Linen bugs, photos and how to get rid of them at home

Many people recommend this remedy for bedbugs. Read >>>!

Linen bugs photo

Linen bugs are parasitic insects that feed on human blood. Insect bites leave red, swollen spots on the arms and legs that are very itchy. Bed bugs choose a sleeping person or animal as a victim. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of bedbugs at home and what products to use. Why do you even dream about bedbugs?

What bedbugs look like, feeding habits

what does a bedbug look like in the photo?

The adult is quite small in size. It is very difficult to notice an individual bug. Its length is from three to nine millimeters. The appearance of a well-fed insect differs from that of a hungry one. The bug itself is very small in size, flat in shape with a hard chitinous

linen bugs on the sofa

shell. Once full, the belly becomes filled with blood, enlarges and takes on a rounded appearance. The body of the bug is dark red, brown or dirty yellow.

bed bug photo

It is very difficult to crush a hungry parasite, even if you try hard. A well-fed insect is destroyed even at the slightest pressure.

Bed bugs do not have wings; they move with the help of their legs, they have 6 of them. B spruce bugs photo

What does a bug look like?

During one feeding session, an adult insect drinks about 7 milliliters of blood. Bed bugs can make 5 – 7 bites per night.

The bedbug larva drinks less blood, but feeds more often. Insects are active at night. Peak attack 2–4 am. Bedbugs crawl out of their hiding places and find a person by smell. During the day, their presence does not reveal anything. They hide in hard-to-reach places, away from bright sunlight.

External data and characteristics of the parasite

The linen bug differs from midges and other species of its own kind by its inability to fly. Born to crawl and suck the blood of living things, it has a clearly segmented abdomen. If you look closely, it seems as if his entire miniature body is tied with shiny belts and divided into striped segments.

• Head. Has the shape of a triangle. Below there is a long proboscis, which is essentially jaws fused together. True, all this can be seen only under a microscope. The proboscis is sharp enough to pierce human skin. But it cannot pierce the skin of cattle or dogs of large and medium breeds.
• Length. The body length of a hungry insect does not exceed 3 mm. However, as it becomes saturated, the body stretches and lengthens. After gorging themselves, bed bugs reach more impressive sizes - up to 8 mm.
• Form. When hungry, bed bugs look like a flattened cake. But the insect, which has managed to feed on the blood of its victim, noticeably rounds, stretches, turning into a tiny barrel.
• Color. The shell is brown or red-brown with a brown tint. And here, too, everything depends on the satiety of the creature. A hungry bug is lighter than its well-fed counterparts, but after a meal it also takes on a deep dark shade.

The parasite's proboscis has two separate valves. One is designed to absorb blood, and the second is to introduce an analgesic, a substance that relieves pain, into a hole made in the skin, allowing the insect to strike the victim as unnoticed as possible.

Features of life

The life cycle of a bed bug is quite monotonous and lasts on average 12 months. Particularly tenacious representatives of the species live for a year and three months.

• Pairing. A female may have only one mating process in her life. The male “transplants” his seed into the chosen one in a traumatic way. In fact, he pierces her abdomen with his genitals to share genetic material. The female periodically lays eggs if she considers the surrounding conditions favorable for “children.” On average, she lays up to five hundred eggs during her life.
• Transformation of an egg into a nymph. After a week or two, the egg turns into a nymph, that is, into a larva. The next transformation will occur only when the nymph drinks a full portion of human blood. Compare: the female drinks 7 ml of “food” in one sitting, and the nymph drinks no more than 0.3 mg.
• Incubation period. Depending on conditions, the transformation of an egg into a mature individual takes from a month to 100 days.
• Period of suspended animation. Bed bugs feed on human blood. Sometimes - the blood of bats and domestic animals (those whose skin can be bitten through). If an insect remains hungry for a long time, it goes into hibernation - suspended animation. Bed bugs can live without food for up to a year. But as soon as food begins to loom on the horizon, they immediately awaken from sleep and begin to act instantly.

At a temperature of 50 °C, bed bugs die. And instantly. These creatures are more resistant to frost than to heat. For an egg to die, the air temperature in its habitat must remain at –30 °C for at least two to three days.

Differences from other insects

Due to ignorance, the bedbug can easily be confused with other insects. For example, with ants, which nymphs (parasite larvae) look like, or with fleas. Four main differences will help you get to the bottom of the truth.

1. Lack of wings. If an insect has wings, it is most likely a cockroach. Or, alternatively, any other insect that has entered the house from the street.
2. Inability to jump. A miniature bug that dashingly jumps from object to object is a flea. A real laundry parasite can neither jump nor fly. In his arsenal of talents there is only prosaic crawling.
3. No constrictions in the abdominal area. If the insect you find has such a constriction, then it is an ant.
4. The presence of six legs. Flat, round, small bugs with eight legs are mites. They are extremely dangerous, but they do not settle in human habitation and do not form nests in sofas.

Bedbugs are often confused with cockroach larvae. However, the latter have a characteristic difference - a double tail (a bifurcation in the lower part of the abdomen). Biting parasites have nothing like this.

