Who is a skin beetle and what harm does it cause? How to find and get rid of the apartment?

Unlike house ants, fleas, or bedbugs, these pests are not so well known to housewives. Therefore, even if they are noticed at home, they do not always sound the alarm, mistaking for a bug that has accidentally crawled into the house. Let's figure out what the skinheads look like, how to find them in the apartment and get rid of them once and for all.

Who is he?

The skin beetle can be found almost everywhere. The insect prefers a dry and hot climate.

This representative of the order of beetles is one of the most dangerous pests that damage the household. Kozheeda can be called omnivorous. His diet consists of dry matter of both animal and vegetable origin. The insect finds food both in living quarters and outside the house.

Kozheed is characterized by its miniature size. Its oval body reaches no more than 12 mm in length. The convex top is covered with hairs or scales. Due to the scaly coating, the color seems to be variegated, brown and black predominate in it.

The insect head is also small. In the cheek region, there is a groove in which the antennae flagellum is located. The eyes are weak. A short antennae are clearly visible on the head.

Not all representatives of the Kozheed family have wings. Insects belonging to the genus Thoriciodes and the females of Thylodrias contractus are devoid of them. There are no sculptural formations on the surface of the insect's elytra.

How insects enter a home and what harm they cause

Kozheedov (like many other insect pests) have their own ways of entering our home, of which there are quite a few. So, they can get to you from an infected room along with household items and things, in a pot with a indoor flower, and so on.

Also, bugs can easily fly into your open window or door in the warm season. The reasons for the appearance of skin cells in the house can be different, but most often they are attracted by the dry microclimate in the room and the availability of food.

Harm from skin beetles

The larvae of the beetle beetle inflict the greatest harm on the objects of our everyday life, although in some subspecies the adults do not lag behind the younger generation. In this case, most often suffer:

• leather book covers and other leather goods;
• carpets and rugs, especially wool;
• natural fur coats;
• Food;
• botanical collections, stuffed animals and other exhibits.

It is worth noting that the larvae of the kozheed beetle absolutely do not need sleep, and their gluttony is simply phenomenal, so they gnaw everything they find around the clock.

However, these beetles are dangerous not only for your household items. Insects can harm you personally. Kozheedy and their larvae can bite a person, and this is fraught with infection with helminths and various infections. The bite looks like a small red dot anywhere, although if you are prone to allergic reactions, the spot can be impressive in size. If you find something similar on your body, then as soon as possible treat the damaged area with any disinfectant (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, etc.)

Types: description and photo

In the family Dermestidae, there are 6 hundred species of beetles. Among them you can see:

• Carpet... A tiny insect (2–4 mm), characterized by a brown body color, devours small organic debris. His diet contains pet hair, food crumbs, human skin flakes. Food is required exclusively for the larvae. The adults exist due to the accumulated nutritional reserve at the initial stage of development.
• Ham. This is the most common pest species in European countries. The beetle has a small black oblong body and wings, partly painted in yellowish-gray color. Once in human habitation, the parasite lays many eggs, from which larvae appear over time.
• Shubny. The bug has a black body with 5 snow-white dots on its back. His diet consists entirely of food.
• Museum. The parasite lives in exhibits like stuffed animals. It does not often inhabit human habitation.
• Kozheeda Smirnova. A tiny bug (up to 3 mm) with a brownish color can be found in the area of ​​window openings (window sills, frames).
• Kozheeda Frisha... Like the museum beetle, this petty pest is a rare guest in human habitation.

How to understand that skinheads are wound up in the house: the main signs

To effectively deal with skin beetles, you should make sure that it is they. You can find out about their appearance in a home by certain signs:

• after the molting of the pests, chitinous membranes remain;
• holes appear on things and household items made from organic and natural materials;
• in secluded places of the dwelling, granules of feces of larvae are found;
• on a fur item or carpet, you saw a beetle of brownish or black color or a brownish shade, an individual at the first stage of development, covered with bristles of bristles.

