Why do fleas appear in the basement?
Fleas in the basement of an apartment building spread within the habitat. Various rodents, homeless or pets, people can transfer them to another place . These can be larvae, eggs or adults. If there is an infected object near the cellar or basement, then after some time the parasites will move to a new place to reproduce. The female lays about 500 eggs at once in hard-to-reach crevices and cracks. They can be transported in folds of clothing, wool, or garbage.
Basement fleas appear in the house for the same reasons. Risk areas include garbage chutes, attics, dark and non-residential premises. To remove them, only regular flea treatment in the basement and other objects will help. Otherwise, these parasites will fill an impressive territory, spread diseases and viruses, and annoy people and their pets.
Preventing fleas
Now you know how to get rid of basement fleas, but this does not mean that the parasites will no longer bother you. To minimize the risk of insects, you need to take a number of preventative measures.
- Make sure that no other animals enter the basement.
- Poison mice and rats in a timely manner.
- Seal the basement from rodents.
- Do not clutter the room, regularly remove garbage from the basement.
- Place tansy or wormwood in the basement or cellar.
- Ventilate basements.
- Regularly wet clean the room and change bed linen more often.
- Have your pet wear a flea collar at all times.
As you can see, getting rid of basement fleas is not an easy task. The success of the event depends on the united forces of all residents in apartment buildings. And in a private house, more attention needs to be paid to the basement, keeping it clean and disinfecting it from time to time.
What are the dangers for humans and pets?
A residential private or apartment building is susceptible to attacks by parasites. They carry dangerous diseases, viruses transmitted through bites. In this case, pathogenic bacteria enter the body by injection. It is best to avoid such places, and if appropriate means are available, fight until all individuals and eggs are completely removed.
What diseases do they carry?
You can get rid of fleas in the basement. You should also resort to preventive procedures. Parasites can carry the following diseases:
- Encephalitis;
- Worms of different types;
- Fungal infections;
- Listeriosis;
- Plague;
- Pediculosis;
- Salmonellosis;
- Typhus;
- Anthrax;
- Tularemia.
These are just some of the diseases transmitted by flea bites. Many of them are treated for a long time, using physiotherapy and expensive medications.
Allergic reaction
A private house or high-rise building can be infested with parasites. In addition to serious diseases, they cause allergies. People susceptible to these reactions experience severe discomfort. Rashes may appear on the body, and with increased intensity of development, even blisters. If there are many individuals, then the entire body may be covered with small red wounds. Treatment is medication. In such situations, the patient should be isolated to avoid repeated contact with pathogens. Clothes should be treated with flea chemicals or thrown away.
The dangers posed by basement fleas
Entomologists have found that the flea is a carrier of many dangerous diseases and parasites. Having bitten an infected animal and taken on pathogenic bacteria, viruses, protozoa or flatworms, the bloodsucker generously shares them with subsequent “breadwinners”.
The list of diseases is long:
- plague;
- tularemia;
- salmonellosis;
- intestinal yersiniosis;
- pasteurellosis;
- brucellosis;
- listeriosis;
- typhus;
- hepatitis;
- encephalitis;
- trypanosomiasis;
- hemogregarinosis;
- rickettsiosis;
- helminthiasis
The flea itself, even being absolutely healthy and clean, can cause pulicosis and sarcopsillosis in humans - rashes accompanied by irritation, severe itching and pain. In young children, bites often provoke diarrhea, fever with low-grade fever, and asthmatic breathing.
Particularly dangerous is the occurrence of a severe allergic reaction, which can be complicated by anaphylactic shock.
Eliminate parasites living in your basements
Premises that are breeding grounds for dangerous pests should not be left in a neglected state. Keeping in mind the harm that insects can cause to health, it is imperative to treat basements against fleas.
The most effective methods of combating the parasite
Methods to combat the parasite include various folk and chemical remedies. They must be handled with extreme caution and care. Keep away from children and pets.
Chemical insecticides
Basement fleas and fighting them are sometimes a headache for home residents. Among the simple substances that are harmless to humans are ordinary crayons with active additives and powders. Dangerous substances include chemical ampoule, bomb (smoke screen), aerosols, and liquids. These include Sinuzan, Chlorpirimak, Biorin, Kombat, Varan.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies for fighting parasites can be found in any pharmacy. These are Persian chamomile (pyrethrum), tar soap (tar), boric acid (also used against cockroaches), table salt, baby soap, soda, essential oils.
How to protect your home from the reappearance of basement fleas?
Residents of private cottages and the lower floors of apartment buildings are most at risk of fleas coming from the basement. Preventive measures will help reduce the likelihood of this event - creating a protective barrier against blood-sucking parasites:
- Treat the baseboard, window and door openings of the apartment with insecticidal protein.
