How many midges live on the street. The life cycle of the midge

For several weeks now, hordes of midges have been preventing Volgograd residents from relaxing by the reservoirs. She climbs into the ears, eyes, mouth. When this misfortune will end and how to deal with it - in the material "AiF-Volgograd".

When will the midge fall?

According to experts, annoying midge Volgograd residents will have to endure a few more weeks.

“The intensity of the development of midges depends on several natural and climatic factors, the main of which is the duration and intensity of spills on our rivers,” says Vladimir Gorelov, head of the laboratory of hydrobiology and assessment of damage to aquatic biological resources of the Volgograd branch of GosNIORKh. - This spring high water stood on the Volga for more than 20 days, now its intensive decline is underway. Accordingly, the departure of more and more hordes of these insects continues. My personal predictions: Volgograd residents, Volga residents, residents of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain should be patient with midges for the whole of June. It will become much smaller, the number will decline only in the first ten days of July. The peak of midge emergence will come in mid-June.”

But in the Don river basin, according to the forecast of a specialist, the fall of the "livestock" of this midge will occur a little earlier.

What are the most effective mosquito repellents?

1. mosquito net and tight clothing. Going to nature, the river bank, it is necessary to wear tight clothes that cover the body as much as possible. It is desirable to have special mosquito masks of any configuration.

2. Cologne + oils. Can be soaked into clothing or sprayed onto open areas skin cologne with the addition of drops of valerian, lavender, clove or anise oils. Impregnation of clothes with Carnation cologne or clove oil is considered especially effective.

3. Menthol. Help protect against midges ointment from home first aid kit, which include sharp-smelling menthol and essential oils.

4. Vanillin. Add to any cream base and rub into the skin.

5. Special ointments. Repellents and ointments such as "Taiga", "Deta" are effective.

How to get rid of itching after a midge bite?

If itching has begun from the bites of the blood-sucking brethren, it is better not to comb the wounds. Experts advise treating itchy places with boric alcohol or making a cold compress from ammonia, table vinegar or baking soda (1 teaspoon per glass of water). Salt or soda solution is very effective. It quickly relieves both itching and swelling.

Myths and facts about the midge

There are many myths associated with the midge.

“Many Volgograd residents are for some reason convinced that the hydroelectric power station is allegedly to blame for the intensive development of midges, we didn’t have it before,” says Vladimir Gorelov. - But it's not like that at all! Most forms of midges breed in our wooded floodplains, that is, in the floodplain of the Volga and Akhtuba, Don, and it has always existed with us.

There is an even more controversial statement - they say, near Volgograd, supposedly “there are no breeding sites for midges - hordes of these insects are brought to us by the wind from Astrakhan. Again, the myth is not true. Typical floodplain places where these insects develop begin literally within the city.

It is true that there is not as much harm from the midge as from its closest "relatives" in the order of orthoptera - mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can carry a range of serious viral diseases- Congo-Crimea fever, malaria. The midge has not yet been “convicted” of this. However, for many people, even short-term contact with these insects causes serious allergic reactions - itching, burning of the skin, swelling. At the same time, female midges are usually able to penetrate into the skin of people and animals. Males just like to circle in huge clusters over any large object - stationary or moving.

The midge is completely unable to resist any serious gusts of wind. They can bring it to a great height, and far from water bodies.

Sometimes even the smallest creature can cause a lot of trouble. AT modern world there are over 4000 species and 78 genera small midge. About 200 species are distributed in Russia, and only four of them feed on the blood of mammals.

flower midge

What do these small insects interfere with, what harm do they cause, and what is their life expectancy? How much trouble the midge brings to man and animal. Of the most diverse complaints about midges, the following can be distinguished:

• their bites are very painful;
• spoil house and garden plants;
• can serve as a carrier of infection;
• with a large amount - get into the nose, ears, eyes.

Excursion to nature

Midges to their appearance, resemble small humpback mosquitoes. Their body size barely reaches 6 mm. The main difference from mosquitoes is the presence of a short proboscis and small legs.

