Often in an apartment or own home you can find various insects, and some of them we see for the first time and because of this we do not know whether they pose any danger - this is what this article will help you figure out, offering photos and names of domestic insects.
When building his home, a person fences himself and his loved ones off from outside creatures, but one way or another, some of them still penetrate the house, causing harm to the health of the owners or simply annoying their neighbors. attractive looking. Of course, we are talking about insects, of which a lot are currently known. However, life in high-rise buildings or in an ordinary residential building does not appeal to everyone. But those who still strive to take over part of a person’s living space can be divided into several groups.
Depending on the degree of harm and danger to people, the following categories are distinguished:
If there are no sources of excess moisture in the house, food that is in the public domain is controlled, waste is regularly thrown away, and wet cleaning is carried out using cleaning products, it is likely that there will be no need to fight some insects at all.
Types of insects that live in the kitchen
Perhaps the most unpleasant thing is encountering insects in your own bed, as well as in the kitchen, especially when it comes to food. It so happens that some small insects choose the kitchen area, since it is a favorable territory for existence. Moreover, some of them eat scraps from the master’s table, others prefer to live in grocery stores, and still others are interested in fruits and other fruits.
Cockroaches
Probably everyone has seen red and mustachioed cockroaches. The reasons for the appearance of these pests are varied, but the most common of them is one’s own uncleanliness or the sloppiness of neighbors. Sometimes cockroaches can be brought back from a trip along with your belongings, which were in a not very favorable hotel room. The alarm must be sounded as soon as at least one insect is noticed in the home, because crawling huge cockroaches are not only an unpleasant sight, but also a source of various serious diseases. 
These include:
- dysentery;
- salmonellosis;
- gastroenteritis;
- meningitis;
- mycobacteriosis.
In addition to this sad factor, there are some others that prompt the urgent adoption of destruction measures. Thus, it is known that cockroaches can not only spoil food, but also damage equipment and damage insulation. In rare cases, they can crawl into the ear of a sleeping person or, when their hunger reaches its climax, even bite.
Ants
Often insects such as ants appear in apartments, which are attracted to a person’s home by warmth and, of course, an inexhaustible supply of food. You can find them in cereals, under the sink, behind baseboards, in the bread and sugar bowls, in the bathroom - in general, wherever there is food, warmth and moisture.
The ways of penetration of black or red ants into an apartment are the same as those of cockroaches. In addition, the priority for the existence of these small insects in the house is the heating system of the living space in winter time year. This factor relieves ants from the need to hibernate and are in constant search for food and a warm, secluded place for a comfortable existence and reproduction. 
For the simple reason that ants are absolutely omnivorous and can profit from both fruit, bread, and apple cores from the trash can, they are also capable of carrying pathogenic bacteria that cause the development of dysentery, typhoid fever, diphtheria, salmonellosis, cholera, and helminthiasis. Easily moving from one apartment to another through sockets, ventilation, small cracks in the walls, they carry dangerous microbes on their paws, which they leave in the food they eat: sugar, jam, berries, cereals and many other products they encounter along the way.
Fruit midges
If you leave fruits or vegetables, jam or honey in a plate on the dining table, or, for example, forget to throw out the trash on time, then very soon you can find small midges, a mass of people circling in the kitchen. They are especially attracted to spoiling and rotting fruits. Also, these insects are not averse to hovering over wet rags that have been left behind, or over animal feeders that are not cleaned and washed regularly. Sometimes pests enter the house in the form of eggs, which an adult laid on a particular fruit before it even reached the store counter. 
The question arises: is it worth getting rid of such uninvited guests? Of course, because fruit gnats They live not only near their favorite fruits. It’s not difficult to trace their route: they can move throughout the apartment, crawling on the soil in flower pots, dirty dishes, left in the washbasin, by dusty stains in the bathroom, and then by the remains of food, which one of the residents will certainly decide to finish eating. As a result, there is a risk of infection, fungi and harmful bacteria.
Food moth
Surprisingly, an insect such as a moth can damage not only clothing, but also food.
Moreover, depending on the food in which it starts, they distinguish different types pest:
It is not at all difficult to recognize such a guest: an adult individual, feeding exclusively on water, can be found on the ceiling or walls, but the younger generation, represented by caterpillars, usually crawls in jars and bags with flour, cereals and dried goods.
If all the above-mentioned products have not been subjected to proper sanitary treatment, then moths will certainly appear in them, which will lay a large number of eggs in a short time. This pest can also enter the house through ventilation or a window if the owner forgot to install a mosquito net.
Flour beetle and red flour beetle
Flour and cereals are of interest not only to food moths, but also to flour beetles. It is very difficult to confuse it with any other insect, since its size is very impressive - usually 1.5 cm in length. The color of the insect is dark brown or black. The pest most likely enters the house along with purchased products. If it is found in containers for storing cereals, you must throw away all the contents and disinfect the jars themselves. 
Sometimes in the same food products you can also find small bugs red color. This is the red mucous eater. It differs from the mealworm not only in size, but also in its longer antennae. These insects appear when flour is stored incorrectly and its moisture content is above 15%. 
Bread grinder
A wider range of products interests the bread grinder. The bugs have an oblong body shape, the size of which does not exceed 4 mm in length. Adults make tunnels in the bread, but the larvae devour absolutely everything: nuts, tobacco, coffee, tea, dry animal food. Contaminated food should never be consumed, as this can lead to stomach upset and poisoning. To prevent these creatures from entering your home, it is necessary to install mosquito nets on windows and carefully check products brought from the store. 
What insects are found in the bathroom?
The bathroom must be kept especially clean, because this is the room where a person maintains the hygiene of his body.
But sometimes the kingdom of sanitation created by the owner is disrupted by the appearance of various insects, which can be:
- silverfish;
- woodlice;
- centipedes;
- flycatchers;
Perhaps it is worth figuring out which of these insects are harmless and which pose a potential threat to the health of residents.
Silverfish and woodlice
Most often, these insects are found in single form. It is very easy to recognize them: they have an elongated body with three antennae at the end and two at the front. The color of silverfish is usually light gray, or white if the insect has recently molted. They do not pose any danger to humans, but with their far from attractive appearance they pretty much spoil the mood. 
