Black caterpillars in the apartment. The use of soap, pesticides and other means of controlling caterpillars

Very often you can see various insects in the apartment that feel like full-fledged owners of the house. There are many fables about the benefits of the presence of spiders, ants in the home. But do not forget about the damage caused by insects to property, and most importantly, the health of households. All the small inhabitants of the apartment need to be known “by sight” and exterminated in time.

bloodsucking

Insects of this species feed on blood, they can infect people with serious diseases:

bed bugs

Females harm a person - 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

This kind of insects can harm property and human health:

cockroaches

Very nimble insects of the cockroach order. They lead a secretive nocturnal lifestyle. Body sizes reach from 1.7 to 9.5 centimeters. They feed on plant and animal remains, various garbage and even feces. The coloration is mostly yellow-brown and black. Life expectancy is about 30 weeks, and in some species even several months. Habitat - basements, trash cans, human dwelling. They harm indoor plants, book bindings, spoil food, furniture.

They are carriers of infectious diseases and helminths.

house ants

Tiny insects of the Hymenoptera family. Lead active image life next to the person. Body size 2-4 mm. House ants are omnivorous, but prefer meat, fish, sweets. The color is mostly yellow, brown. They live in large families, the number of individuals reaches up to 1 million in one family. Life expectancy is as follows: males live only 20 days; worker ants and common females - up to 2 months; queen female - 275 days. They live mainly in human dwellings, trade and public catering enterprises. They harm plants, spoil products, and are carriers of all kinds of microbes.

Two-tailed

Insect type - arthropods, detachment - cryptomaxillary six-legged. They lead a secretive nocturnal lifestyle. They have a body length of 2-3 centimeters. They feed on microscopic insects, living microorganisms. Coloration red-brown. They live for about 1 year in damp rooms (bathroom, kitchen, etc.). They cause hostility in a person with their very appearance, bite painfully, spoil plants, books, furniture.

Woodlouse

Arthropod insect detachment - isopods, suborder - crustaceans. They lead a hidden lifestyle (hide under stones, lying trees) in damp places. The body length reaches 20 millimeters. Life expectancy is 9 to 12 months. They feed on living and decaying plants. The coloration is grey, the belly is white. They do not harm a person and do not pose a danger.

Carpet kozheed

Beetle, detachment - Coleoptera, family of kozheedov. It lives mainly in houses, apartments, in nature in bird nests, hollows of trees. Body sizes from 2.5 to 5.5 millimeters. It feeds on organic residues 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 kinds of grains and foodstuffs.

book louse

Arthropod insects with body sizes from 2 millimeters to 35 centimeters. The body is divided into the head and torso, which consists of 25-100 segments and has the number of legs from 10 to 750. It is nocturnal, a predator. The color is most often gray, brown, rarely reddish. Life expectancy reaches 5-6 years.

fur moth

Insect, order Lepidoptera, butterfly. Body size 5-8 mm. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Coloration golden brown. Life expectancy is from 200 to 250 days. Lives in pigeon nests and living quarters. Representative dangerous pests: destroys fur, wool, felt and products from them.

Clothes moth

Lepidoptera insects in the form of a straw-yellow butterfly. Body sizes vary from 5 to 9 millimeters. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. Live an average of 8-10 days residential buildings and warehouses. They feed on products made of cotton, wool, fur, carpets, furniture upholstery, thereby harming people.

Moshkara (midge)

They are harmful because they bite painfully and carry infectious diseases (tularemia, anthrax, leprosy, glanders, plague).

Harvest spiders

Small insects, spider family. Body sizes can vary from 2 to 10 millimeters, but at the same time they have very long legs up to 9 centimeters. Coloration gray-brown. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They like to settle in the dark, wet rooms, but in residential buildings they prefer dry, warm places near windows. They feed on flies and small insects, thereby benefiting people. Life span 1 year. They have poison, but use it solely for the purpose of killing their victims caught in the web and only then eat them.

flies

Harmful: bite painfully; carry all kinds of bacteria and dirt, which leads to infectious diseases.

silverfish

Small wingless insect, bristletail detachment. Body dimensions are 0.8-1.9 centimeters. They have a very beautiful silver color. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. They live in rooms with high humidity (most often in bathrooms, baths, saunas, etc.) They eat everything that comes their way. They do not cause any particular harm and do not pose a danger to humans.

