists who will conduct special processing of the area using strong chemicals. But this option repels many because of the need to pay and the dangers of using toxic substances in their apartment. Therefore, there are a number of measures aimed at the destruction of ticks.

Tick ​​extermination

To get rid of insects, you should conduct a radical cleaning of the entire apartment. It is important to destroy all dust deposits. The fact is that it contains dead particles of human skin and pets that daily exfoliate from the body - this is a natural process. Bacteria and fungi settle on them: they are also attractive to ticks as a nutrient. Therefore, most insects gather in dust, bedding and carpets.

Cleaning the room alone will not be enough. It will require the processing of furniture and household items, as well as washing the sheets in hot water, followed by ironing at a high surface temperature of the iron.

Against ticks, it is recommended to use additional funds: folk and "store". So the result of all manipulations will be better. To ensure that ticks do not return again, you will need to constantly maintain cleanliness in the apartment at an acceptable level. You also need to remember that temperature drops and drafts are poorly tolerated, so rooms should be regularly ventilated even in the cold season.

Room processing

The “basis” is cleaning the room, including all slots and far corners. To do this, it is recommended to take out all unnecessary things (they also need to be cleaned of dust and processed), including carpets. Curtains and other home textiles also go to the laundry. You need to try to free the room as much as if it needs to be redecorated. To access the skirting boards, furniture is pushed from the walls.

You need to start cleaning from above. If done differently, then the dust and mites will fall down to the already washed area.

A sample list of tasks:

1. Fold all corners, skirting under the ceiling and walls.
2. Wipe the curtain rod and lighting fixtures.
3. Remove dust from hard surfaces of furniture.
4. Wipe the window frame and door jamb.
5. Flush hard-to-reach areas with radiators.
6. Wash the floor and skirting boards.
7. Airing the room.

If the room has sections of wallpaper lagging behind the walls, then ticks can hide behind them. Therefore, if possible, you should put a "patch" or glue them.

Additional funds

To achieve a better effect, you should not use simple water, but solutions of chemical and improvised agents, or essential oils. They have disinfecting properties, which is necessary in the vicinity of dust mites. For example, you can use:

1. Bleach. Today, chlorine can be bought at any hardware store or department of a supermarket: it is present in the popular White or ACE bleach. To prepare the cleaning fluid, dilute a little chlorine in a bucket of water, and then mix the solution well. In addition, you can purchase directly “bleach” in the form of a powder, and then dilute it in accordance with the instructions. Such liquids are traditionally used to disinfect rooms for various purposes, including medical ones. The only drawback of bleach can be called a pungent odor, so you will have to ventilate the apartment after its use. Also, when cleaning, you need to work, protecting your hands with gloves.
   
2. Soda or salt solutions. These products are in every home, and they have a very small cost, so their use is available to everyone. Other advantages are safety for people and pets, as well as the absence of any smell. The best “recipe” for preparing a working solution is 1 handful of salt or soda per 10 liter bucket of water. If you overdo it, then after cleaning the ugly stains of white color will remain on the floor and surfaces.
3. Other chemicals intended for disinfection: for example, Sanox.
4. Essential oils (lemon, lavender, wormwood). They are of natural origin and produce a good disinfecting effect. In view of safety, they are quite universal, although in rare cases they can cause allergies or headaches in those who cannot tolerate the smell of these plants. The aroma usually remains in the room for 1-2 days.

It is recommended to use these products not only for mopping, but also for processing hard surfaces of furniture, cornices, chandeliers, etc. If the surface of an object often comes into contact with human skin (for example, a desktop), then it should be treated with a solution of “folk” means (salt, soda and essential oil), or after treatment with chemistry after a while wipe with a damp cloth. Chemicals can cause an allergic skin reaction.

To combat home ticks, you can use the technique. For example, an air purifier or a vacuum cleaner with an aquafilter.

Processing of household items and clothing

Soft toys, bedspreads, mattresses, clothes, etc. collect a lot of dust, therefore they are also a haven for ticks. They are processed like this:

1. Everything that can be washed in hot water is sent to the washing machine. There are special additives-acaricides with anti-allergenic effects.
2. After drying things, they should be ironed at high temperature.
3. All carpets, mattresses, blankets and rugs are carried outside and well knocked out.Then they are left in the open air for several hours. This is especially effective in summer and winter, because ticks are afraid of high and low temperatures.
4. One option is irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp.

Also, things can be sprayed with special sprays with a natural composition. The use of poisonous pesticides is not recommended, because households will come into contact with them. Exceptions are floor coverings - special sprays and aerosols with acaricidal effect have been released for them.

Furniture processing

The hard surface of furniture - shelves, tables, cabinets - is wiped off with dust with a damp cloth. It is advisable to moisten it with a solution that produces a disinfecting effect.

If furniture with doors or drawers is processed, then they must be opened (extended) to dry and ventilate well.

Things are more difficult with soft surfaces. There are few ways to get rid of ticks on the couch. It is undesirable to wet such furniture, because it will dry out for a very long time and mold may start. The use of chemicals is also not recommended. Therefore, the optimal way to treat beds, sofas and armchairs is to use an aerosol and a spray with a natural composition. The solid body can be treated with a disinfectant solution. Before cleaning, you need to “walk” well with a dust beater on the surface of the sofa.

Special tools

To facilitate the fight against house ticks, special tools are released. They have acaricidal effects, destroying ticks, and reduce the level of allergic danger. For example, this:

1. Allergoff spray, containing permethrin and benzyl benzoate, chemical poisonous substances. They kill dust mites, while the effect persists for a long time - about six months. Such a spray has low toxicity, so it is considered safe for humans and animals.
2. Allergoff Laundry is available in powder form, packaged in bags. Contains benzyl benzoate, reiproxyphene and benzyl alcohol. Suitable for both hand and machine wash at temperatures from 10 ° C to 60 ° C. Linen protection lasts 3 months.
3. EASY AIR - You can find a concentrate, spray and additive. Suitable for cleaning rooms and handling personal items. Contains no pesticides.
4. Aerosol "Milbiol" with azadirachtin obtained from melia seed oil. The composition is natural, so the tool can also be used to treat a bed, mattress, pillow, etc. In addition, the aerosol has an attractive cost

The price of such funds is very diverse. For example, spray 3. EASY AIR costs about 1,500 rubles, while a similar in effect and also free of pesticides "Milbiol" is much cheaper.

To prevent the mites from reappearing in the house, you need to keep the rooms clean: wipe the dust in a timely manner and mop the floors. It also requires periodic general cleaning with furniture moving away, knocking out carpets and mattresses. If life in the same area with ticks has led to health problems, then a doctor’s examination is required, which will prescribe competent treatment.