Can fleas fly? Fleas in humans: what you need to know. Apartment processing rules
Where do fleas come from in an apartment and how to get rid of them are quite complex, but completely solvable questions. The appearance of fleas causes a lot of trouble and difficulties. Their bites take a long time to heal, accompanied by severe itching, pain, and an allergic reaction.
Complications occur quite often. Fleas are carriers of many infections, and in addition, they themselves cause some diseases. Often the consequences are extremely severe.
One individual is enough to infect an entire apartment. Fleas lay eggs very quickly and in large numbers, from which larvae emerge, and then adult insects. At first they are invisible, but at the moment of detection we get the effect of surprise. To understand how to remove fleas from an apartment, you need to find out where they came from.
They get into the apartment very simply:
How to get rid of fleas yourself?
So, if you still have fleas in your apartment, don’t panic, you can easily cope with unwanted guests on your own. It is necessary to immediately begin the fight against blood-sucking insects. We urgently treat pets, then move on to a thorough wet general cleaning of apartments.
How to treat your apartment and pets:
- Pets need to be treated with special shampoos and flea drops, and wear a flea-repellent collar. All this can be bought at any pet store or veterinary pharmacy. Bedding and rugs must first be filled with boiling water and washed well. Throw away old animal toys; there may be larvae in them.
- Vacuum the entire apartment, paying special attention to corners, baseboards, pipes, radiators, and cabinets. After cleaning, shake out the bag from the vacuum cleaner and fill it with boiling water. The apartment must be cleared of dust and cobwebs. Hang carpets, rugs, pillows, blankets outside, if possible, for a day, beat them thoroughly and dry them. It's best to wash it. Don’t forget about curtains and drapes, they also need to be refreshed and ironed.
- It is advisable to wash bed linen, blankets and bedspreads using the boiling setting.
- Raise all boxes and toys one meter above the floor.
- All furniture in the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned, especially folds, crevices, and joints.
- Wash and dry indoor shoes.
- Don't forget to wash front door, vestibule, staircase.
After cleaning, start processing the apartment. Flea products, many of which are odorless, can be purchased at any specialty store. Don't forget that they are all different in content. chemical substances, so they cannot be mixed with each other. Taking precautions is very important in this situation. Read the instructions for use carefully.
Chemicals for fleas in the apartment:
- Spray "Raid".
- Spray "Raptor".
- Trademark “Clean House.
- "Combat".
- "Dichlorvos", etc.
Aerosols, sprays, pencils, suspensions, powders will help you quickly get rid of fleas. You need to treat baseboards, corners, cabinets, bedside tables, ventilation, radiators, pipes and all hard-to-reach places. The duration of action of each drug is different, ranging from one day to three.
After processing special means You must leave the apartment, closing all doors and windows. Don't forget to remove pets and cover aquariums. When you return home, be sure to ventilate your apartment. After three days, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning. After two weeks, you need to re-inspect the apartment to detect new individuals.
Folk remedies to fight fleas
Also, in the fight against fleas, many housewives use folk remedies. The strongest and most effective is wormwood. The branches of this plant are torn off; the roots are not needed. They are laid out in all corners of the apartment, under beds, sofas, under carpets and runners, cabinets, bedside tables, under sinks, washbasins. In a week you need to clean up and renew the wormwood branches. The downside to this method is the specific smell of the plant in the apartment.
Infusions of wormwood and tansy, which can be bought in pharmacies, work effectively. The infusion is easy to prepare at home: take plant leaves in equal proportions, pour boiling water over them, close the container tightly with a lid, and place in a dark place to cool. In a day you can treat the entire apartment. You can bathe cats and dogs in this infusion. Cold, frosty air is also very effective at removing fleas from the apartment.
Freezing is also one of the ways to fight fleas in an apartment. Long-term ventilation low temperatures leads to the death of insects. And taking carpets, pillows, blankets, blankets, and bedspreads out into the cold will lead to the death of their larvae.
Help from professionals in the fight against fleas
If you have used all the methods to kill fleas, but the insects are still there, I advise you to contact specialized organizations in your city: the sanitary and epidemiological station or specialized commercial organizations.