In addition to the mood, silverfish can also ruin toilet paper or cloths for cleaning the apartment, if they are for a long time lay undried. Perhaps the bathroom has permanent sources moisture, which attracts silverfish. You can get rid of them by eliminating various kinds leakage causing moisture and drying out the room.
It is for these reasons that wood lice, which are essentially not insects, but related to crustaceans, can appear in the bathroom. It is quite simple to distinguish them from silverfish: woodlice are characterized by a chitinous cover that resembles armor, and when danger arises, they curl up into a ball, imitating their death. The body size does not exceed 1 centimeter, the color is usually gray. It should be noted that wood lice are not capable of carrying any infections, however, this does not mean that there is no need to fight them, because crustaceans can spread to such a scale that you will not want to go into the bathroom at all. 
Flycatcher and spider
A flycatcher, which is characterized by a disgusting appearance, can inspire genuine horror in the owner of an apartment. This is a fairly large insect, reaching a length of up to 6 centimeters. The yellowish-gray and flattened body has 15 segments, each of which contains a pair of long legs. The flycatcher also has very long antennae. Thanks to such features, the insect is difficult to confuse with any other. 
The flytrap starts absolutely different rooms, including in the bathroom. The main reason The appearance of this insect is the presence of other pests in the house, on which it feeds. These could be mosquitoes, midges or silverfish. The owner of the house should not be afraid of infections, since flycatchers cannot tolerate them, but they are quite capable of biting for the purpose of self-defense, and the degree of pain of the bite can be compared to a bee sting.
Spiders are also harmless to human health; they are usually not found in large numbers; as a rule, there are 3-5 individuals. The only harm they cause is cobwebs in the corners of the room, which significantly spoil the appearance of the room. 
Cockroaches
But cockroaches, which were discussed above, are a direct source of pathogenic bacteria entering the house, which entail many undesirable consequences. Therefore, it is these insects that need to be gotten rid of as soon as they are noticed. 
Centipedes
Today, more than 13 thousand species of centipedes are known. The name of these insects speaks for itself: the pest has many legs, and if one species has 30 of them, then another may have several hundred. Another distinctive feature is the presence of a long body. The favorite habitats of centipedes are damp rooms that are not cleaned regularly (bathrooms, warm and damp basements, and attics). Having encountered this very unsightly creature at home, a person wonders what harm it can cause to household items. 
Yes, none. Centipedes are not at all interested in books, damp paper, clothing or food, but other insects that annoy the owner with their presence will serve them as excellent food. Therefore, to some extent, centipedes can be confidently called useful home cleaners. However, there is one fact that can ruin this idyll: a centipede can bite in self-defense, and its bite is quite painful; as a rule, the pain is felt for about 1-2 days. In addition, there is such a species of these insects as scolopendra, which is considered poisonous. 
It is not capable of causing serious harm, but burns and irritation may well occur. In some cases, there is a slight increase in body temperature, severe weakness and numbness of the affected area of the skin. In this situation, analgesics, as well as ice or, conversely, a heating pad, will help cope with these undesirable consequences.
Who bites at night?
Neighbor with insects that harm food or simply frighten appearance- this is not so bad, but experiencing a negative impact on yourself is a real disaster. Particularly unpleasant is restless sleep, during which an incomprehensible itching occurs every now and then, accompanied by the appearance of red spots on the body in the morning.
Perhaps, it is very difficult to immediately guess what the true cause is, and the unfortunate person is ready to attribute the detected rash to an allergy, irritation or mosquito bites. But if you take a closer look at your sheet, you may find a rather unpleasant surprise: black dots, as well as droplets of blood. This is where everything becomes clear - these are bedbugs. 
Bedbugs are predominantly nocturnal, and when light appears they hide, so people often don’t understand where the redness on their hands and feet came from. But, if you carefully examine the mattress, try to lift it, look into the folds bed linen, you can find the culprit himself. To make sure that it really is a bug, you need to know a little about the features of its appearance.
Calling a special disinfectant service to your home, as well as observing certain preventive measures will allow you to forget about the problem as soon as possible.
Ways to fight
Fortunately, modern technologies We have developed many methods to combat insects, which allows you to choose the appropriate option taking into account your own preferences.
The following popular methods are distinguished:
- physical;
- chemical;
- mechanical;
- electric;
- folk remedies.
The physical method involves killing insects using low or high temperatures. Thus, temperatures above 50 degrees have a detrimental effect not only on adult individuals, but also on their larvae. In this way you can destroy, for example, body lice and their nits by ironing contaminated clothing with a hot iron or taking it to the dry cleaner. Sometimes this method is also applicable when getting rid of bedbugs, if they are detected at the initial stage of spread. In some situations, freezing is used; the air temperature should be -25 degrees. 
The most common method is the use of chemicals available on store shelves in wide range. The form of release of such drugs is quite diverse - they can be aerosols, gels, powders, liquid concentrates, smoke bombs and crayons. Gel treatment is rational for baiting cockroaches, house ants, woodlice, and silverfish. When exterminating fleas and bed bugs, powders are often used, which are scattered in places where insects are concentrated.
Use pencils and crayons to outline floors and baseboards, door and window frames, surfaces of various furniture. The latest innovation is the treatment of a room using smoke bombs, the effect of which is comparable to treatment with cold fog: the infected room is filled with smoke, which, settling, penetrates into the most inaccessible places, destroying insects at all stages of development. 
TO mechanical methods These include well-known traps, many of which are available for making with your own hands. Popular remedy - sticky tape, helping to fight both midges, mosquitoes, food moth, and with cockroaches and ants.
Dear and highly effective remedy- This electrical appliances, some of which repel pests by emitting ultrasonic waves, others shock them with electric shock. An ultrasonic device will do an excellent job of killing mosquitoes, but an electric trap will ensure complete disposal of cockroaches. 
Widespread and folk recipes, serving as an alternative to insecticides, many of which cannot boast a high level of safety. However, due to exclusively natural ingredients, folk remedies are not always effective.