termites

White insects, detachment - herbivorous, family - cockroaches. They have a soft white body, 1-10 millimeters in size. They lead an underground life. They live in large colonies, where the number of individuals reaches several million. The main food is cellulose. Pests cause great damage to forest and agriculture. Some types of termites are useful - they form and mix the upper layers of the soil and, thus, improve the yield of crops.

insects in food

Insects of this species are destroyers of food stocks, can harm human health:

Mukoed

Small insect, detachment - Coleoptera. Body length 1.5-2.5 mm. Coloration red. Habitat - premises with high humidity and air temperature of at least 20 degrees (barns, granaries, mills, food warehouses). They feed on flour, all kinds of cereals and flour products, do not disdain any other types of food, therefore they are malicious pests.

bread grinder

A small bug is a family of grinders, a detachment is Coleoptera. Body dimensions are 1.7-3.8 millimeters. Coloration red-brown. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. It feeds on everything in the world, even some species poisonous drugs. Life span 1 month.

Eating bread infected with this type of bug is dangerous harm for people's health.

flour beetle

A small insect of the family of dark beetles, detachment - Coleoptera. Body dimensions 12-18 millimeters. The coloration is brown. Lives in the kitchen in furniture, in pantries with food, barns with grain, pasta factories. Life span 1 year. Food is omnivorous. The harm lies in spoiled almost all types of food.

Weevil

Insect, detachment - Coleoptera. Body sizes 1-30 millimeters. It happens black, yellow, brown, depending on the habitat. They live inside plants and in the soil. Live from 1 to 2 years. feed on dicot plants and plant roots. Pests of agricultural and forest lands, including grain groats.

food moth

Very hardy and tenacious insect. A small butterfly with a body size of 8-10 millimeters. Coloration gray-brown. Lives in kitchen furniture. Loves high humidity. Life expectancy 2-3 weeks. It feeds on dried fruits, flour, tea, coffee, baby food, cereals, all kinds of pasta and many others. Spoils all kinds of food, harming people.

Only insect larvae harm the products.

A variety of worms in the apartment is not uncommon, they can be found in the bathroom, in the kitchen, under the carpet and even in your own bed. The reasons for the appearance of worms are always different, even in an exemplary clean apartment they can be seen in the most unexpected place. For example, you take out cereals to cook porridge, and there, worms swarm in the bag, or you change bedding, lifted the sheet, nasty ones crawl across the bed. In any case, except for a feeling of disgust, and maybe even fear, you will not experience. You want to get rid of the misfortune as quickly as possible, but before you do this, you need to know who you have to fight, otherwise there is a risk of losing the war. More often worms are insect larvae, let's take a closer look at who can live next door to you.

Worms on the couch

White or yellowish caterpillars in the sofa are most likely furniture moth larvae. They can be distinguished from other pests by their cocoon, almost a whole house that they build from the remnants of fabric, excrement and silk. The worm puts it on itself and so moves, though for short distances.

Furniture moth larva - photo

Furniture moth (its larva) develops at a temperature of 23-25 ​​° C for about 90 days. They do not like illuminated surfaces, so worms can be overlooked for a long time in the cracks and folds of upholstered furniture. Each of the caterpillars can significantly damage the upholstery of furniture, so you need to destroy pests as quickly as possible. Look behind the sofa, you may find whole nests of moths there.

Tiny, white, translucent worms with sparse hair that can be seen under a magnifying glass are flea larvae. Fleas feel great on the couch and you don’t have to go far for food. They do not bite a person, the larvae feed on organic matter (and there are many particles of your skin in the sofa), excrement of adult insects, plant remains.

Flea larva - photo

If you put the larva under a microscope, you can see its esophagus with food that has not yet been digested and the remains of organic matter. The size of flea larvae is only about 2-5 millimeters. They have 13 segments, a round head and well developed jaws. The larva develops in the period from 9 days to several months, it all depends on the temperature and the availability of food. They can starve for a very long time, up to one month. They also choose unlit places, hiding in folds and crevices. In this case, you need to think about how to get fleas out of the apartment, because after they grow up, they will start drinking your blood. You can also meet flea larvae in animal bedding, in closets, in a pile of garbage, and even in a box of vegetables.

