I try treating different areas of the apartment, but the bites keep reappearing on the body. I need a different tactic, because mine is not working. And I want to ask for advice on the use of improvised means. After repairs, my budget is full of holes, I can not afford to call exterminators. I suspect that the ill-fated sofa played the role of a Trojan horse. I won't be considering any more second-hand items. In the meantime, explain to me how to deal with bed bugs in the couch, what to do at home, with folk remedies of what type can weed them out. Thank you.
The author of the portal answers the question:
In my material below, you will learn about all the reasons why bed bugs can appear in the couch and what to do in this case.
Couch bug: close-up photos of adults and their larvae
It is advisable to control the insects, provided that their species has been accurately identified. Bed bugs are characterized by a number of characteristics:
- brown coloration of oval segmented oval-shaped body;
- length parasites that have reached the last stage of development is 6-8 mm, sometimes less (4-5 mm), but not more than the specified upper limit;
- 1 pair of tendrils;
- the outer covers are moderately transparent, causing the coloration of the outer covers to vary from brown to burgundy-black with brown undertones;
- 6 limbs;
- wings are missing.
You can tell if a bedbug larva has bitten by the main feature - this insect is much smaller than an adult parasite (body length - 1 mm after emergence from the egg).
The coloring of the outer covers is almost white (milky), but gradually becomes darker. If you wonder what a couch bug looks like at the initial stage of development, you should look at the adult. The rest of the signs (except coloration and size) are unchanged.
What causes bed bugs in the couch
The insects are attracted to the food source. To prevent reinfestation, you need to understand what causes bed bugs to infest your couch.
Such insects seek their host (man) because they depend on him.
They need a regular supply of blood in order to develop and reproduce. But bed bugs only bite people at night. This allows them to appear as well as to disappear without being detected, because in this case the risk of death is much higher because the body enlarges after receiving a portion of blood.
If you need to know how the bedbugs in the couch, it is important to remember that they crawl slowly. To save the resources of the body, to ensure their own safety, the parasites settle inside the couch, where the host sleeps at night. At the same time, the insects move around the dwelling, if the person suddenly decides to move to another place to sleep.
Where do bed bugs in the couch come from
If there are signs of infestation in the apartment or bites The parasites, inspect the object in order to find the path of entry of the insects. You need to understand where bed bugs are coming from in the couch to eliminate all probable causes:
- escape from the neighbors through the ventilation shaft;
- accidental ingress into neighboring areas along with belongings, equipment, and furniture;
- moving inside a suitcase, which is possible during travel when insects end up among the clothes;
- seldom small individuals or their eggs are brought by animals, as the pets constantly show interest in unexplored places.
How to prevent proliferation. Quick responses
At home, you can handle it yourself to stop the infestation of the apartment/house. Recommendations:
- We need to find the nests pestsThen they are destroyed, which will kill most of the parasites, reduce the rate of new individuals (the next generation);
- create conditions in which the insects will be uncomfortable (use strong smelling agents, substances), this can make them leave their hiding places, then it will become clear where the insects live;
- close the ways of penetration into the territory of the dwelling for other vermin: ventilation, deformed areas of supporting structures;
- immediately choose a way to remove bed bugs from the sofa on their own, as well as to carry out disinfestation of the entire room.
How to detect bed bugs in a sofa. What to look out for
It is recommended to look for insects after studying the peculiarities of their life activity. For example, parasites prefer rough, not perfectly smooth surfaces, so they are found less often on leather sofas. They will hide in the base of the wooden structure, sometimes - on the folds inside the product.
If it forms socket bed bugs in the couch, signs of this phenomenon appear. Some of them make the infestation of the apartment obvious immediately, others appear weakly, which does not allow you to notice the problem in time. If you are wondering how to find out if there are bed bugs in the couch, it is enough to stay here overnight.
The first signs of couch bed bugs
When an infestation occurs in an apartment or home, very quickly there are marks on the skin - red spots that itch.
If they are not detected during the day, we can assume that it is the bed parasites.
They are representatives of the only species of pests that prefer to rest during the day and be active at night, biting humans at the same time.
What to look for when inspecting a sofa
The intensity of the signs of infestation changes. When bed bugs appear in the couch, pay attention to the changes:
- a specific smell in the room - where the owner sleeps, it is associated with the aroma of old cognac;
- dark dots, spots - they can be seen on woven materials, wood, but metal often remains clean, this is how the excrement of bed bugs look, they remain in the habitat, because here the parasites feel comfortable, bring their offspring;
- drops of blood on the bedclothes;
- The shells are brown in color and are lost by larvae/nymphs during the molting process.
How to find nests
It is necessary to inspect the dwelling. External signs of bed bugs are most often found on the interior surfaces of the frame and base.
If there are gaps, looseness, it is in these areas that the parasites will be found.
All such constructions should be inspected. It happens that the nest is just beginning to form, in which case there will be few parasites, but then you will find egg shells without embryos inside, as well as a small amount of excrement.
An older nest looks different: there is no room for new parasites because of the increased number of bed bugs, large dark spots are formed - excrement is accumulated. It is easier to find, because there is always contamination (dark spots or other) nearby.
Sofa bed bug bites. Close-up photos of bites
You can treat the apartment as soon as the existence of parasites. Characteristic signs of pests on the host body:
- redness of the place where the puncture was made, and its size can be different, which depends on the sensitivity of the human body;
- the intensity of itching increases in the area where the bite was made - this is a sign of allergy;
- Secondary infection is caused by skin trauma and poor wound care;
- bites form a similar line, which is explained by the peculiarities of bed bugs' movement: the insects make several punctures next to each other.
How to get bed bugs out of the couch at home?
It is advisable to prepare for the procedure by moving the furniture as far away from the wall as possible, closer to the center. This will allow access to the infested upholstered furniture. Then choose a means of exterminating the insects. It is better to consider different methods: exposure to temperature or chemical means. Both are considered effective.
There are some other ways to etch the parasitesbut it is not recommended to go straight to the store to buy them.
It is important to determine whether the product is suitable for the infected piece of furniture (take into account the properties of the upholstery fabric).
Preparing the sofa for treatment
When all areas where parasites can be found have already been examined, it is necessary to s