Why are bedbugs dangerous?

bed bugs photo bites

There is no reliable information that these insects carry dangerous diseases. Hypothetically, they can become distributors of hepatitis B, typhus, and scabies. Bites from bedbugs cause great inconvenience to humans. The affected areas are very itchy, the person sleeps poorly. Because of this, you feel unwell during the day, weakness, fatigue, and exhaustion of the nervous system. In people prone to allergies, bites cause additional skin irritation.

Linen bugs cause a lot of trouble; read on to find out how to get rid of them at home.

Heat treatment

What distinguishes bedbugs from other bloodsucking insects that live in human homes is that they can easily tolerate low temperatures down to -20⁰C below zero.

During the winter period, you can take some pieces of furniture outside on one of the frosty days to expose them to low temperatures. But this does not guarantee that bedbugs will not appear in the apartment again after some time.

Insects can be killed in a shorter time by heating. However, it is important to remember here that not all furniture in the apartment can withstand exposure to high temperatures.

But most of the furniture and places where insects are located can be treated with steam. This method is considered the most effective today.

But such work is carried out only by employees of specialized services who have all the professional equipment necessary for this.

As a result of heat treatment, the eggs of linen bugs, which are resistant to other methods of killing insects, even die.

Bedbug removal products

Wormwood is a remedy for bed bugs

Choosing an effective chemical product today is not difficult. The competition here is so great that manufacturers want to surprise customers with simplicity, quality and safety. The brands listed below are especially popular when it comes to bullying.

Bed bug larvae

Bedbug Executioner

The drug is a Russian product, which is produced under a German license. Causes paralysis in bedbugs and eliminates pests within two to three hours. Sold in bottles. Before use, dissolve in 0.5 liters of water and pour into a spray bottle. The contents are enough to treat a bed or sofa. To disinfect an apartment, you will need twenty to twenty-five bottles. The cost of one is from 70 to 100 rubles. You can buy it online and at any hardware store.

"Insecticide"

The drug is very effective and economical. Sold in containers of 300 milliliters. This amount is enough to process a two-room apartment. High efficiency is achieved due to the toxicity of the drug. Must be used in an empty apartment. After the procedure, everything is washed and ventilated.

"Combat"

remedies for linen and bed bugs

The drug is made in Korea. The nature of the action is similar to “The Executioner”. An effective remedy, but very expensive. To process a two-room apartment you will have to spend 20 thousand rubles.

For this price, the disinfection service will do all the work for you. When treating small areas, it is advisable to buy the drug.

"Karbofos"

kakrbofos for bedbugs

An old proven remedy. The main advantage is its availability. It is convenient to use, as it is sold already diluted in canisters. You can also purchase it in powder form and dilute it yourself. Apply to the surface and leave for a day. Then rinse thoroughly. Insect resistance to the drug was not observed. It is especially convenient to use it in rural areas and in non-residential premises.

how bedbugs bite people photo

To disinfect an apartment, you will need a solution in a canister, which will cost four hundred to five hundred rubles.

Pencil "Mashenka"

Pencil Mashenka

Nowadays, the familiar insect chalk has become even more effective and safe for humans. Mashenka helps well against bed bugs. The baseboards, legs and frame of a bed or sofa, places where insect dens are supposed to be located, are processed with a pencil. The composition will become an obstacle to obtaining food, and a large amount of the drug near the place where bedbugs accumulate will lead to poisoning.

Pencil is an affordable tool. The average cost is ten rubles. The area being processed is quite large.

"Fufanon"

The drug is made in Holland. Sold in ampoules and canisters in the form of an emulsion. Used to kill all parasitic insects. To eliminate bedbugs, dilute five milliliters of concentrate in two liters of water. Consumption per one

Many people recommend this remedy for bedbugs. Read >>>!

Fufanon

square meter fifty milliliters.

It is recommended to use goggles, gloves and closed clothing. After the procedure, wet cleaning is done.

Video review of a cheap bedbug repellent that helped

"Medilis Cyper"

The product has a wide range of control against various insects, including bedbugs. Designed for outdoor use. When using the drug in an apartment, it is necessary to ventilate very carefully.

The drug “Get” (review of the product)

The new development and lack of odor makes the drug in demand. There are a lot of fakes on the market. To avoid unpleasant situations, the product must be purchased in specialized stores and from the manufacturer.

GET - bedbug repellent

In a multi-storey building, housing must be disinfected by all household members. Otherwise, the process will be lengthy and ineffective. The highest quality and most expensive product will not be able to protect you from the appearance of bedbugs that live in neighboring apartments.

Distribution routes

Pests do not form nests as such. However, they prefer to live in the same places. A cluster of insects has characteristic signs: the place looks extremely dirty and intimidating. In the so-called nest, adults scurry about interspersed, the larvae are adjacent to the eggs from which the nymphs are about to emerge, their own excrement and the chitin that remains after the “molting”. But where do bed bugs come from that cause such discomfort to humans? There are four main reasons for their appearance in an apartment.