- Install a fine-mesh grille over the ventilation hole and apply a chemical that repels insects.
- Treat the surfaces of the apartment with boric acid.
- The main source of nutrition for young animals is organic waste. Dust will help destroy larvae that have recently emerged from eggs. But it can only be used in non-residential premises to avoid poisoning pets.
To prevent the appearance of blood-sucking fleas in your home, it is necessary to pay attention not only to living quarters, but also to periodically organize inspection and treatment of the basement. If rodents or pipe leaks are found in it, the problem should be corrected as quickly as possible. It is enough to treat the technical premises of an apartment building with insecticides for preventive purposes no more than once every three months. Ventilating the property at night in spring, summer or warm autumn will help reduce the risk of fleas. This will lead to a decrease in temperature, and insects will rush to leave the basement in uncomfortable conditions.
But if you want to be guaranteed to protect your home from basement fleas or destroy blood-sucking insects, it is better to seek help from a professional pest control service. Specialists will draw up a program with the optimal frequency of processing the object, and select an effective and suitable means to combat blood-sucking insects. You can contact the manager for help and advice by phone or email.
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Preparing premises to combat basement fleas
If an apartment or private building has a cellar or basement that requires treatment, then it needs to be prepared:
- Remove trash.
- Drive out stray animals and people.
- Clean off old paint, dirt, dust, cobwebs (they will retain the solution).
- Wash the floor and walls with a disinfectant solution.
This is a mandatory list of work before flea sanitization.
How is the basement and apartment disinfected?
It is possible to treat the basement against fleas not only on your own, but also by contacting a specialized company. The product used must be effective, high quality, and safe. Typically water-based aerosols are used. Purchased options are more expensive. Specialized stores sell powders that dissolve in liquid.
Flea spray for indoors: for a review of effective products, read more in the article here.
For spraying, you only need a spray bottle (for large areas, a hose and compressor installation is used to regulate the pressure). The liquid should get into all areas, including hard-to-reach areas (burrows, crevices, cracks). The compositions act immediately (you will need protective equipment - a mask, goggles, a suit). After 2-3 weeks, re-treatment should be carried out.
Distinctive features of basement fleas
Entomological scientists have described over 2 thousand species of fleas. These are the oldest and extremely common representatives of the fauna. Their remains were discovered during archaeological excavations on the bodies of pterosaurs, and modern individuals even live in the permafrost zone.
Disinfect your basement from pests
This prevalence is explained by the high adaptability of the insect pest that lives in the fur or feathers of animals and birds, as well as in their burrows or nests. Fleas are frequent guests of human homes, outbuildings and basements.
The flea's body is brownish-brown, flattened on both sides, and covered with bristles. The length reaches 3.2 mm. The parasite moves by jumping, quickly covering distances on the way to a new target.
The main condition for the life of fleas is the availability of food. Absolutely all species feed on the warm blood of mammals, including humans. By biting the skin with its proboscis, the insect satiates from a few seconds to 20 minutes. Further digestion continues for up to 5 hours.
The life cycle of a flea is short - 2-18 months. But this period increases significantly due to suspended animation. The insect can remain in the larval state for up to a year, waiting for the onset of favorable conditions.
The basement is the best place in this regard. Warmth, moisture and the rodents or cats living there provide the wingless insects with acceptable living conditions.
In this video we will look at how to get rid of basement fleas:
Removing insects from animals
When getting rid of fleas, you need to poison all adults and eggs. For these purposes, Butox is used - a liquid against parasites, used on premises and living creatures. The concentrate is mixed with water in appropriate proportions and then sprayed with a spray bottle. There are other ways, such as:
- Collars, headbands against parasites (for cats, dogs, large rodents, parrots).
- A mixture of borax and baking soda (it is used to cover carpets, bedding, and houses for small and large pets).
- A mixture of garlic (can be dried) and brewer's yeast. It can be used as a supplement to everyday food. The smell repels parasites and creates a barrier to attack.
- A flea comb is one of the most effective methods. Unlike any other comb, the teeth of the comb are located at a short distance from each other, which allows them to physically trap and remove adults, eggs, and dirt from the pet. After the fur is completely dry, you need to comb it several times.
- Mosquito plant is a natural and very powerful repellent. It is applied to the skin to kill germs, ward off insects and treat skin conditions.
- Citrus is considered one of the most effective natural ways to get rid of fleas. Many natural sprays contain the citrus extract D-limonene, which is responsible for getting rid of parasites. You can make it yourself from lemon, orange zest and water.
- Use a light source (lamp, luminaire), soapy water near the pet’s sleeping place.
This is a basic list of common methods. As you can see, there are many options that get rid of parasites quickly and safely.