Worms in the mattress (pillow, bed)

If you find a damaged mattress or pillow, examine the bedding for the presence of small light worms - clothes moth larvae. Calling them worms is not very correct, because the caterpillar has, albeit tiny, but six pairs of limbs. A clothes moth (larva), just like a furniture moth, makes a cover, constructing it from fabric and some own substance resembling silk.

Clothes moth larva - photo

With normal nutrition and optimum temperature the larva develops in two months, and with a decrease in temperature in five months. Caterpillars have a length of 1 to 12 mm, interestingly, they cannot drink, so they prefer wet areas of fabric - greasy spots, leftover food, sweat. Moth larvae can be found in closets with clothes, in carpets, and other dark places.

Worms in the carpet

In the carpet beetle, the larvae look like oval, semi-cylindrical or spindle-shaped worms. The larvae are mobile, their body with brown stripes, covered with hard protruding hairs.

Kozheed larva - photo

The kozheed beetle is found not only in carpets, they are attracted by feathers, fur, upholstered furniture and even clothing. AT recent times, kozheedy quite often.

Worms in cabinet furniture

The main pest of wood is the grinder beetle. Its larvae live in wood products, in particular in furniture, for a very long time up to 17 years!

Grinder beetle larva - photo

Only one larva in its life is able to gnaw through passages up to 40 kilometers long in wood. Larvae are white, fleshy, 5-10 mm long. They have thickened segments on the chest, small dark spines on the back, and three pairs of pectoral legs. Already adult insects fly out. Carpenter beetles can live in your home for several years, remaining unnoticed.

Worms in the bathroom or toilet

Not very, but still they look like white or silver worms of silverfish, preferring dampness.

Silverfish - photo

The length of the insect is 1-2 cm, the body is more like a droplet. Silverfish do not like light, preferring to hide in floor cracks, furniture and other dark places. There are pests not only in bathrooms, they can be found under carpets, in furniture, under baseboards, it all depends on the level of humidity in your apartment. The silverfish lives for 4 years. You can get to know the pest better and find out how to get rid of them here - "Silfish - how to get rid of insects."

Worms in the kitchen

Little white worms in groats are food moth, which also eats flour, dried fruits and even animal feed.

Moth larvae create cocoons in the form of lumps, for example, as in the photo.

The food moth in the apartment, or rather its larvae, easily gnaw through the packages where food is stored, not only eat them, but also infect them with feces, dead individuals, and skins. Therefore, eating contaminated foods is not recommended. Most often, she gets into the house along with groceries from the store, but she lives not only on cereals, you can meet a moth larva in the most unexpected corner of the apartment.

What insect pests are able to colonize city ​​apartment and multiply, as well as what kind of harm to the inhabitants of the dwelling - we will get to know each other.

Insects that have settled in an apartment are divided not only by appearance, but also by the damage that they can cause to residents and pets. With some representatives of pests who have chosen human habitation, people sometimes get along, but there are those that make such a neighborhood unbearable.

These insects are from the category of those who are able to turn the lives of the inhabitants of the apartment into a living hell, while posing a direct threat to health. When bitten, they share with the victim of the attack pathogens of formidable infections that directly enter the bloodstream, causing a guaranteed infection in the bitten. In addition, allergies occur in the affected areas, itching and redness are noted. The situation with bites can lead to dermatitis.

bed bugs

These small insects in the apartment are hardly noticeable, they hide from the light, attacking only in the dark. They live and breed in dark inaccessible areas - crevices, niches, behind cabinets and hanging paintings, at the bottom of sofas and armchairs, inside household appliances.

They are small, strongly flattened brown insects. They are found in the apartment rather by the left excrement and blood marks on the bed.

They are suspected by science as carriers for bites of such infections that are insensitive to humans:

  1. smallpox;
  2. Hepatitis B;
  3. tularemia;
  4. tuberculosis;
  5. typhoid fever;
  6. brucellosis;
  7. anthrax.

But the most tangible sign of such a neighborhood is the deprivation of restful sleep and itchy marks on the skin from night bug attacks.