Man has always treated nature as something that needs to be transformed, conquered and made to work for himself. Wonderful theories and calls for a return to the natural state of man and merging with the surrounding world found their embodiment only in the dacha of the average city dweller, which, contrary to Chekhov’s opinion about the possible beneficial influence people on the ground, not always well-maintained, and more often, frankly abandoned in appearance. It is naive to think that nature does not react in any way to such an indifferent consumer attitude towards itself on the part of the species homo sapiens: harmony does not tolerate imbalance, and natural disasters are evidence of this.
Fauna, in terms of its aggressiveness, tries to keep up with its mother nature, and from this point of view, domestic insects are like horsemen of the Apocalypse, not giving humans a single chance of salvation from them. True, there is still a significant difference between these horsemen: biblical characters and heralds of the Last Judgment are fate, and insectoids are retribution, which a person treats as a challenge, answering it with forbidden Geneva Convention toxic substances. However, domestic insects also use unsporting methods of warfare, so in this fight all means are justified.
One of the methods of combating domestic insects with humans is their number and diversity. Indeed, in lately nature has given birth to so many flying-buzzing-crawling-biting-sucking creatures that there are not enough fingers to count and classify them all. In addition, in the post-Soviet space, due to gradual climate change, insects began to appear that were previously characteristic of other climatic zones. This trend cannot but be alarming and calls for tireless vigilance and timely response - of course, provided that you do not want to end up in the hospital with an allergy to something hitherto unknown to science.
But in order for the fight to be effective, you need to know the enemy by sight, so below we, in full agreement with the policy of declassifying secret archives, will tell you everything we know about the enemies of the human race, invisibly waiting for you among your native home walls.
Man has not changed his habit of classifying and labeling everything that he sees around him, so even the insects living next to him, he combined according to the degree of their harmfulness and danger into the following groups:
Some types of insects are not insects in the strictly scientific sense of the word, but belong to arthropods. However, for the average person, such terminological clarification has no meaning. In fact, is there a big difference between whom to poison - an insect or an arthropod, if both are good?
Once the list has been compiled, you can begin brief description each of the creatures named above.
Mosquitoes are probably typical of any area where a person lives (with the exception of Antarctica, where work is carried out on a rotational basis, and the Arctic, where it is simply cold), especially if there are enough sources of water - from swamps to flooded basements of private houses. Their stay in an apartment or private house is short and is associated only with the moment of obtaining food - naturally, in the person of a person. Mainly females do this kind of hunting - this is how they gain strength and protein for subsequent laying of eggs. We can say that it is thanks to human blood that the mosquito does not die after oviposition, since in the process it spends significant resources of its microscopic organism. The female chooses a victim for herself with the help of two things: the ability to see in infrared spectrum and thanks to its antennae, on which 72 receptors are located, capable of detecting the smell of sweat from several kilometers away and the smell of breath from several hundred meters away. There are about three thousand species of mosquitoes in the world, of which only about a hundred live in Russia and other CIS countries. Not all species known to science bite, but even non-biting, peaceful species are dangerous because they are carriers of various diseases. One should be especially wary of the malarial mosquito, the carrier of malaria, which, even in the enlightened 21st century, kills about one million people every year.
It is interesting that the mosquito seems to “pay” a person for the milligrams of blood and protein stolen from him: at the moment of the bite, he injects an enzyme into the human blood that slows down its clotting and an anesthetic substance. But it is mosquito saliva that causes skin irritation and swelling at the site of the bite. And in general, the very understanding that someone has just bitten you does not cause much joy in a person.
Mosquito control products are available and varied, varying in composition and effect, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time searching for them. The best way to prevent mosquitoes from appearing in your home is window mosquito nets.
No matter how unpleasant and dangerous mosquitoes are, lice are undoubtedly much more dangerous. Their peculiarity lies in their inability to live and exist outside of human clothing or body. Like mosquitoes, lice are also attracted to human blood, so those who have them in sufficient quantities experience a strong, irritating itch. But itching is only half the problem: all types of lice are carriers of serious and serious illnesses. For example, in the twentieth century, a real disaster was the typhus louse, which provoked entire epidemics of typhus.
There are lice three types: pubic, head and clothing. All types contribute to the emergence three types pediculosis - head, pubic and body lice. A mixed type of disease is also possible. In addition, the presence of pubic lice in itself is a sign of a disease of the reproductive system. The most common causes of lice are unsanitary conditions, neglect of hygiene rules, and personal contact, including sexual contact. You can also become infected with lice in public places - bathhouses, swimming pools, entrances, even in hairdressers through the hairdresser's scissors and comb.
It is not possible to distinguish the types of lice without a microscope, so they are usually distinguished by their habitat and some behavioral features: head lice, as the name suggests, live in hair, cannot fly or jump, but move quickly, using hair as shelter . Pubic lice live in the groin area, armpits, eyelashes and eyebrows. The female of this species attaches nits (louse eggs in a dense shell) to the hair, and then rinses them off plain water impossible. Body lice live in the seams and folds of human clothing, where they deposit their nits.
The appearance of lice is easier to prevent than to cure, especially since the prevention measures are quite simple and effective: observing the rules of personal hygiene and regularly washing clothes. It is unnecessary to remind that such intimate things as a toothbrush and comb should be individual and not be passed on by inheritance or upon request to borrow, especially to strangers. Sometimes it is advised to lubricate the back of the head and ear areas with lavender oil or tea tree– This also prevents head lice.
It is still unknown whether bedbugs are capable of transmitting infectious diseases. However, dangerous pathogens were often found in their bodies, so this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Fleas are one of the most common types of insects, thriving both in apartments and in the wild. Most often, they are carried by pets, so they are sometimes affectionately called “flea bugs.”
However, our favorite “flea-eaters” in the form of dogs and cats, without knowing it themselves, with the help of fleas, carry many deadly diseases - from plague to brucellosis, so it is necessary to remove fleas. Even a simple bite is painful, causing itching and purulent inflammation on the skin. And fleas themselves easily change their hosts, so in any case, such neighbors are extremely undesirable and dangerous, especially since fleas need blood not only for nutrition, but also for reproduction - without it, their eggs do not develop.