Larvae, like young bugs, do not tolerate light well, so they can most often be found in shaded or dark corners of the home. They often settle in places such as:

• kitchen cabinets containing cereals and flour;
• carpets;
• soft furniture;
• things made of fur and wool.

It is possible to identify colonies of kozheedov behind the plinth, wallpaper that has moved away from the walls, in the ventilation, in the attic, etc.

Your favorite jacket can come to this form after it is attacked by a kozheed larva

Development and reproduction

Kozheedy are coleoptera with an annual generation. Some varieties of kozheedov living in the southern regions of the country are capable of giving up to 2 generations within 1 year.

An adult female makes clutches in crevices or on the surface of food. Eggs are characterized by an elongated shape, milky-white color at the early stage of oogenesis. Over time, they tend to turn yellow. The duration of the incubation period is from 2 to 55 days.

The larva is mobile. Has an oval or spindle-shaped body. The upper part is convex, the lower part is flattened. The larva is covered with long protruding hairs, collected in a bun in the tail. The duration of the development period and the number of molts are determined by the temperature regime in the room, as well as by nutrition.
Under favorable conditions, up to 7 molts are observed. The last larval instar tends to last 2–3 weeks.
On the eve of the beginning of the pupation stage, the larva gnaws holes up to 10 cm in length in the material it does not use for feeding. By doing this, she harms the household.

The pupal stage lasts from 4 to 20 days. The duration of the full cycle from egg to adult in a laboratory is several months. In natural habitat, this indicator can be very different.

Reasons for the appearance

Where does the kozheed come from? Why does he appear in apartments, and what factors cause his appearance? It is impossible to answer exactly this question, because this parasite can appear in almost any room, regardless of living conditions.

The insect's routes of entry can be as follows:

1. In warm weather, kozheedy often enter the apartment through open doors and windows. The fact is that they have wings, so they can safely move through the air;
2. Sometimes they enter the premises from neighbors;
3. Insects can be carried on shoes or clothing;
4. Pets can introduce parasites.

The reasons for the appearance of insects can be different, but it is imperative to be able to determine the presence of these creatures. In this case, it is worth knowing the signs of the presence of parasites in the apartment. And if they are found, you need to immediately proceed to active destruction.

Where can I find them indoors?

In living quarters, there are many places where the leatherhead hides. The pest nests in warm and dry conditions:

• mattress;
• upholstery of upholstered furniture;
• kitchen area;
• next to the batteries.

Finding bugs in an apartment is difficult. They prefer to hide in hard-to-reach places:

• under the skirting boards;
• in the airspace between the wallpaper and the wall.

Bugs can multiply in frames on windows (wooden), in window sills, pots with plants.

Chemical exposure

What else can you do if you are overtaken by such a disaster as a skin beetle in an apartment. How to get rid of this scourge if the previous methods did not help?

In fairness, it is worth noting that simple physical elimination can only help if the insects have recently settled in you and have not yet had time to greatly multiply. In other cases, however, the use of chemicals is most likely indispensable. Here are some recipes.

After thorough cleaning, sprinkle boric acid powder in all accessible areas, especially under carpets and near baseboards. Also for these purposes the drug "Borax" is suitable.

For processing small items, such as clothes, you can put them in a plastic bag along with the "Executioner" or "Tetrix" preparations. These are specialized products that do not leave any stains or odors. Processing should be carried out within 3-4 hours, after which things should be washed and dried.

There are also aerosols that kill both adults and larvae. Since such processing does not damage insect eggs, the procedure should be repeated 2-3 times with an interval of 10-14 days. As an example of aerosol preparations, one can cite "Difox" or the good old "Dichlorvos".

Also, anti-moth preparations are suitable for removing skin beetles, but it is better to use them as an additional remedy. It is worth remembering that antimal drugs have only a short-term effect, but at the same time they are endowed with a strong smell, by the way, not always pleasant.