These services have special preparations: insecticides, tools and equipment for high-quality control of fleas in your apartment. Before such processing, you need to remove all open food, things, toys, and dishes. Professionals will instruct you on how to prepare the area before exterminating fleas. The apartment is treated using “hot fog”, which penetrates into all hard-to-reach places in the room. Specialists must correctly calculate the dosage of drugs so as not to harm the residents of the apartment.
How to prevent fleas in your apartment
To prevent fleas from appearing in your apartment, you need to regularly check general cleaning premises, especially in hard to reach places. Don't forget about ventilation ducts and garbage chutes. Ventilate rooms more often. It is very important to monitor the condition of pets, bathe them and treat them with special products.
Although from a distance they appear black in appearance, real color adult fleas are dark brown. In addition, young fleas that have just emerged from their cocoons look darker, almost black, until they drink blood.
The dark coloration of hungry fleas is due to overlapping abdominal segments. As the abdomen fills with blood, it doubles in volume. The segments are distributed in such a way as not to impede this growth. As a result, after feeding, the flea's body looks lighter, since the segments no longer overlap each other.
The jumping height of these insects is 50-100 times greater than their own size, so fleas can easily jump on animals. And thanks to the hairs and bristles that cover their body, black fleas are firmly held in the fur and feathers and move deftly.
When cats and dogs become infected with fleas, black dots accumulate on their fur. These reddish-black specks are nothing more than insect feces, which represent undigested or partially digested blood of the host. These dried marks look like ground black pepper. But when moistened, the dry blood is restored and turns the water crimson-red.
How black fleas appear in the house
Adult fleas live on domestic and wild warm-blooded animals - mammals and birds, and lay eggs there. Animals in the process of life scatter flea eggs everywhere they move and rest. The emerging larvae live and feed in the environment until they develop into mature fleas.
How to get rid of black fleas in a house or apartment
We start with cleaning the apartment
Accumulations of dust and dirt on the floor represent comfortable environment for the development of flea larvae. The larvae feed on the feces of adult insects and other organic debris that accumulate in carpets and house dust. Caked contaminated upper layer carpet pile protects eggs and larvae from harmful sunlight and supports favorable microclimate for the development of black fleas inside the carpet.
Vacuuming will remove some of the flea eggs from the carpet, disturb the pupae and force them to emerge from their protective cocoons. It will also collect dirt from the surface and raise the pile, which will allow the insecticide to penetrate deep into the carpet.
We wash pet supplies, rugs and bedspreads
If you have a steam cleaner, treat the seats, backrests and armrests with hot steam upholstered furniture, cracks and cracks, soft toys, as well as floor carpets. It would be a good idea to wash the bed linen before treating the room, especially if black fleas climb onto the bed and bite at night.
Reducing relative humidity
These insects love dampness, but this is what small black ones are afraid of earth fleas, so this is a dry microclimate and sunlight. We lower relative humidity in the house with the help household dehumidifier air to below 50%, and after a couple of days all stages of flea growth will begin to gradually die.
To dry the eggs and larvae infesting the carpet, use ordinary finely ground salt or baking soda. It is enough to rub it into the carpet pile with a brush or broom, leave it for 3-5 days, and then vacuum it up. Another folk remedy for combating immature stages of fleas is a mixture of powder boric acid with pyrethrum, a dry herbal insecticide. This mixture is also used to treat carpets and sprinkle the floor under furniture and along baseboards.
Vacuuming carpets
Also, the vacuum cleaner, by creating vibrations in the carpet and generating heat, imitates the presence of the victim and deceives the hidden ripe pupae to crawl out of their cocoons. Vacuuming regularly after insecticidal treatment, when carpets are dry, will have a positive effect on how quickly reappearing black fleas die from the poison. The elimination process is accelerated.
We carry out chemical treatment
Chalk "Mashenka" and similar remedies for black fleas are also ineffective, because adult insects move mainly by jumping, and the larvae hide in carpets. Both of them are unlikely to come into contact with the drawn lines, unless you cover the floor with a layer of toxic chalk. In addition, adult fleas live in animal fur, and not on the floor.
