Double-tail harm and proven destruction methods

Dvuhvostka is another not the most pleasant guest, who settles in city apartments, country houses and in personal plots. This insect is not poisonous, but despite this it can still cause some harm to humans. How is it dangerous and how can you get rid of it?

Characteristic

A double-tail is an insect whose body length is from 2 to 3 cm. Representatives of some species can have quite impressive sizes - about 7 cm in length. Her abdomen is divided into segments, the last of which is equipped with churches. On the head are rather large antennae, the size of which can be equal to half of the whole body.

Cerci, or stings, depending on the species of the double-tail, can be very thin or thickened. But with a bite, they do not pose a particular danger, since this insect is not poisonous.

Breeding

Fertilization of the double-tail occurs outside the body. The male lays on the soil surface about 30 spermatophores per day, which are held by short stems of plants for 2 days. After that, the females collect them with their genital openings and after some time lay their eggs in soil cracks.

Soon, larvae emerge from the eggs, which in their appearance are very similar to adult two-tails. And the distinguishing features are: a small number of setae on the integument and the absence of genitals.

The two-tailed cubs are white, with almost transparent integuments. They have six legs and tendrils as long as in adults. They prefer to settle in moist moist places and at the same time lead a rather secretive lifestyle. In a person’s dwelling, they are usually found in bathrooms, in kitchens and corridors with poor ventilation, and in the conditions of the street they choose gardens, kitchen gardens and greenhouses.

Food

The most attractive for these insects in terms of food are flower petals. Getting out of their shelters at night, two-tailed fly from flower to flower, absorbing flower heads, after which they acquire a rather unattractive appearance. Some fruits can also serve as food sources for these parasites, but the two-tailed animals themselves are not able to bite their skin: they usually eat the fruits after wasps, ants, worms and birds.

What else do two-tails eat? Their diet is quite diverse and includes both living plants and rotting remains of animal and plant origin:

• dead greens;
• seaweed;
• fungi;
• small insects and their larvae.

On a note! A double-tail can also be beneficial, for example, it eats aphids!

It looks like a predator, but at the same time it is more likely a scavenger. In general, it can be called an omnivorous insect, because in addition to its small "brothers" and plants, it is also able to eat bee bread and honey, which it finds in bee hives.

Penetrating into apartments and houses, small two-tails will be content with indoor plants and organic residues, and in gardens, kitchen gardens and greenhouses - with cultivated plants.And since these pests settle mainly in groups, the fight against them should be started immediately, since their colony can increase significantly in a relatively short period of time.

Relationship with man

The main reasons for the appearance of two-tails in the apartment are increased humidity and dampness. Such conditions are most acceptable for their existence. In addition, a humid environment contributes to the appearance of other small insects, which, in turn, become food for two-tails. These parasites can also come to your home from neighboring utility rooms, sheds and outbuildings, which are usually always damp and lack adequate ventilation. And you should look for pests under the baseboards, in the cracks and in the lower drawers of cabinets and cabinets.

A small population of two-tails is not capable of causing much harm. As mentioned above, they can even be useful, as they eat small pests. However, if this insect was found on the site or in the house, then this is a pretty serious reason to think and start taking steps to eliminate them. If this is not done, then the colony will grow rapidly and become the cause of serious problems.

1. The two-tails, having settled in the garden, will begin to eat unripened seeds of cultivated plants, young shoots and still unblown buds.
2. In apartments, they raid ornamental plants, bakery products and are even able to spoil wet laundry.
3. Appearing in the house, two-tails pose a certain danger to human health. If they feel the threat is approaching, they can inflict a rather painful bite, in the place of which a wound will form and an itch will appear.
   

   Important! With sensitive skin, an allergic reaction is possible, which manifests itself in the form of the formation of large blisters filled with liquid!

4. In addition, the two-tailed birds feed on rotting residues, and therefore automatically become carriers of infectious diseases. Therefore, contact with them can lead to rather unpleasant consequences.

For these reasons, the fight against double-tails should be timely. And in order to prevent their spread in the living room and on the personal plot, it is advisable to use the following tips.

Garden protection

First of all, it is worth noting that an insect that will look like a two-tailed insect can be settled in the country house or in a personal plot - this is an earwig. It also has a forked tail, but only in the form of a large claw.

As for the fight against double-tails, it can become very difficult, since many insecticides do not act on them. However, with a small number, sparing means are quite able to help. Let's look at the most effective methods that will tell you how to get rid of a double-tail in the garden.

• Every autumn, be sure to dig the site.
• With a small number of insects, you can try to collect by hand, and then cultivate the earth with concentrated onion or garlic infusion.
• From two-tails, tools such as Karbofos and Fosbezid, which are bred and used according to the instructions, help quite well.

Similar events can be carried out if two-tails are found in the greenhouse. But at the same time, remember that it is much easier to carry out competent prevention than after fighting the parasite.

And in order to prevent the pest from entering the site, regularly clean it from the accumulation of broken branches, old foliage and rotten wood, since it is under them, as a rule, that two-tails live

Home protection

If the two-tailed wound up in the apartment, then any insecticides from crawling insects can be used to combat it. You will find all application details in the instructions. But before embarking on a chemical, it is advisable to try several folk remedies.

Gentle methods

Folk remedies for two-tails can be as follows:

• Homemade wet traps - since these insects love moisture and dampness, it’s quite possible to play on this. Take some old rags and newspapers, moisten them thoroughly with water and place them in different corners of the house. After about 4 hours, the insects should be trapped, after which you will need to douse them with boiling water and discard.
• Boric acid is the most popular remedy for double-tails. It should be used to make poisoned baits. For 1 yolk we take 50 g of powder, mix and sculpt small balls. We leave them for a while so that they dry out, and then lay them out in places where two-tails were noticed.
• Infusions of herbs - plants with an intense aroma are used here, for example, tansy, lavender, wormwood, yarrow. A bunch of dried grass is poured with boiling water and left for an hour, after which we add a tablespoon of washing powder or a small amount of liquid soap to the infusion.

Folk recipes bear fruit in about half the cases. And for greater efficiency, it is desirable to combine them with each other and do several treatments in a row.

Chemicals

These drugs become relevant with a large accumulation of parasites. But before you get rid of the two-tails with their help, you should carefully study the instructions and safety rules.

• Dichlorvos - an old proven tool that shows very good results in the fight against a wide variety of domestic pests. But it has a rather significant minus - an intense odor that erodes from the room for a long time. Therefore, it is advisable to use it only if it is possible to provide good ventilation after use. Dichlorvos is sprayed in the infected room and closed for 5 hours, after which it is well ventilated and wet-cleaned.
• If two-tails appeared in a private house, then the Antizhuk solution comes to the rescue. In this case, it is most suitable for the treatment of wooden surfaces. The solution is applied with a brush or sprayed through a spray.
• Hard dusts, for example, chalk "Mashenka". It perfectly repels not only two-tailed birds, but also other pests, such as cockroaches and ants. Plus, it is harmless to pets. Chalk plinths, places in the corners and near the cracks. As you erase the drawn line, the trace resumes.

Since it is much more difficult to remove a double-tail, than to prevent their appearance, it is better to resort to prevention nevertheless. Treat the external walls of a private house with insecticidal solutions and watch for the tightness of window frames, entrance door frames and window sills. Also, do not allow moisture to accumulate in the rooms of your house or apartment.