By the way! Bed bugs, having got to a constant source of food, without being detected and harassed in time, will populate even the most well-groomed apartment, absolutely regardless of the observance of the owners sanitary regulations. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to assume that bedbugs are an indicator of slovenliness, and even more so, you should not be ashamed of the fact of their appearance in the house.

Fleas

These frisky and painfully biting insects in the apartment are also not easy to detect - the flea moves with lightning speed in a jump that can reach half a meter. A bloodsucker can be seen only at the moment of a bite, which, due to pain and itching, cannot be confused with other types of insects that can populate an apartment.

The body of the flea is small, devoid of wings, narrow in the sides, covered with tiny bristles, due to which the bloodsucker feels at ease in the thick of wool or pile, the chest and head have characteristic ridges. The color is predominantly brown.

Insects similarly try to occupy cracks, niches, carpets, soft upholstery and other areas of the apartment that are safe for them. When bitten, they can endow the victim with such a “bouquet” of infections:

  1. Sarcopsillosis;
  2. pulicosis;
  3. bacteria of plague, tularemia, brucellosis;
  4. salmonella and rickettsia;
  5. hepatitis and encephalitis viruses;
  6. protozoa and helminths.

Pay attention to pets, to the presence of rodents in the basement and in the attic of the house, to bird nests in the area of ​​windows and balconies. These are the most likely foci of a flea invasion of an apartment.

Lice

The head louse is not literally a domestic insect that inhabits an apartment, since it lives and breeds exclusively on the human hair zone. But the wardrobe loves to live on the villi of clothes, in its folds. From there, it easily moves to the host's body, where there are hairs, and is saturated with his blood.

The body of the head bloodsucker is less oblong and has a color closer to gray, and the clothes cover of the body is transparent, through which you can see the contents of the abdomen filled with blood.

The bites of these insects are very sensitive and are accompanied by a disturbing itch that provokes scratching on the head. Infection with lice and nits is called pediculosis.

These domestic insects in the apartment cause both damage to health and damage to property located in the room. Therefore, they are also actively destroyed by the residents, whose house they dared to take a fancy to.

cockroaches

Everyone recognizes these insects running around the apartment, even without a photo and a name. Of the many cockroaches, only two have taken root in humans - a brown Prussian and a black cockroach.

These household pests, being completely omnivorous, absorb almost all organic matter in the apartment - food residues, paper, fabrics, leather. There are documented facts of gnawing the surface layer of the skin in sleeping people.

Possessing a superbly developed gnawing apparatus with powerful hard jaws, the cockroach is capable of inflicting painful bites. And since this usually happens at night, when the insect feels safe and is active, sleeping children are especially susceptible to the threat.

Contacting regularly with garbage, insects transfer pathogens of dysentery, salmonellosis to fresh food and utensils, and can cause disorders digestive system cause allergies.

Note! In addition to pesticides, they die from the cold. They love not only heat, but also dampness.

Brownie (pharaoh) ants

These yellow or light brown small insects it is easy to notice in an apartment - they do not hide, openly traveling in colonies along the walls of the dwelling, occupying any space they like, where it is warm, not dry and there is a lot of food. They can be found in the most unexpected places - between the pages of books, under wallpaper, in packaged cereals, in closets with clothes.

An insect family can reach several hundred thousand individuals, and an anthill can cover the territory of just apartment building. Therefore, it is so difficult to remove them from the apartment - all rooms in the house, both residential and common, have to be treated with insecticides.

They bite painfully, while enduring some dangerous viruses in particular poliomyelitis. Small pets can be killed by hiding in the respiratory passages.

mole

This nondescript butterfly also needs no introduction, as it is known to everyone for its ability to gnaw through fur, leather and fabrics, making clothes unsuitable for further wear, and also spoiling food.

  1. (domestic) “specializes” in furs, making a “haircut” on fur products and laying offspring there.
  2. (room) in the imago stage does not cause harm, but its caterpillars make holes in clothes and upholstery of upholstered furniture, not disdaining plant food - stocks of cereals and flour.

There is also a grain moth, which is also called a barn moth, it can also appear in a dwelling, because it feeds on rice, wheat and corn. But the apartment is not a typical habitat for her.

Small brown bugs in the apartment climb into closets with clothes, grocery bags, hide in carpets, upholstered furniture, indoor plants and under baseboards.