Getting rid of fleas is not difficult. The most common method is to treat the fur of domestic fleas with any insecticidal preparation that will be recommended to you at a veterinary pharmacy or pet store. It would also be a good idea to treat the entire apartment, as well as dog and cat bedding and resting areas.
When you hear the word “household pests,” the cockroach immediately comes to mind. He became so close to man that sometimes it seems as if this insect appeared on Earth at the same time as him. The cockroach is the hero of numerous jokes; his image was used by Korney Chukovsky in the children's poem “Cockroach”, in which many, not unreasonably, saw an allusion to I. Stalin, and “cockroach whiskers” is one of the most striking epithets used in the famous poem by O. Mandelstam “We live without feeling beneath us countries…". However, such significant services of the cockroach to literature and urban folklore do not negate the simple everyday fact that it does much more harm than good.
The three most common types of cockroaches are:
- Redhead (aka Prusak).
- Black.
- American, whose range has recently expanded due to the development of international trade in the CIS countries.
It is interesting to note that these species do not like each other very much: for example, the Prussian cockroach quite readily feeds on the eggs of the black cockroach, while the American cockroach poses a certain threat to both species. However, you should not hope for their mutual destruction: there is a half-joking opinion that the only creature that survived on our planet after nuclear explosion, there will be a cockroach.
Its danger is as follows:
- food contamination and consumption.
- absolute omnivory (cockroaches can eat, among other things, paper, various adhesives, shoe polish).
- ability to carry various infectious diseases and eggs of some helminths.
- the ability to go without food for a long time - up to 20 days.
- rapid reproduction and duration adult from 9 to 16 months.
Fighting a cockroach is extremely difficult, but many insecticides have now been developed that successfully help humans to varying degrees. Their list is extensive, so the best advice on this matter will be provided to you in a specialized store.
No matter how difficult the fight against cockroaches is, the fight against ants is not inferior in severity to it with one difference: while cockroaches mainly affect city residents, then ants are a scourge for both city dwellers and rural residents. Like other insects, ants have many varieties, but humans are most often bothered by two types: pharaoh ants (aka red house ants) and thief ants. It is quite difficult to distinguish these species if you are not an expert, but it is hardly so fundamentally important to know the difference between these two species, especially since most often the human home is visited by representatives of the first species.
The harm they cause to humans is standard: food spoilage and transmission of various infections.
When organizing the fight against domestic ants, one important circumstance should be taken into account: very often their “settlement” is a super anthill (a large number of nests united with each other and located in various places - apartments, garbage chutes, basements, etc.) Therefore, the destruction of one nests are a useless exercise: you will only temporarily reduce their numbers. We will have to fight the ants together. Anything is suitable for exterminating them. universal insecticides or special poisoned baits in various forms - for example, in the form of gels.
Moths are another old human “familiar”, divided into two main types. The first type specializes in food, preferring cereals and groceries, and the second (fur coat and clothes moth) - on fur and woolen clothing. A moth, visible to the human eye in the form of a butterfly, is already an adult individual, which, most likely, has already fulfilled its purpose, laid eggs and may not feed on clothing. Of course, it is possible and even necessary to slam it, but the main fight against moths should be directed against its eggs and caterpillars, which can hatch within 6-14 days after laying. It is at this stage that the moth is most dangerous. There are many ways to combat it, both scientific and folk, but it should be borne in mind that folk remedies, like the use of naphthalene, are better for preventing the appearance of moths, but not for effective fight with her. The best way to combat insects is still heat treatment of clothing at temperatures up to 70 degrees, airing it during the day or freezing it, as well as the use of insecticidal preparations. If we are talking about kitchen moth, then first of all you should destroy spoiled food products, no matter how sorry they may be, along with their containers. Then you should thoroughly clean and disinfect all kitchen shelves and cabinets with a vinegar solution or the following solution: add one teaspoon of vodka or alcohol and two tablespoons of tea tree oil to two cups of water. After all this you can place fresh food along with fresh leaves some plants whose smell repels moths - for example, geranium and coleus (nettle). Moths - in particular grain moths - do not like the smell of pepper, tobacco and dried orange or tangerine peels, and fruit – bay leaves. Chestnuts have also proven themselves well.
If we are talking about potato moths that have infested your summer cottage, then the contaminated products must be thrown away, and the remaining ones must be placed in a room with a temperature below minus 5 degrees. The moth will not survive in such an environment.
Insects live not only in the closet, bed or kitchen. According to their nature, they can settle in various parts of the house - for example, in flower pots, like springtails (or springtails). They are found in almost all regions of the globe, even in the tundra, inhabiting the upper soil horizons. Currently, up to eight thousand species of these insects are known, having a variety of colors. The attitude towards springtails and their role in nature is quite complex: some species are bioindicators for science in determining the degree of soil contamination, others play a large role in soil formation. But some species of springtails are considered agricultural pests.
They appear in the apartment when improper care for flowers. It is believed that these insects are not dangerous to adult plants because they feed on microorganisms bacterial plaque, algae, mosses, lichens and rotten parts of plants, but in large quantities springtails seriously damage young shoots, underground parts of plants and low-lying leaves. The complexity of the situation is further aggravated by the fact that, firstly, science can say little about springtails due to their secretive lifestyle, and, secondly, non-professionals often confuse springtails with more harmful insects - thrips, root scale insects and mites. Considering such difficulties in correctly identifying springtails, it would be most correct, apparently, to limit the scope of combating them by adjusting the humidity level in earthen environment. That is, as soon as you find springtails, first of all, reduce the volume and frequency of watering - they live only in a humid environment. Sometimes in online sources you can find advice to add appropriate preparations to the remaining volume of water when watering, but we will leave this measure at your discretion in accordance with the current situation, finally calling for caution and prudence. To prevent their occurrence, gardeners advise using specially prepared disinfected soil when planting and creating flower pot drainage to prevent excess water.
