Where do the bugs come from? Most likely causes

Bed bugs they have been parasitic on humans for thousands of years, and so far no way has been found to completely get rid of them. Insects significantly worsen the quality of life, their bites cause itching and skin irritation. Night attacks are especially difficult for children. Where do bed bugs come from in clean and prosperous apartments of megacities? They enter a room with contaminated furniture, move from neighbors or come with luggage.

What are the bugs in the apartment

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are small-winged insects of small size 4.5-6 mm. Their bodies are flattened, which allows them to penetrate tiny gaps. The color is red-brown. Insects eat only blood. They feed on humans, birds, rodents, bats. For bloodsucking, a three-segmented flexible proboscis is used. Parasites are active at night, spend most of the day in shelters.

Synanthropic insects are difficult to detect at the initial stage of distribution. During feeding, they inject anesthetics into the blood, so a person does not feel bites. Emerging wounds and redness are attributed to allergies or mosquitoes. It is difficult for people to believe that parasites are wound up in their apartment. More recently, they served as a sign of unsanitary conditions. For insects, cleanliness or dirt in the room does not matter, they are attracted to other factors. There are several reasons for the appearance of bugs:

• The main factor is the search for food. Insects are hungry, they are constantly in search of the only source of food - blood. The olfactory organs — antennae and sensitive hairs on the body — help them find a person. They need blood at every stage of life, without it, the female will not lay eggs, and the larva will not pass to the next age.
• Heat - domestic bugs are active at temperatures above 10-15 °. They populate heated rooms where a stable climate is maintained year round. Favorable for parasites temperature range - 25-30 °. Comfortable conditions allow them to multiply regularly and quickly reach the stage of puberty.

Information. Bed bugs often wind up in chicken coops. Insects parasitize on poultry, reducing its productivity.

The reasons for the appearance of bugs in the apartment do not depend on the place of residence and the cleaning schedule. These are synanthropic parasites that are unable to survive without humans. An increase in their numbers around the world provoked several factors:

1. General climate warming, allowing arthropods to migrate in open areas.
2. The emergence of resistance to insecticidal drugs, parasites survive after treatment with common chemicals. Their number was affected by a change in the methods of extermination of cockroaches. Initially, pests were poisoned by spraying the premises, then traps were massively used. In the first case, bugs died along with cockroaches, and poisoned traps against them are useless.
3. Massive relocation of residents of eastern and central Asian regions. With their things and furniture, parasites are brought into the countries. The increase in the volume of goods sold from Asian countries is also one of the reasons for the spread of insects.

In the United States, experts have recorded a 10-fold increase in the number of bed bugs. At an alarming rate, parasites breed in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Australia. Doctors from 47 countries of the world, including Russia, are concerned about the pace of increase in the number of bugs.

How the bugs get into the apartment

Insects primarily populate residential buildings, hotels, hostels. They select objects with a large crowd of people. In such conditions, and they always have food and shelter. Insects spread easily. They learned to disguise themselves perfectly, a person does not notice how he catches parasites in public transport, airplane, and away. Experts have identified the main ways of infection:

Furniture purchase

The main place where pests are concentrated is upholstered furniture. They live near a food source. Therefore, the risk of bringing them into a house with furniture is especially great. Buying used items has become a great alternative to expensive store options for many people. Bedbugs hide not only in beds and sofas, they are found in wardrobes, chests of drawers, frames of paintings, bookbindings and soft toys. You can protect yourself by the preventive treatment of the purchase. The method is selected depending on the size and material of the thing. Of can be treated with an insecticide. Ferry or put for several days in the freezer.

Attention. There have been cases of buying new sofas infected with bed bugs. Arthropods settle in them in warehouses or in small workshops for the assembly of furniture.

Appliances

In household appliances, insects are less common than in furniture, but are not completely excluded. They crawl into the system units of computers, kitchen appliances, televisions. Due to the sensitivity of the technique to dust and moisture, not all processing methods can be used.

Travel Luggage

A trip to distant lands can leave as a souvenir not only pleasant memories, but bloodsucking parasites. Previously, they were advised to beware of travelers to the Middle East. Today, information about mass infections of bed bugs of hotels in major cities in the US and Europe has been officially released. Small parasites creep into clothes, seams and folds of bags. They are dark and inactive, it is difficult to detect insects even when examined.

You can bring insects from a business trip to a neighboring city, travel to a boarding house, after living in a hostel.