It is very difficult to get rid of tiny leather beetles and anthrenuses, but you should not hope that the insects will leave the apartment themselves. The owners are aware of several proven ways to get rid of harmful brown bugs.

Reasons for the appearance

Tiny insects are found everywhere:

  • under skirting boards;
  • in bags with bulk products;
  • in the closet with clothes;
  • for central heating batteries;
  • in carpets, paths;
  • on indoor flowers;
  • inside upholstered furniture;
  • next to heating appliances;
  • on the windowsills;
  • inside smoked and dried products, meat products;
  • in bags of grain, jars of peanuts;
  • among books and paper.

Caterpillars of kozheedov, unlike adults, are quite tenacious, they do well without food for several weeks. Soft, dry "cushion" of dust behind the baseboards, in the corners, next to back wall cabinets are a great hiding place for growing pests. Sunlight practically does not penetrate into secluded corners, the larvae feel at ease.

Ways of entry of insects:

  • through open windows and vents;
  • co old furniture, books;
  • inside second-hand items bought at a sale;
  • inside products with improper storage;
  • with cereals, whole grains;
  • at the time of buying dried fish and meat, smoked products;
  • from attics, from cellars;
  • on the dried mushrooms, in a package with medicinal herbs or spices bought in the market;
  • on the pile of old carpets.

It is quite difficult to protect yourself from "acquaintance" with tiny brown bugs: pests small size hard to notice. The inattention of the owners when buying new or old things, clothes, products often allows pests to quietly enter the house.

Types of small brown bugs

A human dwelling is attacked by several varieties harmful insects. Most often, leather beetles crawl around an apartment or a private house. Anthrenuses live in old carpets.

Tiny bugs have one feature - they do not like excess moisture. For this reason, insects do not settle in the bathroom.

A few details about each type of pest. The information is useful to all owners.

Leather beetles

General information:

  • pests feed on organic matter: fur, leather, flowers, down, food, feathers. Insects gnaw through books, glued together with a starch-based compound;
  • insect size - from 2 to 4 mm, color - dark brown or black. The faces have a rounded, tapering body, the color of the growing pest is yellow-brown;
  • grain kozheed destroys nuts (loves peanuts), cereals, grain, bran, flour of different varieties;
  • ham skin eater prefers meat products, penetrates into dried fish, smoked meats. The insect annoys museum workers: it destroys stuffed animals, collections of zoo exhibits, damages leather goods, fur, animal skins at home;
  • pests are not afraid of sudden changes in temperature, they feel great in basements, apartments, bird nests, in attics;
  • from an egg to an adult, the kozheed beetle develops in 6–12 months. The female lays at least a hundred eggs;
  • bugs hide in dusty corners, among crackers, dried mushrooms, in crevices, among old clothes. Larvae of kozheedov do not tolerate the sun's rays, they try to hide away from bright light.

Important! Often the owners do not understand how dangerous small bugs are. Brown, they think that insects accidentally climbed into the apartment and will soon leave the home. But after a few weeks, it turns out that pests live everywhere, crawl from rotting residues to food, appear not only in wardrobes with clothes, but also in food bags. The earlier the fight against tiny insects is started, the greater the chances for the success of the “operation”.

Anthrenuses

General information:

  • pests are small, size - from 1 to 4 mm, color - brown or almost black;
  • tiny bugs live on old carpets;
  • insects willingly eat crumbs, particles of the epidermis, human hair that has fallen on carpet covering, pile, organic substances that are always present on carpets;
  • larvae of anthrenus beetles also hide among the villi, it is difficult to see them;
  • with a small number of colonies, insects do not cause much harm, but often cause allergy attacks in people with hypersensitivity of the body;
  • with active reproduction, adults and larvae take on things, spoil them.

Harm

Anthrenuses and damage products, things, furniture, fabrics (not only wool), leather products, books, carpets. Insects gnaw through drywall wooden furniture even electrical wiring. Omnivorous insects live not only in the kitchen: pests spread throughout the apartment.

Small brown beetles carry pathogens of dangerous diseases on tiny legs and antennae. Insects move through dusty corners, food waste, the bathroom area, move to the kitchen, crawl over food. It is difficult to talk about compliance with hygiene standards after such “travels”.