Another type of domestic insect is associated with high humidity - one of those that are not actually insects, but belong to arthropods. We are talking about woodlice (or armadillo woodlice). This species, which looks very unpleasant, is almost harmless to humans: woodlice prefer to live in secluded dark places with high humidity or existing water leaks and feed on organic waste. Occasionally they can feed on vegetables and young shoots of indoor plants, but only if they can get to them. However, such harmlessness does not mean that wood lice are welcome guests in your home, so even from the point of view of basic hygiene, it is advisable to get rid of them. The simplest way is to eliminate the high humidity that is vital for them (eliminating a leak in a pipe, drying the bathroom and toilet, etc.). If these measures turn out to be ineffective, you can use the appropriate drugs - for example, Delta-Zone, Tsifoks and others.
Some types of insects are so microscopic that a person does not even realize that they live next to him. These species include carpet beetles and book lice, small aphid-sized bugs that can sometimes be found in the bindings of old books. The length of an adult beetle is only 3.5 mm, and its larvae are 2 mm, but at the same time they have amazing omnivorousness and versatility in nutrition: in addition to books, they feed on wardrobe items, plain paper, the remains of the vital activity of animals, birds and various insects, the remains of garbage in the dust... Their larvae are well known to entomologists, since leather beetles are the main enemies of herbariums and insect collections, and one of the subspecies of the leather beetle - the museum beetle - is a frequent pest of museum exhibits. In addition, these not so harmless bugs can cause worms and some infectious diseases in humans.
The means of combating skin beetles are no different from the means of combating the above-mentioned types of insects. True, in this case chemistry also comes to the aid traditional methods prevention - for example, lavender and wormwood, whose smell cannot be tolerated by the larvae of these same bugs.
Finally, we cannot fail to mention termites and related beetles, wood borers and some species of moths, whose predilections lie in the area of wooden structures. Basically, these insects are dangerous for owners of private houses, but city dwellers with dachas should also not discount the threat posed by these insects. Their activity often leads to a decrease in the strength of rafters, beams and other wooden parts of the house, which can ultimately lead to the destruction of the building. To protect against them even when building a house wooden structures should be treated with special impregnations or stains, and then painted regularly.
A little about harmless insects
Against the backdrop of all of the above, it is difficult to even believe that there are insects that do not pose particular harm to a person or his home. However, they exist, and primarily they include silverfish. Their lifestyle is similar to woodlice - they also love dark, warm, damp rooms and quickly hide when exposed to light. The most common type of silverfish is the sugar one, most often found in residential buildings And warehouses. It feeds on organic residues - for example, bread crumbs - and plant products that contain starch or polysaccharides - sugar, flour; They also do not neglect glue, book binding, paper, photographs and starched fabrics.
Silverfish do not reproduce in large numbers, are harmless to humans and do not carry any diseases, but their very presence in the house, especially in sugar and flour, will probably be an unpleasant surprise for you. They are rarely combated purposefully, usually by removing them in parallel with other insects using insecticidal aerosols, but there are some separate ways to combat them:
- Glass traps, which are a jar wrapped with electrical tape on the outside with a piece of bread at the bottom.
- A newspaper rolled into a tube and moistened with water, with the edges tied with an elastic band.
- Special store sticky traps like a cockroach motel.
- Using diatomaceous earth, boric acid, peelings, or liquid pyrethrin spray.
- The use of spices (cloves, cinnamon and others with strong aroma), whose odors are not tolerated by silverfish.
- Use of oils – lemon, lavender essential.
To prevent silverfish from returning, you need to keep your home clean and dry.
Oddly enough, to harmless insects This even includes some types of small spiders - for example, the haymaker spider. The worst thing you can expect from them is the very fact of their presence in the house, provided that you suffer from arachnophobia. In some ways, they can even be considered your allies in the fight against insects, since they feed on mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and their larvae caught in their webs. It will still not be possible to completely remove spiders from your home, especially if you live in a private house - they will appear with enviable regularity in various corners of it - therefore, the most reasonable thing you can do is to control their numbers in the living space you occupy and not let them especially spread throughout the house. Well, we don’t think there’s any need to tell you how to get rid of spiders.
In this series, centipedes (as well as centipedes and nooses) are akin to silverfish or springtails: they do not appear in the house very often, but their appearance is not entirely pleasant to the human eye. Centipedes and grasshoppers can even be considered useful, since in the warm season they play a large role in the formation of humus on the soil. personal plots and destruction of larvae of agricultural pests. They appear in houses with the first cold weather and prefer to take refuge in the same place where woodlice and silverfish hide. They rarely reproduce in large numbers; most likely, you will not even see their presence, but if you still want to get rid of them, there are no specific recommendations for their removal yet. They are bred using the same methods and techniques as related arthropods.
Conclusion, or “Random Guests” of your home
The group of “random guests,” as already mentioned, includes representatives of all three of the above-mentioned groups in turn, so one of the methods of dealing with them is to simply open the window and release them into the wild (especially since even butterflies can be caught among them And ladybugs). If they do not want to be released, then you will have to use some of the methods described. The exception is flies - perhaps even a baby knows about their harm, so we think that there is no particular need to dwell on the rationale for the need to combat them and its subtleties.
In conclusion, it remains to add that it is still better to try to get along with nature than to fight, therefore, along with exterminating means, it would be more correct to use repellent ones. If you fail to get along with nature, then we can only wish you good luck in the difficult but necessary struggle with aggressive representatives of the modern world.
Little ones brown bugs in the apartment they climb into closets with clothes, bags of food, hide in carpets, upholstered furniture, indoor plants and under baseboards.
It is very difficult to get rid of tiny carpet beetles and anthrenuses, but you should not hope that the insects will leave the apartment on their own. Homeowners should take note of several proven ways to get rid of harmful brown bugs.
Reasons for appearance
Tiny insects are found everywhere:
- under baseboards;
- in bags with bulk products;
- in a closet with clothes;
- for central heating radiators;
- in carpets, paths;
- on indoor flowers;
- inside upholstered furniture;
- near heating devices;
- on window sills;
- inside smoked and dried products, meat products;
- in bags of grain, cans of peanuts;
- among books and paper.