Aqueous emulsion concentrates and suspensions based on pyrethroids, organophosphates or neonicatinoids retain an insecticidal effect on the surface for 4-6 weeks. If precautions are taken, these products are quite safe for people and animals. “Dobrokhim FOS”, “Confidant”, “Taran” and other insecticides for professional and household use after one treatment will destroy 4-5 generations of domestic black fleas.
After treatment with contact preparations, it is important to refrain from wet cleaning of the floor for at least 10-14 days. Therefore, I wash the apartment before pest control, and then make do with a vacuum cleaner and a broom.
We process animals
As mentioned above, adult fleas live on the body of animals, and if they are not treated, all the work will go down the drain. We must treat cats, dogs and other furry pets on the same day that we disinfect the premises.
Caution is required when choosing veterinary flea medications, as products for dogs, for example, can be dangerous for cats. In order not to risk the health of your beloved animals, we first consult with a veterinarian. Before using any product - collar, drops, tablets or shampoo - carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
The situation when fleas appear in an apartment where there are no pets may seem especially incomprehensible to an unprepared person. It is generally accepted, however, that these insects huddle in the fur of cats and dogs and it is with these pets that they can enter the home.
Where do fleas come from in a house if there has never been a cat or dog in the room?
On a note
In fact, many common beliefs about fleas are erroneous and very superficial. For example, many people believe that fleas live only in dirty apartments and travel only on cats and dogs. Moreover, many people do not know that fleas hatch from eggs, and worm-like flea larvae can literally hide in the hundreds in dusty corners of the house, remaining unnoticed.
Where, in general, do fleas come from in populated areas?
Somewhere there are fewer fleas, somewhere there are more. In some places they can live permanently, but in others they end up accidentally and for a short time, jumping off the fur of a passing mongrel. It often happens that in one place or another fleas appear in the warm season, and by winter they freeze out. And in other areas of heating networks, generations of fleas replace each other over the years - one can say that the pipe insulation here is literally plowed through with them.
Now remember how many street cats and dogs live in your yard? How many cats are hiding in the basement? apartment building where do you live?
On a note
Like all insects, fleas are very sensitive to air temperature. In winter, they can live only in the fur of their owners, in shelters constantly visited by animals or in warm rooms (including non-residential ones - in heating mains, basements and boiler rooms, for example). Therefore, most often they appear in an apartment in the summer and autumn, when they reproduce in large quantities.
Considering that rats, mice, cats and dogs can be found in basements, doorways, attics, parks or front gardens, warehouses, shops and residential premises, it becomes quite clear where fleas come from in the house . Do your neighbors have a cat? This means that fleas can live behind the wall. And if your neighbors have a dog that is regularly let outside, then it can bring fleas to your door at any time.
One of the important ways fleas spread is their ability to independently move from already developed territories to new ones.
Thanks to this, fleas can often appear in apartments where animals are not kept at all.
- For example, fleas may appear in an apartment:
- From neighboring apartments, moving between balconies and loggias, less often through ventilation. Very relevant for those who have grandmothers who are cat owners or just neighbors who keep a dog and do not particularly care about its hygiene; From basements (relevant for both apartment buildings
- , and for private ones);
- From the attics; From adjacent non-residential premises
- - shops, warehouses, boiler houses;
On a note
Fleas are not “travelling insects” capable of covering long distances on their own. They can migrate from one room to another if their owner (a rat or cat) died somewhere nearby, in the same basement, and when they are forced to spread out to find new sources of food.
Pets as a possible source of indoor flea infestation
Moreover, you don’t have to have a cat or dog for fleas to appear in your apartment - you can become their victim thanks to the pets living with your neighbors.
When an apartment is infested with fleas from rats and mice
Rodents cause fleas to appear in an apartment in two cases:
- Rats or mice with one degree or another regularly enter the home itself, and fleas either jump off here or scatter their eggs;
- Either rats and mice live and make nests close to an apartment or house - in the basement, in the front garden, in the attic, or even behind the wall of a private house. Here, the fleas themselves can jump into the apartment, and their larvae, swarming in the cracks of the walls and floors, can crawl inside. And if there is a nest near the apartment in which the animal dies (for example, after using rat poison), then fleas from the rodent’s corpse will almost certainly climb into the room in search of food.