The appearance of the larva

The fly has three stages of development: egg, larva, adult insect

In their natural habitat, midges usually settle near open water bodies with fresh water. This is where they lay their larvae. To complete this process, some descend under water, while others lay their larvae near the water, on the shore. And there are some very extravagant individuals. They drop their eggs into the water on the fly.

Egg laying is a group process. At the same time, whole colonies of larvae are formed in the riverbed (how many - up to 200 per square centimeter). Their food is dissolved in water. organic compounds and/or small aquatic microorganisms. The food that enters the body goes through a filtration process. Therefore, the faster the flow of the river, the more and faster the process of digestion.

Habitat

Midge larvae are very sensitive to the amount of oxygen in the water. Therefore, in places with a small content of it, they quickly die. Such places include stagnant water or aquatic environment with large quantity decaying microorganisms.

If the environment in which midge larvae live changes, they are able to release cobwebs. How long is it? The length of this web reaches two meters. On it, they keep for some time in the fast flow of the river. If the natural balance is restored, the cobweb larva returns to its former place of residence.

An adult emerges from the larva in 10-14 days (the duration of the process: larva-pupa-adult - up to two weeks). When leaving its cocoon, the midge surrounds itself with an air bubble. It is in it that she rises to the surface from the water completely dry.

Live midge under a microscope

Nutrition

The process of nutrition occurs exclusively in the warm daytime. In the evening, at night or in cloudy weather, midges are not active. Blood is food only for females. Males feed on flowers.

AT different regions the same species of midges behave differently. For example: broad-legged, decorated or creeping - in the tundra zone they are a real disaster for the entire livestock of animals and humans. There is no life from her. And a little to the south, in the forest-steppe and steppe zone countries, they are not active as blood-sucking insects.

Bite process

midge bite

When bitten, a substance enters the wound with the saliva of the midge, which behaves like an anesthetic. Therefore, the very moment of biting and absorbing blood remains invisible to humans. The pain occurs only after some time, when it has already flown away.

At the site of the bite, redness, swelling occurs. The wound itches a lot. These phenomena are caused by the fact that midge saliva is poisonous.

If there are a large number of bites, there may be swelling not only of the surface of the wound, but also internal organs. In some cases, hemorrhage occurs, and symptoms of severe poisoning appear. This situation requires immediate medical attention and emergency care.

On Russian territory the largest number midges are represented in the taiga zone. How many species and who poses a threat to life? The following species pose the greatest danger to humans:

• tundra midge;
• midge Kholodkovsky;
• decorated midge.

The air temperature (comfortable for the life of midges), at which an attack on a person occurs, ranges from +6 to +23˚С.

How many diseases can this carry small insect? Of particular danger are midges-carriers of diseases such as:

• plague;
• leprosy;
• tularemia;
• anthrax.

Life at home

A wide variety of midges can be combined into four groups, according to their location in the apartment. Allocate:

• food, or Drosophila (often lives on rotten vegetables and fruits);
• wardrobe (dwells on old, or not washed things, put away for a long time in a closet);
• flower (settles on houseplants, which are improperly cared for);
• water (it loves warm and humid air, therefore, it will settle in the apartment mainly in the bathroom).

From the above, it can be seen that for a comfortable life in the house, as in the natural environment, dampness and moisture are very important for midges.

To bring out the hated midge, the first thing to do is to conduct a “home investigation” about the ways it entered the apartment. Locations can be:

• vegetables, berries and fruits, cereals that have been lying for a long time and began to deteriorate;
• overcrowded (especially in the summer) trash can;
• poorly cleaned aquarium;
• excessively moist earth in flower pots (especially if it was fertilized with sleeping tea leaves);
• plumbing drains and ventilation shafts.

Fight and prevention with midges on the street

Chemical preparations for midges

Fighting a harmful midge living in nature is difficult, but possible. To do this, you must follow a number of rules:

• do not walk near the river in the hot daytime (especially where there is a lot of vegetation);
• use repellents;
• the midge does not like windy weather, so use this factor to your advantage;
• put on clothes light shades covering arms and legs.