Caterpillars of skin beetles, unlike adult individuals, are quite tenacious and can survive without food for several weeks. A soft, dry “cushion” of dust behind the baseboards, in the corners, next to back wall Closets are an excellent haven for growing pests. Almost does not penetrate into secluded corners sunlight, the larvae feel at ease.
Routes of entry of insects:
- through open windows and windows;
- with old furniture, books;
- inside used items purchased at a sale;
- inside products if stored improperly;
- with cereals, whole grains;
- when purchasing dried fish and meat, smoked meats;
- from attics, from basements;
- on dried mushrooms, in a bag with medicinal herbs or spices bought at the market;
- on the pile of old carpets.
It is quite difficult to protect yourself from “acquaintance” with tiny brown bugs: small pests are difficult to notice. The inattention of owners when purchasing new or old things, clothes, and products often allows pests to enter the house unnoticed.
Types of small brown bugs
The human home is attacked by several types of harmful insects. Most often, carpet beetles crawl around an apartment or private house. Anthrenuses live in old carpets.
Tiny bugs have one peculiarity - they do not like excess humidity. For this reason, insects do not settle in the bathroom.
A few details about each type of pest. The information will be useful to all owners.
Carpet beetles
General information:
- Pests feed on organic matter: fur, skin, flowers, fluff, food, feathers. Insects chew through books glued with a starch-based composition;
- the size of the insects is from 2 to 4 mm, the color is dark brown or black. The faces have a rounded, tapering body, the color of the growing pest is yellow-brown;
- the grain beetle destroys nuts (likes peanuts), cereals, grains, bran, flour of various types;
- The ham skin beetle prefers meat products and penetrates into dried fish and smoked meats. The insect annoys museum workers: it destroys stuffed animals, collections of zoo exhibits, damages leather goods, fur, and animal skins at home;
- pests are not afraid of sudden changes in temperature, they feel great in basements, apartments, bird nests, and attics;
- The carpet beetle develops from egg to adult in 6–12 months. The female lays at least a hundred eggs;
- bugs hide in dusty corners, among crackers, dried mushrooms, in cracks, among old clothes. Skin beetle larvae do not tolerate sun rays, try to hide away from bright light.
Important! Often, owners do not understand how dangerous small bugs are brown, they think that the insects accidentally got into the apartment and will soon leave the home. But after a few weeks it turns out that pests live everywhere, crawl from rotting leftovers onto food, appear not only in closets with clothes, but also in grocery bags. The earlier the fight against tiny insects is started, the greater the chances of success of the “operation”.
Anthrenuses
General information:
- pests are small, size – from 1 to 4 mm, color – brown or almost black;
- tiny beetles live on old carpets;
- insects readily eat crumbs, particles of epidermis, human hair that has fallen on the carpet, lint, organic matter, which are always present on carpets;
- larvae of anthrenus beetles also hide among the fibers and are difficult to see;
- with a small colony size, insects do not cause much harm, but often cause allergy attacks in people with hypersensitivity;
- During active reproduction, adults and larvae take on things and spoil them.
Harm
Anthrenuses damage food, things, furniture, fabrics (not only wool), leather goods, books, and carpets. Insects chew through drywall wooden furniture, even electrical wiring. Omnivorous insects live not only in the kitchen: pests crawl throughout the apartment.
Small brown beetles carry dangerous disease pathogens on their tiny legs and antennae. Insects move through dusty corners, food waste, the bathroom area, move into the kitchen, and crawl on food. It is difficult to talk about maintaining hygiene standards after such “travels”.
How to get rid of it: effective methods
The first stage is to identify all the places where skin beetles or anthrenuses have settled. Small pests often hide behind baseboards. The owners will have to explore every corner of the apartment to find adult beetles and larvae, check the shelves in the kitchen, indoor plants, closets with clothes, and bookshelves.
Note! If you do not take this stage seriously, new pests will soon appear from the remaining eggs, and the fight against anthrenuses and leather beetles will be in vain.
The second stage is the selection of the optimal means for killing insects. It is important to consider how many pests have settled in the home, whether there are allergy sufferers or small children at home.
Chemicals and folk remedies help get rid of beetles. With a large number of skin beetles and anthrenuses, it is easier to invite professional exterminators than to waste time and nerves on treating the apartment yourself.
The third stage is the direct fight against tiny brown bugs. If you decide to carry out pest control on your own, you will have to set aside two or three days to prepare for the procedure and find the time to apply toxic products or homemade compounds.
Note to owners:
- the difficulty of self-processing - in a large number of areas where they can live harmful bugs. For this reason, it is easier to turn to professionals;
- The owners' task is to check bulk products, flowerpots with indoor flowers, look into the refrigerator;
- a prerequisite is the removal of rubbish, using a vacuum cleaner to collect insects, wet cleaning;
- Only in the absence of secluded, dusty corners there is a chance to get rid of skin beetles and anthrenuses forever.
How to remove insects yourself
Procedure:
- vacuum the carpets, place them in the sun or freeze them in winter;
- boil the fabrics in a soapy solution;
- treat leather products and items made of leatherette;
- clean upholstered furniture using a steam generator;
- freeze woolen and synthetic items on the balcony or in the freezer;
- take out all the products, bags, jars of cereals, flour from the cabinets, review the supplies. If found, do not fry millet, buckwheat or rice in the oven, then remove the dead individuals. It is healthier to throw away spoiled cereals without regret in order to protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microbes, which are often found on the antennae and paws of pests;
- check knitted items, clothes made from natural fabrics, fur, leather products. Inspect the cabinets, chest of drawers, bedside tables, wipe the inside with soapy water;
- check the baseboards, remove old, dried out products, replace with new ones. If wooden elements will still serve, then seal all the cracks.
Find out about the reasons for the appearance of insects in the apartment and how to combat insects.
A page is written about methods of using ammonia against cockroaches and safety precautions when using ammonia.