This is the way fleas appear in private homes most often. Here rodents live in the garden, can make passages and nests in the insulation of the walls, and in this case the fleas are separated from the living space by only a few tens of centimeters of the wall. And the moment when at least one rodent entered the basement of a private house can be considered the starting point for the infection of the entire home.
A man and his clothes
Appear on clothes and open areas fleas can appear on the human body, for example, in the following situations:
- After a person visits a basement or cellar, after descending into a well or heating main;
- After a hunt, when the hunter can spend a long time near a fox or badger hole;
- After walking near an infected dog or cat.
This is interesting
Some plumbers, going out in the summer or early autumn from the basements of apartment buildings are literally strewn with hungry fleas.
Flea larvae are small, legless, worm-like creatures that typically scurry around in dirt and dust, feeding on various organic debris. They can be found almost anywhere - in carpets, in flower pots, in a tray with sand for a cat or in trash cans, behind baseboards, in old things, that is, anywhere where dust and dirt can accumulate.
“Some small worms, or not worms, appeared in our house - who knows what they are. Small, only 2-3 mm in length, black. Sometimes you pick up something from the floor, and there are these worms crawling around. It is unclear where they came from in the house. Tell me how to get rid of them and why they appeared in the house?..”
Oksana, St. Petersburg
How to determine the source of infection specifically in your situation?
How to understand where fleas come from specifically in your apartment?
Sometimes there are situations when finding out exactly where fleas came from in an apartment can be problematic.
For effective fight with fleas you need:
- Block the paths for their possible re-entry into the premises;
- Destroy those fleas that are already present in the room;
- Destroy their larvae.
It is important to act in the specified sequence.
How to eliminate the cause of fleas in an apartment?
When choosing flea medications, it is advisable to consider the following points:
- Preparations for removing fleas from pets and for baiting fleas in an apartment differ significantly from each other. Do not treat animals with products intended for disinfection of premises;
- When treating an apartment (house), it is advisable to choose preparations that do not create unpleasant odor and having a prolonged effect, effective against both adults and larvae (for example, Get, Xulat Micro, Lambda Zone and some others);
- For more effective destruction flea larvae, especially on large areas(basements, attics), it is advisable to combine spraying an insecticide solution and subsequent treatment of the floor with insecticidal powders - the so-called dusts (for example, Ecokiller, dust Clean house, Phenaxin, etc.).
Useful video: nuances of killing fleas in an apartment
The flea is a blood-sucking insect and belongs to the order of arthropods. The length of its body is only 1-5 mm, but there are some rare species that reach 1 cm. Fleas do not have wings, but have strong and long limbs, thanks to which they move. Some individuals can make long jumps to considerable heights.
If environment contributes, the flea lives on average from several months to 2-3 years, and can for a long time go without food. The color of the insect varies from yellow to black, depending on its species and habitat.
The main reasons for the appearance of fleas in apartments:
- migration of insects from neighbors;
- from public corridors and entrances;
- from pets;
- dust (for example, after repair);
- living in lower floors or basements;
- unsanitary conditions and lack of hygiene;
- from people's clothes and shoes;
- from rodents (rat fleas).
How to remove fleas
Not only is living next to fleas unpleasant, it can also be dangerous. Arthropods feed on the blood of humans and animals, and their bite causes pain, irritation, itching and redness of the skin. In addition, they can be carriers of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, typhoid, plague, malaria and other infections.
Penetrating into a home, they settle in their favorite places:
- in carpets, bedspreads, linen boxes, upholstered furniture;
- in bed;
- in places where pets rest;
- under baseboards, window sills and wallpaper;
- in other secluded places, grooves and crevices.
Fleas multiply quickly, so if their presence is detected in the house, you must immediately take measures to eliminate them. Different kinds This gnat is removed using different methods.