Destruction in the house

How much effort and time must be applied to eliminate this misfortune, from which there is no life? The fight against midges at home should begin with finding out the place of their greatest deployment and centers of settlement.

Kitchen

The most important rule is never to leave a bucket of garbage overnight. The next steps will be:

Garbage bin in the kitchen with leftover vegetables

• monitor the freshness of products (prevent the formation of rot);
• the use of adhesive tape is recommended (both outside and inside the cabinets);
• washcloths and rags for washing dishes should be twisted and dried after use;
• prevent the formation of fatty deposits and clogging drain pipe sinks and hob;
• no leakage and contamination of taps;
• make homemade traps in the form of a glass with rotting fruit or unfinished juice (the field of entry there a large number midges, it must be tightly tied and discarded).

Flower pots

Karbofos - a remedy for midges in the apartment

If the midge has settled on your favorite flowers and interferes with their development, you must do the following:

• reduce watering the plant to a minimum (how much to water? a little bit);
• if tea leaves were used as a fertilizer, it must be removed from the surface of the earth in a flower pot;
• stick up to five matches into the ground (gray down);
• spray the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• the use of store-bought drugs: "Karbofos", "Fitoverm", "Agravertin".

Bathroom

Here, the main means of combating midges will be the elimination of dampness and moisture. It is necessary to monitor the flow of water and sewerage. Eliminate leaks in time, and remove the resulting pollution.

In the apartment, pungent odors of natural origin will help in the fight against midges:

• the smell of garlic;
• the smell of incense;
• the smell of citrus;
• the smell of camphor (camphor is crushed and heated in a pan);
• the smell of crushed horseradish root.

It is important to remember that the fight against midges is a laborious and lengthy process. But, having adopted all methods, a person will always emerge victorious in this struggle.

Video: Fly bitten in the eye

Perhaps there are no such people who would not meet ordinary midges. Sometimes they completely unexpectedly attack the apartment and it can be difficult to figure out what caused their visit. At the cottage or country house their appearance is quite natural, but where do the midges come from in the apartment? Before moving on to this issue, let's talk about the midges themselves.

The life cycle of the midge

Drosophila, or wine midges, have several subspecies and differ in subtle outward signs. Midges feed exclusively on rot, so their appearance in the apartment should prompt certain thoughts. The size of insects ranges from 3 to 5 mm; their life expectancy is 20-25 hours, however, during this short span time one midge manages to lay several dozen eggs. The development of an insect includes three stages: egg, larva, adult. Under favorable conditions for midges (the presence of rotting fruits, vegetables, fermented compotes, used tea bags, etc.), the process of passing from the first to the last stage will take no more than a day.

Reasons for the appearance of "flying guests"

In most cases, the midge appears in the kitchen. Here she feeds on decaying food, spoiled fruits and vegetables. Thus, the following reasons for the appearance of insects in the house can be distinguished:

• garbage storage. If you do not take care of the disposal of the garbage bag in a timely manner, you can safely expect the arrival of midges. Because it feeds exclusively on rotting foods, it will not work to avoid the visit of the pest;
• storage of spoiled fruits and vegetables. Fruit flies are extremely fond of blackened bananas, moldy pears and apples. From overripe tomatoes and eggplants that have lost their presentation, they also will not refuse;

• rotting of the roots of domestic plants. With excessive saturation of indoor plants with water, the process of decay of their roots begins, which in turn creates for insects ideal conditions for nutrition and reproduction;
• neglect of cleaning aquariums and cages with pets. Stagnant water and animal digestive products can also cause midges to form;
• open sewerage and broken pipes. If you have midges, and there is a sewer smell in the apartment, it is likely that your pipes have begun to rot. Do not delay the repair; otherwise, the number of insects will increase, and a leak in the pipe will lead to a real flood.

In addition to the listed reasons, there are many situations that contribute to the appearance of a pest in the house, but each of them is based on a rotting environment.

Where do midges come from?