Insects from former residents

The appearance of parasites in the apartment, which has been empty for a long time, is an unexpected surprise for new owners. The fact is that domestic bugs are capable in certain conditions of starving for about a year. They fall into a state of suspended animation and do not show themselves. Only when you feel the heat and smell of a person are activated. If the repair in the rooms was not carried out, then it is worth inspecting the wallpaper, there may be small dark spots on them.

On animal hair

Any warm-blooded animals are suitable for feeding bed bugs. But pets of cats and dogs are protected from them by a thick coat. The parasite that has got into it cannot reach the skin, but is able to cling tightly to the hairs and travel on the animal. Blood-sucking insects can enter a house with a parrot or another bird. Especially when buying a pet with a cage.

Information. For the spread of parasites in the room, the introduction of one fertilized female is sufficient. She lays 5-10 eggs daily, of which larvae appear in a week.

It is not always possible to accurately establish the option of introducing parasites into the house. It is important to quickly recognize their presence and begin to eliminate.

Signs of bed bugs

The main factor that causes concern first is the appearance on the body of wounds in the form of chains of blood points. These places blush and itch. This is an allergy to a parasite bite. Small stains of blood remain on the bedding if the larva or imago is crushed. In places of accumulation of insects, a characteristic unpleasant odor appears.When examining a sleeping place, sections are found that are dirty with black excrement and the remains of chitinous integuments after molting of the larvae.

How are bedbugs spread in an apartment building

Apartment buildings often become infected with various synanthropic insects. This is facilitated by the proximity of the premises, the presence of various communications and gaps. Can bedbugs pass from neighbors? This variant of infection is very common. A sharp increase in the number of parasites makes them expand their habitat. They populate the entire apartment, and then move to the next.

Another reason for resettlement is the departure of residents for a long time. If the house was empty for several months, then the parasites have to migrate in order to survive in search of food. They cannot make long transitions, therefore the nearest apartments are at risk. Arthropods enter the room in several ways:

• ventilation ducts;
• holes in the joints of plates, doors, walls;
• electrical wiring, sockets;
• sewer risers.

Bed bugs move slowly, but the ability to do without food for a long time allows you to overcome the required distance. The peak of infections occurs in the summer months, in warm weather, insects can leave the building and move along the external walls. They easily creep into the apartment through open balconies and windows.

One of the options is how bed bugs are transferred from apartment to apartment, visiting neighbors. It is enough to spend some time on the couch or chair infected with parasites. Hungry individuals feel the warmth of a person and even in the daytime creep out to a power source. Is it possible to bring bugs on clothes? Yes, they hide in folds and seams of clothes, as well as in furniture. Insects remain in it, waiting for a convenient moment. To move to a more reliable place. From things they turn to furniture, where they hide in crevices and seams.

A common situation is when in a multi-storey building pests crawl out of the premises subjected to disinfection. After treatment with an insecticide, not all insects die, some avoid poison. They hastily scatter from unpleasant odors and steam. Residents of neighboring apartments do not suspect that blood-sucking parasites have moved to them. SES employees advise to warn neighbors about the measures taken so that they can take measures to prevent infection of the premises. On the way of insects are placed products with a strong odor that can scare them away. Professional pest controllers perform barrier protection - spray insecticides in areas where pests can penetrate.

Information. Residents of the first floors risk getting bed bugs from the basement, and the last - from the attic. Insects move from utility rooms if they lose their food source. In the attics, they parasitize on swallows or bats. In the basement they can live on rodents.

Preventive measures

It is quite difficult to get rid of parasites on their own, but the prevention of their appearance is available to everyone. Experts recommend:

• Periodically carry out cosmetic repairs - carefully close up cracks in the floor, walls, window sills, door jambs. The procedure will block insect access to the room.
• Make it a rule to inspect carpets, curtains, bedding, furniture upholstery to identify traces of parasites (black excrement, blood stains).
• After returning from a trip, immediately wash things in hot water (from 60 °), without leaving them in the basket for storage. Hand bags over with steam or dry cleaning.
• To regularly clean the apartment, preferably with a vacuum cleaner. When washing floors, add products containing chlorine.
• Ventilate the rooms in the cold season, install small nets in the summer. It is also advisable to install ventilation protection.
• When purchasing used furniture, carefully inspect the seams and back walls. If suspicious stains are found, it is worth treating the furniture with a steam generator.

If the first signs of bed bugs are detected, their nest should be found and treated with insecticides. The destruction of parasites in a separate apartment is not always effective, experts recommend warning neighbors about the disinfection. Common efforts will eliminate the regular transfer of insects from apartment to apartment.