Cat and dog fleas
If your pet suddenly begins to itch and behave restlessly, then most likely there are fleas in its fur. They can be easily detected by examining the areas behind the ears and belly of the animal. It is there that they most often lay their larvae, and if, for example, you lower a dog into water, the fleas will begin to actively jump on the pet’s head.
There are several ways to get rid of insects from cats and dogs:
- special detergents and shampoos for animals;
- drops on wool;
- collars (usually as a preventive measure);
- sprays and aerosols.
The greatest effect can be observed from sprays and aerosols. When using them, one must take into account the fact that animals often lick their fur, and the products contain toxic substances that can cause poisoning. Therefore, before choosing a method for eliminating fleas from an animal’s fur, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian.
Bed and linen fleas
Most often, fleas do not live permanently in laundry. They are forced to move around in search of food, but can lay eggs in their underwear. It's unpleasant when fleas infest your bed. It is in this place that they are most comfortable, since in a dream a person often does not feel bites and bloodsuckers can calmly feed and reproduce.
If, after sleep, red itchy bites appear on the body, mainly on the legs, and small black spots or dots on the bed linen, then this indicates the appearance of fleas.
Then the following measures must be taken immediately:
- wash linen drawers and cabinets with laundry soap or vinegar;
- vacuum upholstered furniture;
- wash all laundry in hot water;
- iron things thoroughly;
- Take blankets, pillows, mattresses out into the cold for a while or warm them well in the sun.
Grass and earth fleas
Grass and earth fleas bite painfully and bother people and animals. But they are easier to remove than other insect species. It is enough to eliminate the factors contributing to their reproduction and carry out disinfection.
Professional pest control
Calling a special service is expensive, but the results of disinfestation will last a long time. First, a specialist will inspect the area to assess the situation. After deciding on the treatment method, a time is set for which the room needs to be prepared.
Professional pest control is carried out using three methods:
- hot fog;
- cold fog;
- fine spraying.
The operating principle of cold and hot fog treatment is identical. The surfaces are irrigated with a working solution using a generator. When spraying fine particles liquids scatter like fog, and the death of insects and their larvae occurs almost instantly.
The difference between the cold and hot processing methods lies in the temperature of the composition. Hot mist irrigation is considered the most effective, but its use can negatively affect furniture, wallpaper and interior items.
The small-drop processing method is the most cost-effective. Disinfectant liquid is sprayed using a mechanical or electric sprayer.
Flea sprays
If there is a possibility of being in any other place, then it is advisable not to wash the floor for 2-3 days so that all the larvae die and fleas do not reappear.
New generation chemicals are safe for people and animals and have virtually no odor. The most effective substances in the fight against midges are permethrin, pyrethrum, fipronil, which are part of well-known flea solutions such as “Tsifoks”, “Tetrix”, “Get”, “Zone”, “Executioner”. The drug “Cucaracha” is popular, but it has a strong smell; it must be handled carefully, observing all safety measures.
Folk remedies for flea removal
Important! All these methods will be useless if you do not regular cleaning and not keeping your home clean.
After cleaning, it is better to throw away the dust bag from the vacuum cleaner, as it may contain flea larvae and eggs.
Eliminating fleas in the basement
In the basements and basements of private houses, you can try to get rid of fleas yourself using the same methods as in living rooms. To destroy arthropods in the basements of apartment buildings, it is better to seek the help of specialists.
Often, for these purposes, professional services use dust powders, which are sprayed with special equipment. This is guaranteed to get rid of bloodsuckers for a long time.
After treatment, it is necessary to ventilate the apartment for 1-2 hours. Wash with soapy water door handles, countertops, window sills, tables. It is not advisable to wash floors and walls within 10 days after professional disinfestation.
If flea bites cannot be avoided, you should wipe the area of redness with a solution of soda and water to relieve irritation. You can lubricate the bite site with brilliant green or a special cream.
There are about 2000 species of fleas in the world. Each species is adapted to its host, that is, the owner, whose blood they will feed on and reproduce on his own body.
More often in St. Petersburg meet the following types fleas:
- human;
- feline;
- rat;
- canine
But that doesn't mean that cat flea will not bite a person, but on the contrary, will drink human blood with pleasure.
