While biologists understand the causes of the epidemic of bed bugs, sanitary services and ordinary people continue to look for methods to eradicate them. The struggle is going on with varying success, and so far there is no need to talk about a serious breakthrough.
In addition to chemical pesticides, all kinds of home remedies are also used. One of them - boric acid - city dwellers have repeatedly tried to use in different forms: in the form of dust, spray, paste, gel and liquid. However, it was still unclear whether boric acid helps with bedbugs in an apartment, because reviews on the Internet gave conflicting information on this matter. No experimental scientific evidence was presented.
To fix this, a North Carolina research team and its leader, professor of entomology Coby Schal, investigated two ways boric acid affects bed bugs (Cimex lectularius): through contact with dust and through eating. For comparison, the same tests were carried out on red cockroaches (Blatella germanica).
In a study that was published in September 2020 in the Journal of Economic Entomology, Kobe Shal reports that boric acid can kill a significant number of bed bugs, but only if the substance enters their body.
Sounds reassuring. But it is not very clear how exactly boric acid will work from bedbugs in an apartment, because the recipe used against cockroaches will not work here. These parasites feed only on blood, so boiled yolk with boric acid will obviously not help bed bugs.
Boric acid properties
Boric acid is visually similar to a white powder that does not have any odor. If you need to dissolve the drug in water, you will need to mix it thoroughly for a long time.
The chemical is commonly used as a home pest control agent. It is low-toxic and therefore safe for residents and pets.
If you need to get rid of bed bugs, it is advisable to use dry boric acid.
Mechanism of action on bedbugs
Boric acid acts on parasites in several directions at once:
- with contact damage, the death of the insect occurs due to the drying of the chitinous cover.
- If the bloodsucker eats the poison, the chemical will act from the inside out, damaging the digestive tract. Accumulating in the intestines, acid eats away at it and attracts fluid from the internal organs. Subsequently, the tissues die off, and the insect dies.
- The substance attacks the nervous system of the parasite. Blocking nerve impulses and subsequent immobilization lead to the death of the bloodsucker.
Boric acid also affects the ability to reproduce, which significantly reduces the number of individuals in the population.
However, you need to understand that this applies more to cockroaches and ants, since the poison is much less effective on bedbugs.
Causes of head lice
- Pediculosis refers to contact infectious diseases, but most often it occurs in children. You should understand for yourself that there is nothing shameful in this, since any person can get infected.
- Every year in Russia, more than a hundred thousand children and adults suffer from these parasites, which are transmitted to them through contact with other people, which is as natural as infection with SARS or herpes, so you should not panic.
- This has nothing to do with social status and even with hygiene. One louse lays about ten eggs a day, attaching them slightly above the hair root. The problem is that embryonic nits are very difficult to spot. Such deposits turn white only after the larva has hatched. A person can be a carrier for some time without even knowing it.
- Checking for head lice in children is carried out in kindergartens and even in elite schools. Sometimes wealthy parents are outraged that their child is being examined for "proletarian disease" and thereby increase the risk. The louse does not distinguish between class affiliation and settles both on the head of a homeless person and an oligarch.
- Visiting a public bath can sometimes be the cause of infection. Entering the steam room, a person sits on the shelf where the carrier had previously sat. Therefore, it is recommended to use a towel.
Important: pediculus humanus corporis (linen louse) is more common in prisons where bedding is not properly washed. But phtyrus pubis (pubic) is more often the result of promiscuous sexual intercourse. But the most common can be called pediculus humanus capitis (head), and they can be everywhere: at home and at work, in preschool and educational institutions.
Method effectiveness
Judging by user reviews, the specified method for combating bloodsuckers does not bring the desired result.
The main reasons why a chemical is not working are as follows:
- the need for long-term exposure to bloodsuckers, since in a short period of time they will not have time to poison.
- No detrimental effect on parasite larvae.
- Inconvenience of use. The chemical has to be scattered throughout the room, which poses a certain threat to pets and small children. In addition, with this method of processing, the apartment looks sloppy, and it becomes difficult to use pieces of furniture.