It's time to figure out how midges are formed on fruits and in plants. Many of us have noticed that even with the advent of cold weather, the midge does not keep you waiting. closed windows and -20 degrees "overboard" cannot stop the attack of insects in any way. Why? This situation is explained very simply: in stores, there is often a stalemate of goods in which fruit flies are planted. Insects lay their eggs on fresh fruits and vegetables that we buy and bring home, but due to the lack of an appropriate environment, a delay in the development of midges occurs. The eggs are almost impossible to notice: their size is too small. As soon as the process of decay on fruits and other products begins, the organism of the future midge is activated.

In the same way, insects "hide" in houseplants and trash cans.

Insect control methods

After we figured out where the midges come from in our apartment, it's time to talk about ways to remove them.

So let's take a look at the most effective ways midge expulsion:

• collect all spoiled products and take them to the trash;
• wash fresh fruits and vegetables hot water and put in the refrigerator;
• if it was not possible to find out where the midges come from, and their number is constantly growing, make a trap: add three tablespoons of vinegar to a container of soapy water and place it near their habitat. The wine midge, smelling it, will fall into the liquid you have prepared and will not be able to get out;

• another trap idea you might find useful: open package put a rotting fruit (for example, a banana), wait until the insects are interested in it and fly into the bag, and then tie it up and take it out of the house. It is foolish to expect that all individuals without exception will be in the package, but you will still be able to get rid of the bulk;
• any hardware store sells regular flypaper. By hanging it at home, you can also reduce the number of flying pests;

• rub a small amount of garlic in a small bowl and put where the concentration of insects is greatest. Drosophila are afraid of strong odors, so the process of expelling them will not take you too long;
• Flying clusters can be neutralized with water with a small amount of alcohol or glass cleaner. Just spray the midges from a bottle, and then collect their immobilized bodies from the floor.

The listed methods of dealing with insects will not give results immediately, but only after a couple of days. If these measures did not help, then move on to a more serious "weapon" - disinfectants.

Important! Using chemicals carefully follow the instructions on the packaging and take precautions!

Tips to help get rid of fruit flies:

Preventive actions

In order for Drosophila to no longer bother you with their visit, you must follow a number of rules:

• plant geraniums in the house. Absolutely all insects smell of this plant is unpleasant;
• follow the care instructions indoor plants, do not overfill them with water and always maintain the required level of moisture in their soil.

Following these simple rules, you will save your home from the invasion of wine midges.

The life expectancy of midges, which fairly begins to annoy vacationers every summer, averages about a month. Put it in a jar. This must be done with the tip down. Thus, it will be easy for fruit flies to climb into the jar, but they will not get out in any way. Find the place where they are most concentrated. How long do Drosophila midges live? This is where they feel at their best.

Set the traps in other places where they can be found.

However strong winds and other weather factors significantly shorten their outdoor lives.

20 days is the answer to the question of how long midges live on the street. In the garbage dumps, it is quite easy for them to find something to eat.

Approximately 20 days. The most massive place of their life is vineyard plantations, because no one will fight the influx of such insects over vast areas.

Life cycle midges consists in postponing the maturation of eggs - this occurs under water and lasts about two weeks. Larvae and pupae of some species of midges are used as a substrate for other aquatic arthropods - crabs and mayfly larvae. The second such formation is located on the thoracic “leg” and serves to crawl along the substrate. Wherein most time the larvae are attached to the substrate (stones, aquatic plants, trash) special education- rear attachment organ, consisting of many rows of hooks.

Place the jar in a conspicuous place or near the habitat of insects.

Sometimes insects can live in a container from under some chemical agent like a paint can.

One fly lives in a warm room for a month, but their numbers can grow exponentially.

The midge, although small, is a rather unpleasant insect. How long do midges live in the kitchen? 35-45 days. Such a long period of residence is explained by a sufficient amount of food and a warm, well-lit room. How long do midges live in a trash can? Small colonies can live there for up to four months. Usually, the larvae turn into full-fledged fruit flies in the early morning, so they accumulate a lot in the first half of the day. Toward evening, the activity of annoying insects gradually fades away.

The most favorable habitat for midges is our apartments.