How to get rid: effective methods

The first stage is to identify all the places where kozheeds or antrenuses 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, houseplants, wardrobes with clothes, bookshelves.

On a note! If you do not take this stage seriously, soon new pests will appear from the remaining eggs, the fight against anthrenuses and skin beetles will be in vain.

The second stage is the selection of the optimal means for the destruction of 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 help get rid of beetles and folk remedies. With a large number of skin beetles and anthrenuses, it is easier to invite professional exterminators than to waste time and nerves on self-treatment of an apartment.

The third stage is the direct fight against tiny brown bugs. If a decision is made to carry out pest control on your own, you will have to allocate two to three days to prepare for the procedure, pick up the time to apply toxic agents or home formulations.

Note to owners:

  • complexity self processing- in in large numbers areas where harmful beetles can live. For this reason, it is easier to turn to professionals;
  • the task of the owners is to check bulk products, flowerpots with indoor flowers, look into the refrigerator;
  • a prerequisite is the removal of rubbish, use of 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 carpets, take out in the sun or freeze in winter;
  • boil fabrics in soapy water;
  • to process leather goods and things made of leather substitute;
  • clean upholstered furniture with a steam generator;
  • freeze woolen and synthetic things on the balcony or in the freezer;
  • get all the products, packages, jars of cereals, flour from the lockers, review the stocks. If found, do not fry millet, buckwheat or rice in the oven, then take out 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 things, clothes made from natural fabrics, fur, leather products. Inspect cabinets, chest of drawers, bedside tables, wipe from the inside with soapy water;
  • check skirting boards, remove old, dried out products, replace with new ones. If a wooden elements still serve, then seal all the cracks.

Learn about the reasons for the appearance in the apartment and how to deal with insects.

About usage methods ammonia against cockroaches and about safety measures when using ammonia is written on the page.

A few more tips:

  • after preparation, treat skirting boards, floors, cracks, corners, wooden furniture with a toxic aerosol or insecticide solution. You should not buy universal rates: best option- means intended for the destruction of 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 folk methods good effect gives the use of boric acid. Pour pharmaceutical powder into all the cracks where pests can live. You will have to buy several bags of funds: harmful insects inhabit many areas of the home. Boric acid does not harm animals and households, but skin beetles, anthrenuses, other unpleasant and dangerous "neighbors" do not tolerate the action of the remedy.

Preventive measures

The fight against leather beetles and anthrenuses takes a lot of time and effort from the owners. After removing tiny insects, it is important to understand how to act so that pests do not settle at home again.

How to proceed:

  • put mosquito nets on windows in summer;
  • protect the airbags with gratings with small cells;
  • avoid accumulation of wool in the corners, at front door or next to cabinets if a cat or dog lives at home;
  • without regret to give old things to a charitable foundation. If no one wears clothes for a long time, dust accumulates in it, favorable soil appears for the reproduction of leather beetles, clothes and fur coats;
  • put things away for storage, having previously treated the products with an anti-pediculosis agent - a solution of permine 0.005%. A simple procedure will prevent the development of skin-eaters;
  • periodically take things out of cabinets, air them on the balcony, freeze them in winter or hang them out in the sun in summer to kill larvae and adults. Regular care of things, keeping things clean helps in the fight against moths;
  • in winter, take out the "dust collectors" in the cold. Special attention carpet paths, sweaty curtains, capes on chairs and sofas;
  • periodic cleaning of upholstered furniture with a steam generator is a great 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 to scare away bugs and - bay leaf;
  • sealing not only holes in the floor or baseboards, but also blowing will help prevent the penetration of harmful insects mounting foam all holes/crevices leading to the apartment from the basement/attic from the neighbors.

Is your home being attacked by little brown bugs? You 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 so that tiny creatures do not enter the apartment.

Where do small bugs come from in the apartment and how to deal with them? Helpful Hints in the next video:

Attention! Only today!

Caterpillars can be great and easy to care for pets for all adults and children. Apart from the fact that they need to be given enough food, caterpillars require little. And the best thing is the opportunity to watch how these creatures wrap themselves in a cocoon or become a chrysalis, and after a few days or weeks magically turn into butterflies or moths. What could be better than this? Read on to learn how to properly care for a caterpillar and transform it into a butterfly.