How can you get rid of them?

If a kozheed is wound up in the house, urgent measures must be taken. You should choose a method for exterminating the pest. Destruction methods can be:

• folk;
• professional;
• chemical;
• household.

spring-cleaning

Before using chemistry in the fight against an infestation of skin bugs, it is necessary to examine the housing to determine the amount of the pest. If it is insignificant, you can get by with a thorough cleaning. This is the first step to getting rid of your unpleasant neighbor. Cleaning is carried out in 4 stages:

1. Throw away things affected by pest larvae. If the interior items are valuable, you can try to freeze them or boil them. If possible, things should be washed with detergent in hot water.
2. Eliminate dust from all surfaces by means of special disinfectants.
3. Carry out cleaning of upholstered furniture and carpets. A washing vacuum cleaner will help in the fight against the pest. Vacuuming is necessary every day, remembering to change the dust bag.
4. Thoroughly wash the floor using disinfectants such as "Mister Muscle" or "Mister Proper".

By carrying out such cleaning, you can not only reduce the number of parasites, but also identify the places of their deployment.

Bullying

If a large pest colony is found, you will have to resort to baiting. The combination of different means and methods of struggle is the key to success in the extermination of skin bugs. It is advisable to combine the use of professional insecticides with folk remedies.

When baiting, you should take into account a number of features of the life of kozheedov:

• The larvae of the pest do not tolerate light. They are located in places inaccessible to the sun's rays.
• Larvae develop faster at warm temperatures. Open windows before applying insecticides.
• The larvae are very mobile, therefore large surface areas are subject to processing.

Chemicals

In the fight against the skin beetle, 4 types of chemical agents are applicable. We are talking about the following purchased drugs:

• disinfectants - means that destroy an insect when it enters its body;
• fumigators, providing for the spread of toxic substances by air;
• antimolent drugs;
• insecticides belonging to the pyrethrin group like "Permethrin".

On the eve of the use of chemicals, it will be necessary to remove children and pets from the premises.

Range of disinfectants

Disinfectants used in the fight against insect pests differ from each other in the method of use, price, efficiency. Among the most popular drugs you can see:

• Boric acid powder... The pharmaceutical preparation is affordable and effective. It is used in the place of accumulation of skin beetles.
• "Difox"... On the basis of the drug, a solution is prepared: 2 ml of the product per 1 liter of water. It is sprayed onto surfaces affected by insects. With a large number of pests, the effectiveness of the drug is low.
• Ready-made aerosols like "Molemora", "Raptor", "Dichlorvos", "Karbofos", "Inta-Vira". The contents of the vial are sprayed into the place of accumulation of insect pests. The result lasts for 6 months.

You can also fight parasites using special sticky traps.

Advantages and disadvantages of fumigators

The use of special devices-fumigators, powered by a network and spraying substances toxic to insects, allows you to achieve positive results in the fight against skin debris. Their advantage is the ability to cover a large area in a room affected by parasites.
The use of fumigators has several disadvantages:

• the need for an electrical connection;
• the need to place the device in close proximity to places where insects accumulate;
• achieving a result is possible only with regular use of the product.

"Antimol": advantages and disadvantages

Preparations for moths like "Antimoli" and "Fandal" are affordable, effective in the fight against the skin beetle. Their disadvantage is unpleasant odor.

Permethrin

A naturally occurring insecticide called "Permethrin" attacks the insect's nervous system, causing paralysis. The product in the form of a solution or aerosol is highly effective. You can buy it at the pharmacy.

Folk remedies

Clothes affected by bugs are subjected to freezing. The method is applicable not only for fur coats, but also for carpets. You should take things out in the cold for 5-10 hours. At a temperature of -15 ° C, the heat-loving skin dies. The fragrance is harmful to insects:

• cedar;
• lemon balm;
• lavender.

It is advisable to leave a sachet with essential oil and herbs in places where parasites accumulate. Traditional methods are not as effective as the use of purchased chemicals.