Methods for exterminating pests
To eliminate these insects, it is necessary to take comprehensive measures:
clean and knock out all carpets yourself, or send them to dry cleaning; wash the floor with a solution of water with acetic acid or ammonia; treat all cracks in the floor and baseboards with insecticides (Butox, Dichlorvos), then cover them thoroughly; carry out a thorough treatment of the apartment and furniture at a height of up to one and a half meters with a chemical insect repellent; Dichlorvos, Kombat, Executioner are good options, and it is important to observe precautions; wash bed linen, blankets, bedspreads at high temperature, then steam with an iron; treat pillows, blankets, mattresses with a steam generator or dry them in the sun for several days; go through clothes and other things in closets, if signs of pest infestation are noticed, then also wash everything at high temperature; get rid of junk; treat pets with special means and put flea collars on them; if there are too many pests, then you should call a professional service to eliminate them; take measures to eliminate fleas in the basement.
Pests cannot tolerate strong odors; they force them to leave the premises. Place pine sawdust and pine needles around the house and fill mattresses and bedding for pets with them. Citrus peels and various essential oils are also suitable for expelling pests. Sprinkle baking soda or salt around the house, especially paying attention to cracks, corners, baseboards; fleas cannot tolerate these products. Rinse the floors and all surfaces with a strong salt solution; take a kilogram of salt per bucket of water. Wash the floor, walls and carpets with a solution of water and tar soap. Treat all surfaces with brewer's yeast and garlic; insects fear this product like fire. Freeze carpets, furniture and premises; this method is only suitable in winter, but it is less labor-intensive. In frosty weather, leave the door and windows open for several hours, then thoroughly clean the apartment, vacuum the furniture and carpets
To be sure, it is better to repeat the procedure several times.
Rodent baiting
Rodent baiting can be done independently using modern methods. They are divided into folk, chemical, mechanical, biological. The simplest and most cost-effective remedy is biological. It involves using animals (cats, hedgehogs). They actively begin to hunt in the territory with a limited diet. Mechanical devices include traps, mousetraps, and traps. Additionally, you will need bait (a piece of edible material), glue for fastening, and also as an amplifier for the trap.
Attention! Care should be taken when handling chemicals. Many of them contain active ingredients that can harm the human body or pet. It is possible to remove rats and mice using aerosols, suspensions, or feeding containing a special powder. The most common are Ratindan, Ratomor, Krysid, Zookoumarin. The composition is usually placed in the habitats of the animal - holes, cracks, holes in walls, floors.
Traditional methods also help. These include substances such as ash, flour, gypsum, mint, garlic, and pine shoots. Rodents have a sensitive sense of smell, which prevents them from not paying attention to strong, specific odors.
Experts advise combining techniques and being smart. For example, you can catch large individuals using a bucket, a short board, straw, sunflower oil, and wheat seeds. Climbing to the top of the structure in search of food, the individual will slide down the board into a bucket of water. The problem will be solved.
Services of professional firms
On the Russian market there are specialized companies engaged in breeding rodents, unwanted (stray) animals, and insects. They use effective means - aerosols, traps, and other methods. This procedure helps to quickly and efficiently achieve what you want. The cost of services depends on the location of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation. Citizens do not always have enough knowledge to combat fleas, and inaccurate information can aggravate the situation several times. The professional services of companies are often used by kindergartens, educational schools, technical schools, colleges, and industrial institutions.
How to recognize parasites
Features of the parasite:
- tiny insects - the length of the pest does not exceed 0.6 mm;
- the body of the flea is flattened laterally, thickened in the abdominal area;
- There are only three pairs of legs: the back ones are strong and the longest. The limbs help fleas jump almost a meter in height;
- the color is brownish, less often – lighter, yellowish-brown;
- parasites live on the fur of domestic animals, in old baseboards and cracks in the floor, behind torn wallpaper, they jump on the victim to bite and drink a drop of blood;
- At the site of the flea bite there is a noticeable red spot that is very itchy and painful.
Prevention
For preventive purposes, proven means of control should be used. The recommended period is from 10 to 14 days. After its completion, you can poison rodents (rats, mice, voles), and the larvae of various insects (if visible). You should also keep stray animals out, avoid accumulating garbage, and fix technical problems (leaks, holes) to avoid the accumulation of moisture (mold, dampness, fungus). It is allowed to use fumigators, catchers, and various traps for stray dogs, cats, rodents, wild animals and insects.
Advice! The building and basement should be tightly locked (with a lock or key), and if necessary, install protective grilles.
Getting rid of fleas is a periodic procedure. If you promptly treat the square meters of the basement (private or apartment building) and carry out preventive measures, you can forget about insects for a long time. It is not recommended to start disinfection to avoid the spread of viruses, diseases, and allergic reactions from bites.