Description and methods for the destruction of earthen fleas
Every person knows about the existence of fleas, but not everyone knows about the diversity of their species. It is believed that animals are the main reason for the appearance of fleas in an apartment, but this is far from the case. There are so-called earthen fleas, which can be brought into the home after visiting the basement, any open street area. What do earthen fleas look like, what to be afraid of, how to get rid of them in the house, the struggle with folk remedies - the questions that we will consider in this article.
Description of earthen fleas
These parasites got their name because a comfortable habitat for them is the earth or sand, basements, premises with unsanitary conditions. The earthen flea is a wingless insect with a round body flattened on both sides, has several pairs of legs, and is covered with a durable shiny shell that protects it from mechanical damage.
Life expectancy is up to 1.5 years, and during these 1.5 years, one displays 500 of its own kind. It is extremely difficult to catch a flea, it instantly jumps from place to place, and so that it is impossible to trace the direction of movement.
The earthen flea feeds only on the blood of warm-blooded individuals, including humans. The existence of these parasites in a house or apartment is evidenced by bite marks on the human body - red spots, severe scratching or allergies.
IMPORTANT! The earthen flea is a carrier of dangerous diseases, carries the pathogens of the plague, and is the cause of pulicosis.
In private houses and apartments, earthen fleas appear mainly in the summer-autumn period, fleeing in a person's dwelling from the heat and in search of food.
How to get rid of earthen fleas in your home
The main danger of earthen fleas for humans is the infections they carry, some of them are carriers of more than two hundred viruses that provoke fatal diseases, very often allergic reactions occur from flea bites.
Most people may not even guess about the existence of fleas in their dwellings, because in the process of their appearance these parasites go through several stages of development: eggs ripen in the womb of the female, then larvae appear, within up to 21 days the larva turns into a pupa, and after 7 - 200 days, the pupa becomes an adult.
If the presence of earthen fleas is detected in a house or apartment, an immediate fight against them should be started.
Note! A favorable environment for the life and reproduction of parasites is unsanitary conditions, humidity and heat. Unfavorable - cleanliness and dryness.
When asked how to get rid of earthen fleas in the house, entomologists recommend starting with hygiene. It is necessary to prepare housing for the procedure for the destruction of parasites, this will allow them to be removed faster and more efficiently:
- carry out general cleaning;
- wash bedspreads, soft toys at a temperature of 50 degrees or more;
- thoroughly vacuum up upholstered furniture and carpets, 80% of the larvae of earthen fleas in the house develop in carpets, and the pupa stage also passes there;
- treat all furniture with antibacterial agents;
- special attention should be paid to cleaning the bathroom, if any, because dampness is a comfortable habitat for fleas.
After the preparatory procedures, you can start treating the housing with special means against earthen fleas; without preparation, the effectiveness of measures to destroy parasites will be very low.
Traditional means and methods
To destroy fleas in the house, insecticidal preparations are used, they do not have a pungent odor, they differ in the active substance, they can be purchased at hardware stores:
- Biorin;
- Sinusan;
- Empire;
- Sprays Raptor, Combat.
Chemicals are more effective against parasites than other drugs. Many pests quickly adapt to poisons, therefore, in case of repeated detection of fleas, it is recommended to change the product.
IMPORTANT! You need to process not only housing, but also pets. Animals are treated only with veterinary drugs.
After the destruction of fleas, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning in the house.
Folk remedies and methods
There are folk remedies that allow you to quickly get rid of earthen fleas in a private house, they can be combined with chemicals:
- spread branches of wormwood or tansy throughout the apartment or house, also fleas do not tolerate the smell of needles;
- mix essential oils of wormwood, tansy, sage 1 tbsp. spoon per liter of water and spray over the home;
- carry out wet cleaning of housing using tar soap;
- sprinkle boric acid powder on carpets and under furniture.
What to do if earthen fleas bite
After the bite of an earthen flea, very unpleasant sensations remain, delivering pain and unbearable itching, since due to the lack of a trunk, for example, like a mosquito, when bitten, it penetrates the skin layer to get to a blood vessel. The site of the bite is usually swollen, as after a burn. The main danger of bites from earthen fleas is that these parasites are carriers of infections, bacteria and viruses, because they bite not only healthy animals, but also sick ones, and can also feed on corpses.
And yet, the reaction of each organism to the bites of earthen fleas is individual. What if the fleas had time to bite? First, it is necessary to wash the wound with soap, disinfect the bite site with antiseptics. Then, to relieve swelling and itching and to prevent allergic reactions, you can use antihistamines (zodak, suprastin), and dexpanthenol, fenistil, sinaflan creams and ointments also cope well with bites. Bites on the child's body require special attention, you need to monitor the condition and well-being of children.
Important! If, after being bitten by earthen fleas, the temperature rises, a headache or other symptoms of poor health appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Prevention of the appearance of earthen fleas
Once faced with such a problem as how to remove earthen fleas in the house, the question arises: is it possible to somehow minimize the likelihood of their reappearance or prevent it altogether? So, in order to prevent the appearance of earthen fleas in the house, it is strongly recommended to adhere to the following recommendations: regularly treat animal hair with veterinary drugs for fleas. Make sure there are no rodents in the house. Timely clean the house, be sure to wash and vacuum the cracks and baseboards. Wet cleaning is recommended using essential oils (tansy, sage).
If you wish, by spending a little time, you can prevent the appearance of parasites in your home. In any case, when carrying out the processing of the territory on your own, it is best to use proven means, the effectiveness of which has been proven.
Reviews of the most effective ways
In the fight against earthen fleas, it is difficult to single out any one best remedy, all means are good, but for a number of reasons it is not always possible to use chemicals. In such cases, there are very effective ways to remove parasites using proven folk methods.
In any case, the fight against fleas should begin with a general cleaning of the premises. When wet cleaning, it is necessary to add ammonia (1 teaspoon of ammonia per liter of water) to the water, or essential oils of eucalyptus, sage, cedar, tansy (5-10 drops of oil per bucket of water), or tincture of wormwood. After that, you can spread the branches of wormwood or conifers in the corners of the house and under the furniture. It is important to repeat these procedures weekly.
According to numerous reviews, this method is very effective and safe both for people, especially for families with small children, and for animals.
If repair work is planned in the house or apartment, you should carefully cover up and seal up all the cracks and holes through which earthen fleas can enter the room. It is necessary to dispose of garbage in a timely manner and avoid littering and dusting the premises. Cleanliness and dryness is a sure sign that an unpleasant neighborhood with parasites such as earthen fleas is not threatening.
VIDEO: How to get rid of earthen fleas in an apartment.