A few more tips:
- After preparation, treat baseboards, floors, cracks, corners, and wooden furniture with a toxic aerosol or insecticide solution. You should not buy universal staves: the best option is products designed to destroy harmful bugs. Suitable drugs: Antimol, Difox, Supronid, Morimol;
- Treat potentially dangerous areas twice a week for a month. Only with this approach can you get rid of small bugs. After each procedure, vacuum and thoroughly wash the floors;
- Among traditional methods, the use of boric acid gives a good effect. Pour pharmaceutical powder into all crevices where pests may live. You will have to purchase several sachets of the product: harmful insects inhabit many areas of the home. Boric acid does not harm animals and household members, but skin beetles, anthrenuses, and other unpleasant and dangerous “neighbors” do not tolerate the effect of the product well.
Preventive measures
The fight against carpet beetles and anthrenuses takes a lot of effort and time from the owners. After removing tiny insects, it is important to understand how to act to prevent pests from re-invading your home.
How to proceed:
- In summer, put mosquito nets on windows;
- protect the air vents with fine mesh grilles;
- do not allow hair to accumulate in corners, near the front door or next to cabinets if there is a cat or dog at home;
- donate old things to a charity without regret. If no one wears clothes for a long time, dust accumulates in them, causing favorable soil for breeding skin beetles, clothes and fur coats;
- put things away for storage, having previously treated the items with an anti-pediculosis agent - 0.005% permin solution. A simple procedure will prevent the development of skin beetles;
- periodically remove things from closets, ventilate them on the balcony, freeze them in winter or hang them in the sun in summer to destroy larvae and adults. Regular care of things and maintaining the cleanliness of storage areas helps in the fight against moths;
- In winter, take “dust collectors” out into the cold. Particular attention to carpets, curtains, covers on chairs and sofas;
- Periodic cleaning of upholstered furniture using a steam generator is an excellent way to remove all pests hiding in the folds and seams of the upholstery;
- put a couple of cloves of garlic in each jar of cereal or flour. A good option for repelling bugs is bay leaf;
- sealing not only holes in the floor or baseboards, but also blowing in will help prevent the penetration of harmful insects polyurethane foam all holes/cracks leading into the apartment from the basement/attic, from neighbors.
Is your home being attacked by little brown bugs? You will have to act quickly and competently. The recommendations described above will help get rid of anthrenuses and skin beetles. After removing pests, be sure to follow preventive measures to prevent tiny creatures from entering the apartment.
Where do small bugs in the apartment come from and how to deal with them? Useful tips in the following video:
Attention! Only TODAY!
Very often you can notice various insects in the apartment, which feel like full-fledged owners of the house. There are many fables about the benefits of having spiders and ants in your home. But we should not forget about the damage insects cause to property, and most importantly, to the health of household members. All small inhabitants of the apartment must be known “by sight” and exterminated in a timely manner.
Bloodsucking
Insects of this species feed on blood and can infect people with serious diseases:
Bed bugs
Females cause harm to humans - they spread various diseases: meningitis; malaria; Japanese encephalitis; yellow fever and others.
Fleas
They are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases: hepatitis, anthrax, encephalitis, plague, brucellosis.
Lice
These types of insects can cause harm to property and human health:
Cockroaches
Very nimble insects of the cockroach order. They lead a nocturnal, secretive lifestyle. Body sizes range from 1.7 to 9.5 centimeters. They feed on plant and animal remains, various garbage and even feces. The color is mainly yellow-brown and black. Life expectancy is about 30 weeks, and in some species even several months. Habitat: basements, garbage cans, human dwellings. They harm indoor plants, book bindings, spoil food and furniture.
They are carriers of infectious diseases and helminths.
House ants
Tiny insects of the Hymenoptera family. They lead an active lifestyle next to a person. Body dimensions 2-4 millimeters. House ants are omnivores, but prefer meat, fish, and sweets. The color is mainly yellow and brown. They live in large families, the number of individuals reaching up to 1 million in one family. Life expectancy is as follows: males live only 20 days; working ants and ordinary females – up to 2 months; female queen – 275 days. They live mainly in human habitation, trade and catering establishments. They harm plants, spoil food, and are carriers of all kinds of microbes.
Double-tailed
Insect type - arthropods, order - cryptomaxillary hexapods. They lead a secretive nocturnal lifestyle. They have a body 2-3 centimeters long. They feed on microscopic insects and living microorganisms. The color is red-brown. They live for about 1 year in damp areas(bathroom, kitchen, etc.) They cause hostility in a person by their very appearance, they bite painfully, they damage plants, books, and furniture.
woodlouse
Arthropod insect order - isopods, suborder - crustaceans. They lead a hidden lifestyle (hiding under stones, lying trees) in damp places. The body length reaches 20 millimeters. Life expectancy is from 9 to 12 months. They feed on living and decaying plants. The color is gray, the abdomen is white. They do not cause harm to humans and do not pose a danger.
Carpet beetle
Beetle, order - Coleoptera, family of leather beetles. Lives mainly in houses, apartments, in nature in bird nests and tree hollows. Body sizes from 2.5 to 5.5 millimeters. Feeds on organic matter in house dust. The color is uniform from light brown to black. It is a serious pest of leather, fur, wool, feathers, silk, carpets and runners, upholstered furniture and toys, as well as all types of grain and food.
Book louse
Arthropod insects with body sizes from 2 millimeters to 35 centimeters. The body is divided into a head and a trunk, which consists of 25-100 segments and has a number of legs from 10 to 750. It is nocturnal and a predator. The color is most often gray, brown, less often reddish. Life expectancy reaches 5-6 years.
Fur moth
Insect, order Lepidoptera, butterfly. Body dimensions 5-8 millimeters. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. The color is golden brown. Life expectancy is from 200 to 250 days. Lives in pigeon nests and living quarters. Representative of dangerous pests: destroys fur, wool, felt and products made from them.
Clothes moth
Lepidopteran insects in the form of a butterfly of straw-yellow color. Body sizes vary from 5 to 9 millimeters. They are nocturnal. They live on average 8-10 days, in residential buildings and warehouses. They feed on products made from cotton, wool, fur, carpet products, furniture upholstery thereby harms people.
