Chinches: Facts, Identification and Control
Posted on | April 15, 2012 | 3 Comments
Appearance:
Bed bugs are usually flat, round, and reddish brown insects that measure 3/16-inch in length just like the size of an apple seed. They generally look swollen and reddish after sucking blood.
Habit:
These insects often thrive in cracks and crevices of walls found in sheets, carpets, beds, mattresses, and furniture items. They are also found in upscale or ordinary hotels and they easily spread or propagate from one place to another.
Diet:
Chinches feed on blood, usually human’s.
Reproduction:
Female parasites can lay at least 1-5 eggs in a day and can produce 200-500 eggs during its lifetime. With a good thriving environment, they can have a lifespan of 300 days.
Facts:
These nasty insects are often misspelled as bedbugs are insects that belong to the Cincidae family. They are tiny and nocturnal insects without wings. They usually feed on animals, humans and other warm blooded creatures. They are usually oval and can reach about 4 to 5 mm in length when fully grown. They are seen in colors like rust brown or red brown. They also have other names like chinches, red coats and mahogany flats. Adults are usually wingless and are often flat.
Bed Bugs Petri Dish
These small creatures are not only known for being flat but they are also thin which gives them the great advantage to their survival. These characteristics help them, hide in places like crevices, cracks, carpets, loose wallpaper, and behind picture frames, which make them hard to detect.
These creatures are not only hard to detect but they also stay intact together and produce distinctively sweet yet very unpleasant odor. Blood spots and fecal stains are some of the common bed bugs signs of infestation in certain places.
When bed bug bites, they cause irritation and itching on the skin and can result to skin allergy.
Bed insects have been crawling on the face of the planet since the ancient times and they are mostly found in countries with temperate climates. They usually come in many different types but the Cimex lectularius is the type, which easily adapts to the human environment.
In certain places like in Florida, the Cimex hemipterus type is often found in poultries and bats. The Leptocimex boueti species are often found in West Africa and South America and they usually infest bats and human alike. Common species, which are found in bats, are the Cimex pilosellus and C. pipistrella they usually lurk all over North America especially in poultry farms.
These insects can also thrive in birds’ nests so it is not surprising to see them in many homes and buildings where bird’s nests are found. They often feed on bats and pet blood but they typically get their nutrition requirements in human blood.
Bed bugs are widely and easily distributed in many different parts of the world due to frequent traveling. They are easily carried by means of luggage, bedding, clothing, and other furniture items. They are usually found in comforters and even in or under the bed covers.
Getting Rid of Chinches
They are now commonly seen even in the most unexpected places. They can be found in homes, offices, hotels, shops, and others. They can easily stick themselves on your clothing, your luggage or other personal belongings. These give these insects the opportunity to hitch ride on you and get the chance to be introduced to their new environment. Once they have been put indoors, eradicating them can become very difficult especially when professional pest controllers are not contacted.
In fact, even when your place is clean and tidy, these nasty insects still persist. There is no wonder why even high class hotels have been reported to have been infested by these ugly creatures. However, if you detect and capture them early, this gives you the chance to eliminate them successfully.
Traveling
If you have plans to travel soon, it is important to take of this acronym: S.L.E.E.P. This acronym entails the actions and steps you need to do to avoid carrying insects with you.
Survey surfaces. You should do these on all items with surfaces. Detect signs of infestations. Examples are mattress covers, tags, and seams, bed covers, and skirts.
Lift and look. You have to lift all items where parasites can possibly cling or hide. Check the bed frames, furniture, headboard, and underneath the mattress. They are often found at night but are found about 5 feet radius of the mattress or bed.
Elevate your luggage. Do this with a luggage rack and make sure that it is far away from the wall because bugs often hide behind walls, picture frames headboards, and electrical panels.
Examine your luggage. This should be done when repacking and discarding your things at home. Keep away your luggage away from your bedroom.
Place all clothing including your luggage in the dryer for a period of fifteen minutes. Set the dryer to the highest level. Do this the moment you have reached home.
While in the House
These are handy tips you can do to get rid of those tiny insects at home:
1. Clear your home from clutter so that detecting them becomes easier.
2. Frequently wash your linens and bed covers to the highest water temperature allowed for the fabric.
3. When buying second hand furniture pieces, make sure to check them thoroughly before bringing them home.
4. Do an inspection inside your home at a regular basis. This you should do after moving in, after a trip, after a service provider comes in, or after a guest leaves for an overnight stay.
Any Suspicion for Chinch Infestation?
If you are suspicious, the best thing to do is to contact a pest control company. Better inform the property manager if you’re renting a residential unit. These small insects propagate quickly but early detection can stop them from causing larger infestations.
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3 Responses to “Chinches: Facts, Identification and Control”
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April 16th, 2012 @ 10:04 am
Some very good and surprisingly accurate material keep up the good work
August 12th, 2012 @ 12:03 pm
[...] your skin has unusual insect bites on it you might be looking at an infestation. You might also see brown and red fecal matter on the mattress. Even though their favorite hiding spot is the mattress of the bed where people are [...]
August 20th, 2012 @ 10:06 am
[...] of, you should take a look at the mattress. Start by taking a close look at it and see if there are signs of chinches on it. Begin by vacuuming it, after which you should steam clean it in order to kills the parasites [...]