Where do fleas come from in an apartment and how to get rid of them?
The main ways fleas spread:
- Contacts of pets on the street with homeless animals. Contact with other pets that are already infested with fleas. Most fleas living in large cities do not care who the food source is - a cat or a dog, so they are easily transmitted from dogs to cats and vice versa.
- Yard lawns in summer. IN warm time years, fleas actively reproduce and lay eggs, which often fall into the grass along with fur or upon contact with grass or shrubs, where they are picked up by non-infected animals - on their paws or fur and brought home.
- Basements of houses. Warm and damp basements, where rats, mice, stray cats, homeless people live, and take off and basement fleas. If you do not pay due attention to cleanliness in the house, then fleas will successfully spread into the entrance hall, and then on their own, in the fur of animals, on people’s clothes, they will get into apartments.
When harsh times come - a drop in temperature or lack of food, they are able to hibernate for several months. When conditions return to normal, the fleas become active and begin to greedily drink blood from their prey.
Where do fleas hide in the apartment?
Many people mistakenly believe that fleas settle on their prey, for example, on a cat or dog; this is not true. Fleas do not lead a gregarious lifestyle and do not form nests, but they, like free hunters, attack the prey to quench their thirst for blood, after which they hide in secluded places.
If there are cats or dogs in the apartment, then right in their thick fur after the next feeding they lay their eggs. Sticky flea eggs first stick securely to the fur, but then the mucus dries and the eggs fall onto the floor in the apartment, and you can’t predict where this will happen.
The main places to look for fleas in an infested apartment:
- the floor and all adjacent surfaces at a height of up to one and a half meters;
- behind baseboards, in cracks and crevices, behind wallpaper coming off from below;
- bedding, carpets and other favorite resting places for pets;
- in cases when there are a lot of fleas in the apartment- beds, sofas and bedding.
Unsanitary conditions and uncleanliness of the apartment's inhabitants only aggravate the problem and give fleas every chance of successful survival and reproduction indoors and invading new territories - neighbors.
Signs of fleas in an apartment
To be sure determine the presence of fleas in the apartment and not to confuse them, for example, with bed bugs, you should check the apartment for the most obvious signs.
- Scabies and unusual behavior pet- anxiety, irritability of a cat or dog.
- Inflammations appeared on the skin, similar to allergies or insect bites, especially if it was on the legs.
- Noticed small black dots on the floor or furniture that move in sharp jumps.
If at least one of the above signs is clearly expressed, then the next step will be to determine the extent of the infestation of the apartment. A thorough examination of the animal and its bedding and combing the fur on a white sheet will help with this. White sheets of paper on the floor.
If a large population of fleas is detected in an apartment, a simple wet cleaning using dichlorvos is no longer possible, but will have to organize full-fledged flea baiting.
How dangerous are fleas to humans?
The appearance of fleas in an apartment ultimately leads to unpleasant consequences, and unpleasant bites are only a small part of how things can turn out.
The enzyme contained in the saliva of a flea not only causes swelling at the site of the bite, but also causes unpleasant itching and can take a long and painful time to heal. In this case, an infection can get into the wound. Moreover, complications in the form of severe allergic reactions are possible.
Poor health of the pet with possible complications, including infestation with worms. Constant itching from bites makes animals nervous. The pain is excruciating. Various possible skin disease, treatments for which will also cause suffering to animals.
Destruction of fleas in an apartment in St. Petersburg
If one or two individuals are found in an apartment where there are no pets, it is quite possible to get by folk ways getting rid of fleas. Fleas do not tolerate strong odors; the leaves of wormwood or Persian tansy are most often used; pine sawdust or shavings are suitable, a mixture table salt with soda or ordinary turpentine. The main thing is to endure these odors steadfastly and patiently or leave the apartment for a couple of days.
However, folk remedies will no longer help against a large colony of fleas in an apartment or house; professional flea disinsection using modern preparations will be required.
Disinfection against fleas gives instant result. Due to the small size of insects, as well as their activity at any time of the day, the action of the drug leads to the rapid destruction of all individuals in the fog-treated room.