1. Tourist trip. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the topic of bedbugs was never discussed at entomological conferences, but with the development of tourism, the parasites were finally talked about. In fact, the development of a tourist destination led to people taking insects to different parts of the globe. When staying at a “bedbug” hotel, know that you can also bring a “present” from your trip in your own suitcase.
2. Migration from neighbors. If your neighbor has bedbugs, then they will most likely appear in your apartment sooner or later. This usually happens as follows. The neighbor gets tired of living side by side with annoying pests, he unsuccessfully poisons them, but does not achieve total elimination. Bedbugs quickly migrate in search of a more liberal climate. For example, to your place - where no one uses any chemicals yet. During the cold season, parasites move through ventilation shafts. In warm weather - along the external walls of the house. Therefore, mosquito nets on windows are one of the ways to protect against blood-sucking parasites.
3. "Hello" from the guests. Bed bugs can live in clothing, and they can also use it to move from one place to another. You can carry insects in your own jacket pocket on your way back from a party. The reason for the appearance of insects in the house can be a guest who brought them in a fur coat, jacket or back pocket of trousers.
4. Proximity to a farm or poultry house. Blood-sucking parasites often move into the houses and apartments of people living near farms. Farms with goats, sheep, rabbits and chickens are their habitat. But arthropods prefer human blood to animal blood, so they happily “move” when they smell “upright food.”

Information about bed bugs was first discovered in a source dating back to 400 BC. Later, these parasites were mentioned alternately by Aristotle and Pliny. The latter assured that the pest’s bite could neutralize snake venom.

Fighting methods

Having discovered bedbugs in his home, a person chooses one of the methods of combating parasites:

1. Call a special service;
2. Exterminate insects using folk remedies;
3. Buy chemicals.

how to get rid of bedbugs

It often happens that when buying a home, bedbugs are inherited. In this case, it is better to call a special insect control service. Because you don't know the source of infection.

Chemicals are used by those people who are familiar with the rules for using these products.

A small number of insects can be eliminated using folk remedies. This method is suitable for families with small children and animals.

Contacting a sanitary and epidemiological station is beneficial

Decades of experience allows our SES specialists to reliably and quickly remove bedbugs from the premises. The advantages of disinfestation from our company include:

• Anonymity of clients.
• Treatment lasts no more than 60 – 70 minutes.
• We use certified safe drugs and European equipment.
• Within the city limits, the visit of the master is free.
• We work around the clock.

Order the services of an exterminator. We arrive quickly and work efficiently.

Write. Call.

Folk methods of struggle

A proven and effective remedy is a mixture of kerosene, turpentine and water. Add 20 ml of kerosene and 15 ml of turpentine to a glass of boiled water.

An ancient way to get rid of bedbugs is tobacco infusion. It's easy to prepare and works quickly. The tobacco is boiled for two hours and infused for two days. The resulting infusion is sprayed onto the home.

Valerian tincture acts in the same way as tobacco tincture.

We poison bedbugs

In winter, the sofa or bed is taken outside for a couple of hours, the room is well ventilated. Bed linen is washed at 90 degrees and ironed. Pillows and blankets must be frozen or dry cleaned.

An effective method is to place wormwood branches in the apartment. All insects are afraid of its smell. Tansy has the same effect.

Using a corrugated cardboard trap. Bedbugs love to hide in such material. The trimmings should be scattered around the house, especially in the bedroom. After a day or two, the cardboard is collected and burned. A new one is thrown into place. This method cannot destroy all bedbugs, but it can be used as an additional method.

Cost of the procedure

The price of bedbug treatment depends on the size of the population and the structure. The average is:

Treatment for bedbugs

Reviews

Alexander: “I live in a dorm. The bugs were infested - they did not give life. The SES was called several times. The insects appeared again after a couple of weeks. The entire dorm donated to “The Executioner.” We bought it on the Internet. They gave us a discount. One bottle cost fifty-five rubles. Everyone treated their home – there were no parasites for six months!”

Nadezhda: “At the dacha it is better to use the proven Karbofos.” And the money will be saved, and the result will be. I cleaned up my house and went home. A week later I did the cleaning and the insects were blown away by the wind!”

Diana: “I noticed bedbugs and bought Mashenka. I smeared the bed legs, frame, baseboards, and front door frame. The first night after the procedure I woke up without any bites. After a while I began to notice dead insects. “Mashenka” helped!”

bed bugs photo bites

Olga: “I noticed the appearance of bedbugs in the corner of the room. The house is damp and from time to time all kinds of living creatures appear. She laid out wormwood branches there, and coated the corner itself with turpentine. Our room was empty, so I closed the doors and no one entered there for two days. After that, I washed it and put in new wormwood again. There are no insects. If detected in a timely manner, folk remedies help well. In case of an invasion, it is better to immediately turn to chemistry!”

Marina: “I vacuumed up the bedbugs. I started noticing bites on myself in the morning. Then I discovered a small insect. Dysfunctional neighbors live downstairs. Tenants change constantly and are rented out. And the parasites got to me. I laid out the sofa and vacuumed it thoroughly. I washed the linen. To be safe, I sprinkled valerian. After such an event I sleep peacefully. There are no “tenants”!”