How long do midges live indoors when they have nothing to eat?

Even with short-term contact with snow and ice, the midge dies.

GROM 2…sprinkle a little earth in a pot, loosen it and water…. Don't put vegetables in cupboards. Regularly take inventory of the refrigerator and pantries. Rinse out the bin, even if you use bags. Wait for the drosophila to fly and close the bag abruptly. Take it out to the street dumpster. Package. Take one trash bag. Open it as wide as possible and put a few slices of fruit in the middle.

Even the most small insects capable of causing a lot of trouble to a person.

Few people have not met a midge in the kitchen.

Midge close up

A forgotten piece of apple on the table in the evening, the rest of the juice at the bottom of the cup, vegetables and fruits that begin to disappear can cause a whole swarm of small and annoying creatures to settle in the kitchen.

Irritated owners begin to look for ways to evict these animals, and in the end they ask the main question “How long do midges live?”

Zoologists define several ways for midges to get into an apartment:

• Unwashed vegetables and fruits on which eggs are stored.
• Land for plants, because the soil is full of larvae.
• From street clothes.
• Through sewerage and ventilation.

These lazy and hungry insects are easy to see, because they can sit quietly on vegetables and fruits, on walls and furniture, leaving frequent dark spots on them.

Moth drinking blood

Females feed exclusively on vegetables, fruits and their juice, but males can bite through the skin to suck out blood.

Appearance

Outwardly, these are rather small flying insects, from 1 to 6 mm. They consist of an abdomen, chest and head with thick short antennae.

Most often they are black or gray color, with spots on the back, and the wings are transparent, in a calm state they are folded one on top of the other.

Life cycle of midges

Those housewives who believe that flies can only settle in spoiled products are mistaken. In fact, females lay their eggs in still fresh food.

They do this in warehouses, in storage places, and even while still on the plant. As soon as a vegetable or fruit begins to deteriorate even a little, larvae immediately hatch, which very quickly turn into sexually mature individuals and lay eggs again.

Diagram of the life cycle of the midge

On average, it takes about 4 days from the moment of laying to hatching.

The ability to reproduce is unique, because one female is able to lay about 80 eggs already 8 hours after hatching. The full life cycle of the midge is about 5 days.

Lifespan

How many midges live in an apartment depends solely on the conditions in which they exist. AT winter period when the apartment is heated, the insects can live up to 3 months and breed successfully.

The abundance of midges on the windowsill

When the temperature drops to 18 degrees, their lifespan is reduced to 20 days. AT summer period when the temperature rises above 25 degrees, the midge lives no longer than 10 days.

With a sharp drop in room temperature, for example, night airing on cold days, insects can die within a day. They die just as quickly in the heat, so the peak of their numbers comes in spring and autumn.

Despite the fact that these creatures do not live long, they are able to bring any mistress to white heat.

A whole swarm of annoying animals that instantly pollute all surfaces and stick around any food put on the table for a minute will spoil the mood of everyone living in the house.

Therefore, it is important to follow some tips that prevent the appearance of insects:

• Fruits and vegetables should be stored in a cool place, protecting them from early decay. Storage areas should be regularly checked and discarded for perishable food.
• Remove leftover food from dishes and throw it in the trash.
• The bucket itself should be closed, and it should be taken out as often as possible, preventing garbage from fermenting.
• Do not leave drinks in cups, cans or bottles. This is an ideal breeding ground for midges.

If the insects still wound up, then the first thing to do is to find a place for their reproduction and thoroughly wash everything around.

Room cleaning

Then you need to ventilate the room well and change the air temperature dramatically, for example, open a window in cold weather.

You can buy special in the store. But ethnoscience suggests safer means.

Aromas of geranium, garlic help. orange and cloves. The midges hurriedly leave the premises saturated with these pungent odors.

Craftsmen also do not lag behind and come up with various ways traps, although ordinary ones will do just fine.

Conclusion

So, careful attention to food, their timely disposal, control over the order and cleanliness in the kitchen can prevent midges from infecting the apartment.

Video: Lifehack. How to get rid of midges