Since boric acid itself is ineffective, it is advisable to resort to its help only as an additional measure.
It is still better to fight bedbugs with specialized insecticides.
Prevention of head lice
It is very important to understand that eliminating the consequences of something is much more difficult than preventing them. Therefore, head lice prevention is appropriate for all people in any lifestyle.
This includes:
- regular washing of the head and body (shower, bath) with hot water and detergents (soap, gel, shampoo) at least once a week;
- weekly change of bed linen and underwear, and if necessary more often, as it gets dirty.
At risk of infection:
- things should be boiled and ironed with a hot iron;
- cut and comb hair regularly;
- inspect each other every few days;
- do not use other people's linen and clothing, hats, caps and personal hygiene items (razors, combs, brushes, etc.);
- regularly carry out wet cleaning of the room.
Recipes
The classification of independent methods of fighting parasites is as follows:
- chemical. Making solutions with a specific aroma.
- Mechanical. Getting rid of contaminated furniture, removing insects with a vacuum cleaner, etc.
- Thermal. Using extremely low or high temperatures.
- Natural, natural. Preparation of mixtures and infusions from plants with a strong aroma that repels insects.
Please note: it is not advisable to act on the parasites mechanically. A vacuum cleaner will help get rid of some individuals, but it will not completely solve the problem.
If it is not possible to use professional chemicals, it is worth resorting to using homemade recipes.
With egg
To combat bedbugs, you can use an egg-boron mixture. To prepare it, you will need to combine raw yolk and 50-70 gr. acid powder.The poison should be placed in a place visible to parasites.
Sometimes a boiled egg bait is made against bedbugs:
- grind or finely chop the yolk. Do the same with boiled potatoes.
- Add boric powder to the mixture (1-2 sachets).
- Roll balls from the resulting mass. If the mixture is too thick, you can dilute it with a little water.
Please note: the indicated recipes are most effective in killing cockroaches.
This is due to the fact that bedbugs feed only on human blood, and the bait located in the corners will simply not be eaten.
The most likely way of influencing bloodsuckers is contact. To do this, use acid in a dry form, using as much as possible all surfaces where bugs can run through.
Others
It is possible to achieve an enhancement of the effect of boric powder if it is used in conjunction with other folk methods.
Here are some recipes:
- combine naphthalene (25 gr.) with turpentine in an empty container, pour in half a glass of kerosene. With the resulting solution, it is necessary to process the surfaces that have attracted the bloodsuckers, then tightly close the windows and doors. Subsequent thorough ventilation will help to get rid of the unpleasant odor and avoid poisoning.
- Pour dry wormwood with alcohol (in a ratio of 100 grams per 1 liter), leave for 30 days away from sunlight. Use the resulting infusion for processing living quarters; apply weekly.
- Combine half a bar of laundry soap and 150 ml of turpentine, dilute the mass with ammonia (a quarter of a glass). For processing, you must use protective clothing: thick gloves, mask, glasses.
- Mix turpentine ointment (one tube) with a bottle of camphor oil. With the resulting ointment, treat the bed frame, furniture legs, the lower part of the mattress, etc. The mixture is absolutely safe and does not harm people and animals. The main disadvantage of the product is a strong specific smell, therefore, after processing, the room must be thoroughly ventilated for at least a day or two.
Please note: Many recipes use flammable ingredients, so care must be taken.
In addition to the periodic baiting of bloodsuckers, it is a good idea to carry out regular prophylaxis. For these purposes, vinegar essence is perfect. It is wiped by windows, doors, baseboards and other surfaces where parasites can run through.
If you process the sockets on the inter-apartment walls, this can save you from uninvited guests who come from neighboring housing.
Video
How to get rid of bedbugs and cockroaches, personal experience!