Steps

Where to find caterpillars

    Select right time of the year. Most better time for hunting caterpillars, it is spring and summer, since most butterflies lay their eggs at this time. However, some individuals (particularly hairy caterpillars) appear in autumn. Winter is the only time of the year when it is impossible to find caterpillars.

    • AT wild nature the survival rate of caterpillars is about 2%; this means that out of every hundred eggs laid by a butterfly, only two will survive to an adult. This is due to a large number predators whose food is caterpillars. Thus, by adopting a caterpillar as a pet, you give it a much greater chance of survival.
    • Be aware that autumn caterpillars are more likely to chrysalis all winter, so you will have to wait much longer for a butterfly to appear than spring or summer caterpillars, which can take 2-3 weeks.
  1. Look for caterpillars on plants. The best place The search for caterpillars are their favorite plants, as caterpillars usually stay close to their food source. If you're not picky about the kind of caterpillar you want to take care of, you can check the leaves of any plant in your garden or park. However, if you are looking for specific caterpillars/butterflies/moths, then you will have to target specific types plants. Here are some of the more common ones:

    Order specific types of caterpillars online. If you need a particular type of caterpillar/butterfly and can't find it yourself, there is always the option of ordering from a specialized supplier online.

    Take care of the caterpillars. When you find a caterpillar, it is very important to handle it correctly. If you try to grab the caterpillar, it can catch on the surface on which it is with great force, and if you pull, you can damage the caterpillar or even tear off its legs.

    Where and how to place caterpillars

    1. Keep your caterpillar in a suitable container. Caterpillars don't need anything fancy to place them on - a 5 liter jar or aquarium is ideal. The jar or aquarium is easy to clean, and the caterpillar will be clearly visible through the walls.

      • Cover the container with gauze or mesh and secure with a rubber band for proper ventilation. Do not pierce holes in a screw cap as some sites suggest, as caterpillars may attempt to escape through these holes and injure themselves on the sharp edges.
      • If you are placing more than one caterpillar, make sure that each one has three times the space larger size her body so that she can move freely. This is how you avoid overcrowding.
    2. Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel or soil. It's a good idea to line the bottom of the container with paper, as it will absorb excess moisture and also collect caterpillar excrement. You can easily clean the tracked container by throwing away one paper and laying down another.

      Place a couple of sticks in the container. This is a good idea for a number of reasons:

      • First, the caterpillars will have something to climb on, which they may need to get to the food.
      • Secondly, the caterpillar may want to pupate while hanging from a branch. That is, you must check that the stick is held securely and will not fall.
      • Thirdly, when a butterfly hatches from a chrysalis, it needs to hang upside down on something in order to spread and dry its wings.
    3. Keep the container moist. Most caterpillars prefer somewhat moist environment. The best way to achieve this - periodically spray the container with a spray bottle.

    How to feed caterpillars

      Find a food plant for the caterpillar. The task of the caterpillar is to eat, eat and eat, therefore the most main part taking care of the caterpillar is to provide it with a constant source of fresh food.

      • The first thing you should do is give the caterpillar some leaves from the plant or tree where you found it, as chances are it was its food plant.
      • Watch the caterpillar carefully to see if it eats the leaves you gave it. If yes, then congratulations, you have found her fodder plant! Now you only need to supply the caterpillar with fresh leaves until it pupates.
    1. If you don't know the food plant, experiment with various types leaves. Caterpillars are very selective in their food, and each species has a limited number of plants that they feed on. In fact, most caterpillars will starve to death if given the wrong food. So if your caterpillar refuses the leaves of the plant you found it on, or if you find a caterpillar not on a plant, you will have to figure out its host plant through trial and error.

      Leaves must be fresh. Caterpillars will not eat old or dried leaves, so it is important to provide them with fresh green leaves all the time. The frequency of leaves will depend on the plant, some may last a week, others need to be renewed daily.

    2. Don't worry about giving the caterpillar water. Caterpillars do not need to drink, all necessary water they get with food.

      • However, if the caterpillar looks a bit desiccated, you need to increase the humidity in the container, try rinsing the leaves with water and placing them in the container without drying them out.
      • Drops of water on the leaves will provide the necessary moisture.

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