Moshkara (midge)
They are harmful because they bite painfully and carry infectious diseases(tularemia, anthrax, leprosy, glanders, plague).
Harvester spiders
Small insects, spider family. Body sizes can range from 2 to 10 millimeters, but they have very long legs up to 9 centimeters. The color is grey-brown. They are nocturnal. They like to live in dark, damp rooms, but in residential buildings they prefer dry, warm places near the windows. They feed on flies and small insects, thereby benefiting people. Life expectancy 1 year. They have poison, but use it exclusively for the purpose of killing their victims caught in the web and only then eat them.
flies
They cause harm: they bite painfully; carry all kinds of bacteria and dirt, which leads to infectious diseases.
Silverfish
A small wingless insect, order - bristletail. Body dimensions 0.8-1.9 centimeters. They have a very beautiful silver color. They are nocturnal. They live in rooms with high humidity (most often in bathrooms, baths, saunas, etc.) They feed on everything that comes their way. They do not cause any particular harm and do not pose a danger to humans.
Termites
White insects, order - herbivores, family - cockroaches. They have a soft white body, 1-10 millimeters in size. They lead an underground lifestyle. They live in large colonies, where the number of individuals reaches several million. The main food is cellulose. Pests cause enormous damage to forests and agriculture. Some species of termites are beneficial - they form and mix the top layers of soil and, thus, improve the yield of grain crops.
Insects in food
Insects of this species are destroyers of food supplies and can harm human health:
Mucoed
Small insect, order Coleoptera. Body length 1.5-2.5 millimeters. The color is red. Habitat – premises with high humidity and air temperature of at least 20 degrees (barns, granaries, mills, food warehouses). They feed on flour, all types of cereals and flour products, and do not disdain any other types of food, therefore they are malicious pests.
Bread grinder
Small beetle, family of grinders, order - Coleoptera. Body dimensions 1.7-3.8 millimeters. The color is red-brown. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. It feeds on everything in the world, even some types of poisonous drugs. Life expectancy 1 month.
Eating bread contaminated with this type of bug is dangerous to human health.
Flour beetle
Small insect of the darkling beetle family, order Coleoptera. Body dimensions 12-18 millimeters. The color is brown. Lives in kitchen furniture, food pantries, grain barns, pasta factories. Life expectancy 1 year. Omnivorous food. The harm lies in spoiled almost all types of food.
Weevil
Insect, order – Coleoptera. Body dimensions 1-30 millimeters. It can be black, yellow, brown depending on the habitat. They live inside plants and in the soil. They live from 1 to 2 years. Eating dicotyledonous plants and plant roots. Pests of agricultural and forest lands, including granary cereals.
food moth
A very hardy and tenacious insect. A small butterfly with a body size of 8-10 millimeters. The color is grey-brown. Lives in kitchen furniture. Loves high humidity. Life expectancy is 2-3 weeks. Eats dried fruits, flour, tea, coffee, baby food, cereals, all kinds pasta and many others. Spoils all kinds of food products, harming people.
Only insect larvae harm products.
Among the variety of pests a separate category These are the insects that most often appear in the apartment; then photos and names of the most popular individuals will be presented.
In addition to permanent residents, there are those who are able to appear temporarily or as uninvited guest. These may include mosquitoes, flies, a variety of beetles, bees and wasps. Moreover, this list essentially cannot be limited to a certain number.
Quite often we make mistakes and, out of ignorance, call arthropods insects, which essentially do not harm in any way with their presence.
Insects in the apartment
If insects begin to appear in the apartment on a regular basis, this only means that the current situation is very favorable for their reproduction and nutrition. Having studied the features of life, you can take action without waiting for specialists and without using any means.Before any destructive actions or at the beginning of the fight, you need to find out what caused the occurrence.
Insects in the apartment types of photos
So, in order of listing, let’s consider which insects are most popular in the apartment, their types and photos:- Ants quite often plague private homes or residents of lower floors in apartment buildings. Moreover, both ordinary red ants and domestic thief ants can appear. Species don't matter when it comes to the damage caused by these petty thieves and bacteria carriers. It is more difficult to fight them due to the fact that it is not always possible to accurately determine where the nests are located;
- Another pest that acts unnoticed and is famous for its gluttony is the clothes moth. Although linen closets are not its main place of residence, larvae often live in kitchen cabinets, spoiling cereals and other food products. The moth is harmful only at the larval stage, since adult individuals with wings do not feed or drink only water. If, when opening a closet, a butterfly flies towards you, rest assured that it has already ruined something. Therefore, it is worth periodically inspecting bulk products and storing them in tight, impenetrable containers;
- Beetles are skin beetles that mainly settle in bookcases or in the folds of leather products. Their larvae can be anywhere, and thanks to their unpretentiousness and inconspicuous lifestyle, they are not these invisible pests that, under certain circumstances, are capable of infecting with infectious diseases and being sources of microbes;
- Another lover of wet rooms are silverfish. They choose dark places to live and love warmth. Food is organic waste, so it is not difficult to get rid of it simply by maintaining cleanliness and order;
- The notorious mosquitoes are considered more like guests in our homes, and only females drink blood, this is necessary for reproduction;
- Flies are frequent visitors, mainly in the warm season. Due to their ability to fly anywhere, they can carry various infectious diseases and bacteria on their legs;
- Springtails are small white insects that are not capable of causing much harm and live in indoor plants. They love moist environments and feed on plant particles. By reducing the humidity you can vary the number of these little bugs;
- Ants and termites can cause damage in wooden houses. To protect wooden structures, it is enough to treat them with special impregnation;
- And the last guests in our homes are wasps and bees, rarely hornets. As a rule, they do not settle in houses, but there have been cases when they found a hive in attics or in balcony structures.
Centipedes, millipedes, spiders, wood lice - in fact, are not insects, and are frightening only by their appearance. Most often, many do not even notice their presence. People tend to panic if they encounter unknown insects in their apartment.
What kind of insects can there be in the apartment?
After studying the article, you will have an idea of what kind of insects there may be in the apartment.What insects can live in an apartment?