Thermal method against parasites
The destruction of bedbugs by freezing and heating is one of the best folk remedies. Although they are not afraid of sudden temperature changes, they die at a certain temperature:
- The heating... Adults and their offspring die at high temperatures from +50 ° C degrees. Thus, the living space is cleared of their presence. The room is treated with a steam generator, boiling water, heaters and even irons are used.
- Freezing... If you freeze an apartment to a temperature of -20 ° C, not only adults will die, but their eggs and larvae. This is an effective method, but a dangerous one. Therefore, it is better to take out pillows, clothes and other items infected with parasites outside in winter.
To cleanse things of blood-sucking parasites, some people put them in the interior of the car, after it has heated up to high temperatures in the sun.
The procedure for processing premises
The procedure for processing living quarters involves the observance of some subtleties:
- the first stage is the detection of nests of bloodsuckers. You should inspect the apartment, not forgetting about the secluded places behind the baseboards, on the back walls of the furniture.
- Next, you need to place the poison around the entire perimeter of the room. For a chemical to work on bedbugs, direct contact of the parasite with the substance is necessary. This can be achieved by sprinkling plenty of acid on the nests.
For vertical surfaces, highly concentrated boric acid powder can be diluted with a small amount of liquid.
When dry, crystals of the substance will remain, which will also be unsafe for bedbugs and other parasites.
Folk remedies in combination with chemical
There are many technical fluids on sale that are combined with folk remedies for bedbugs. But given that liquids have a specific odor, and their components are toxic, not everyone uses them. Types of chemicals:
- Denatured alcohol... It makes no sense to completely process the apartment with denatured alcohol. It is poured directly onto bedbugs, while the substance is used in its pure form. With its help, not only adult parasites are removed, but also eggs and larvae are destroyed.
- Aviation fluid... First, all the nests of bedbugs are found, then they are treated with a substance.
- Transformer oil... With the help of oil, large accumulations of bloodsuckers are exterminated. All surfaces in the house are treated with undiluted substance. Particular attention is paid to the legs of the bed, sofa, table and chairs.
Effective insecticides
If it turned out to find bedbugs in your house and folk methods did not help to get them out, then chemical insecticides will come to the rescue. They are sold as:
- concentrate;
- crayon;
- powder;
- solution.
When choosing an insecticide, you need to make sure that the product is not too expensive. Another condition is that it should not have a persistent odor. A weak aroma is emitted by powders and aerosols. Crayons and dust have no odor. Popular products: Get, Kombat, Executioner, Raptor, Mashenka chalk, Neopin powder, Tornadot dust, Clean House. For an effective result, insecticide treatment is done several times.
Everyone chooses the method of destroying bedbugs individually, depending on the situation. If you could not cope with the problem yourself, you will have to contact a special service for help.
Safety rules and precautions
When treating a residential area with boric acid, certain precautions must be taken.
Here are some guidelines:
- avoid direct contact of the poisonous powder with the skin, as this will provoke a burn.
- Try to minimize possible inhalation of the substance by wearing a special mask.
- Prevent children and pets from coming into contact with the chemical.
The best solution is to use protective clothing, respirator, heavy gloves. After processing, the room is thoroughly ventilated.
If the substance gets on the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth), rinse them with plenty of running water.
If the drug has entered the stomach, it is necessary to provoke vomiting in the victim, and then consult a specialist. For prophylaxis, after cleansing the stomach, it is recommended to drink activated charcoal.
Symptoms of the disease
The infection is characterized by very severe itching of the skin at the site of the bite. It is accompanied by the appearance of red papules or small spots with a bluish tinge. White larvae are seen on the hair of the head or pubis - these are eggs, also called nits.
Symptoms cause irritability and insomnia in the person. In addition, if you start the disease, there may be complications. Lice are carriers of Volyn fever, typhus and relapsing fever. Other infections not related to insects can get into the combs.
If you suspect infection, you should contact a dermatologist who will conduct an examination. This includes asking the patient about the family and the team (are there any patients with head lice there).A visual inspection is also carried out under a Wood lamp, which makes it possible to detect live nits. The doctor will write a prescription and give some advice on how to use the medication.