Step three: prevention

Preventive measures will help prevent the problem. They are required to be carried out after the treatment has been carried out in order to avoid secondary damage to the housing by insect pests. In the list of preventive measures, you can see:

1. regular wet cleaning;
2. adding vinegar to the water for washing floors (1 tbsp. l. per 1 l);
3. using soapy water to treat baseboards and floor crevices;
4. timely removal of garbage, washing dirty dishes;
5. equipping window openings with mosquito nets;
6. storage of cereals, flour, dried fruits in glass containers with a tight-fitting lid.

Pest control services

Not confident in their abilities, apartment owners can turn to professionals for help. Disinsection from annoying kozheedov is performed by special services. Employees of such firms have all the necessary arsenal for the extermination of parasites. This is not only special equipment and destruction means, but also possession of certain knowledge and skills.

The problem will be resolved as soon as possible. Items and property treated during disinfestation will be reliably protected for a long period from such a disaster.

When studying the question of how to deal with leather in a house or apartment, it is imperative to take into account those mistakes that inexperienced housewives often make. Such nuances often nullify all the efforts made to exterminate the skin.

1. Insufficient processing.

A large area should be processed - the floor, all completely, and interior items, furniture, to a height of at least 1.5 meters. As a rule, beetles are limited to this area. Spot treatment of any individual areas will not bring the desired effect.

1. Ignoring the multiplicity of processing.

Most of the formulations used to get rid of dermis are capable of affecting the adults of the species and the larva. But they cannot cope with eggs. Some time after the measures taken, a new generation will emerge from these eggs. After the first treatment, another one is necessarily carried out.

1. Non-compliance with the recommendations for the dosage of drugs.

Fearing the toxicity of the chemical composition used when exposed, many owners dilute the drugs not in the dosage prescribed in the instructions, but in a much lower dosage. Such negligence will have serious consequences. It will be possible to destroy only the most weakened individuals. Those representatives who turned out to be stronger not only survive, but also become already immune to this drug.

Advice! If one of the family members is diagnosed with asthma or allergic reactions often occur, it is better to turn to folk remedies. Wet cleaning is mandatory.

If the measures taken turn out to be ineffective, then the tenant with health problems will have to be relocated to relatives for a certain period. During this time, the apartment is carefully processed.

Interesting Facts

To overcome the invasion of skin beetles, you should know the following facts about them:

• insects are afraid of water and wet steam;
• objects of animal origin can be seen among the food addictions of beetles;
• adults are active during daylight hours, they hide at night;
• larvae cause the greatest harm to the household;
• the larva is dangerous for 2-3 months until it becomes an adult;
• photophobia is inherent in larvae, they should be looked for in secluded corners where light does not penetrate;
• the insect is capable of carrying various diseases;
• the use of drugs for moths is not effective against larvae;
• larvae tend to stay awake and in motion all the time.

Treatment for skin beetle bites

Despite its very small size, the skin beetle bites quite painfully. Young children and women react especially violently to his bites. In addition, they can infect a person with serious infectious and viral diseases. Therefore, it is very important to immediately treat the bite site with a disinfectant such as hydrogen peroxide. If this does not help and the bite site begins to become inflamed, it is better to see a doctor immediately.

To prevent an allergic reaction, you need to take an antihistamine, such as Diazolin. The wound site can be treated with moisturizers to speed up the healing process. If everything is done on time and correctly, then there should be no problems after a bite of a skin beetle.

Preventive measures

In addition to regular and high-quality cleaning of residential premises, which necessarily includes washing floors, other preventive measures are required:

1. periodic home surveys to identify parasites;
2. maintaining a cool room temperature;
3. reducing the number of cracks, cracks in the floor and on other surfaces in order to seal the room.

Kozheed is a harmful insect, the defeat of a living space by which it is easier to prevent than to fight against its invasion. It is enough to keep the house clean to avoid the problem.