In the Astrakhan region, midges began to rage ahead of schedule. Moshka in Astrakhan. Ways to survive this invasion of the Astrakhan midge

Tick-borne viral encephalitis (TBE) is an acute infectious disease primarily affecting the central nervous system, which can lead to serious complications and even death. Infection in endemic areas is possible from March to October, the most dangerous time is May and June. The causative agent of the disease is transmitted to a person in the first minutes of sucking on a tick infected with the virus along with anesthetic saliva.
All people are susceptible to infection with TVE, regardless of gender and age:

Measures to prevent TVE
Vaccination
Today, the most reliable preventive measure is vaccination, which is carried out to everyone from 3 to 65 years of age. It stimulates the development of immunity to the tick-borne encephalitis virus.
The vaccination course is carried out according to 2 schemes. It is preferable to carry out it in the winter or spring months with an interval of 1-7 months. The most optimal interval between the first and second vaccinations is 5-7 months. If necessary, vaccination can be carried out in the summer months, in which case the second vaccination should be given 2 weeks after the first. Visiting a natural focus is allowed no earlier than 2 weeks after the second vaccination. The third vaccination, carried out 12 months after the second, completes the vaccination course. Revaccination is carried out once every three years.
Specific prevention
For emergency prevention after tick bite, human immunoglobulin against TVE is used. The drug is administered to unvaccinated persons after receiving a positive result when examining a tick or the victim’s blood! Immunoglobulin administration is prescribed within the first 72 hours after a tick has been bitten, so it is necessary to contact prevention centers that operate around the clock as soon as possible.
Nonspecific emergency prophylaxis
The antiviral drug yodantipirin is used when ticks are sucked on for the purpose of emergency prevention of TVE. It stimulates the production of interferons, delays the penetration of the virus into the cell, and has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. It is important that the drug does not interfere with the development of specific immunity, which is a protective factor when encountering an encephalitis tick.
It is especially advisable to use iodantipyrine in the following cases:
c– persons previously vaccinated against TVE - such a complex technique increases the chances of remaining healthy, because according to statistics, 5.1-11% of vaccinated people still get sick;
c – persons with late (more than 3 days) seeking medical care at seroprophylaxis points;
c – persons who have contraindications to the administration of anti-TBE immunoglobulin (severe allergic history, etc.).
The drug does not require special storage conditions; it can be purchased at a pharmacy at any time. Along with high efficiency, it is affordable.
How to take Yodantipyrine correctly for the prevention and treatment of TVE and the presence of contraindications is described in detail in the instructions. Before use, consultation with a doctor is required.

Midges are a fairly common phenomenon that almost every housewife encounters. They appear indoors suddenly, so you need to know how long midges live and what measures to take to prevent their spread.

The midge looks like an ordinary humpback mosquito. It reaches six millimeters in length, has short legs and a proboscis. At rest, the wings of an insect are folded one on top of the other. The segmented antennae have eleven sections.

Features of the life of midges

The close relationship with determines the similarity of the conditions in which the pests live. For an ordinary midge, the presence of an aquatic environment is important, because it is there that they lay eggs from which its larvae develop. Insects descend under water and establish large colonies there, numbering up to two hundred larvae per square centimeter. Midges have an amazing ability - they reproduce throughout their lives.

Interesting! Food is of particular importance to them. The blood of warm-blooded creatures is preferred. Their proboscis has a structure that allows them to bite through the skin without much difficulty. Males feed mainly on the nectar of flowering plants.

To a certain extent they pose a danger to people and animals. The liquid injected into the wound is poisonous and can cause severe itching and an allergic reaction. The lifespan of midges, according to scientific research, is about 96 hours. During this short period of time, the individual must find food for itself, find a partner, lay eggs in a secluded place and then die. There is information that the male dies immediately after fertilization.

House fruit flies

Seemingly harmless insects live next to a person and do not bring him much harm. The presence of midges in the kitchen is an unpleasant event. They lay eggs in rotten foods, which provide a breeding ground for the development of larvae. If you don’t start getting rid of pests in time, there will be a great many of them. Moving around the apartment, they end up in drinks and ready-made meals that are intended for people. For this reason, it is necessary to destroy midges at the first sign of their appearance in the kitchen.

Fruit flies or fruit flies lay eggs on the surface of fruits, berries or vegetables even at the moment of their ripening. Once in warm rooms, the fruits begin to deteriorate and become a favorable environment for the development of larvae, which reach sizes of up to 3.5 mm. The viability of Drosophila depends on the degree of comfort of the living conditions of the larvae. Fruit midges not only live on spoiled vegetables and fruits, they can feed on indoor plants. To do this, they only need a well-moistened bud.

Lifespan of insects

In the microclimate of city apartments and houses, midges live all year round. Depending on the time of year and the temperature outside, there may be more or less of them. The better the conditions, the longer Drosophila fruit flies live. The most favorable habitat for food products is well-heated city apartments, in which they can live for one to two months.

• If the ambient temperature reaches 18 degrees or higher, then they live for about 20 days.
• At higher thermometer readings, this period is reduced to 10 days.

Scientists have determined at what temperature midges die. Cold frosty weather with temperatures below 0 can kill a large number of flies of this species. Even with short-term contact with snow and ice, the fruit fly dies.

Many people are concerned about the question of how long midges live without food. If the pests have nothing to eat and are indoors, they will survive for several days. Lack of food will lead to the death of adults and larvae.

The change of seasons determines many rhythms in the life of insects: the awakening of some species of mosquitoes from winter dormancy, the hatching of larvae from eggs overwintered under a layer of snow, the appearance of winged bloodsuckers. Although many seasonal phenomena naturally repeat from year to year, they may not occur strictly calendar-wise, but several days earlier or later. Consequently, development cycles in insects and periods of their activity sometimes occur a little earlier or a little later than in previous years.

Some researchers who study the animal world distinguish six seasons: winter, early spring, late spring, early summer, late summer and autumn. Insects develop from year to year according to a certain schedule determined by the calendar of these animals.

There is also a daily rhythm of insect activity, caused by periodic changes in illumination, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity and other factors.

In central Russia, 29 species of mosquitoes are known. The dominant genus is Aedes. The eggs laid by the females of these mosquitoes overwinter under the cover of snow. Mass departure at the end of May or beginning of June.

The malaria mosquito Anopheles maculipennis, found in the southern regions, as well as representatives of the genera Culiseta and Culex, overwinter as adults, climbing into basements, stables, rodent burrows, rock crevices and other shelters. They wake up after “hibernation” in the spring, immediately after warming: in years with an early warm spring - in mid-May, in years with a cold, protracted spring - in late May - early June. Their greatest numbers are observed in June and July (the warmest period of summer). In hot weather, mosquitoes attack in open areas only in the morning and evening, and during long days - at night. By autumn there are fewer and fewer mosquitoes. The flight ends in September.

Special mention should be made of Culex pipiens molestus, which is called the common mosquito. It has adapted to living in urban conditions and can reproduce throughout the year in gray basements, where the temperature is always above zero. Its larvae are capable of developing in dirty water (puddles, barrels, etc.). And one more feature: female urban mosquitoes begin their first oviposition without even tasting blood. They only need the nutrients that the larvae have accumulated in the dirty water of basements. However, these mosquitoes can lay a second oviposition only after ingesting a portion of human or animal blood. And if conditions allow females to enter residential and office premises, they attack people even on the upper floors. In the summer this is not surprising. In winter, marks of injections of females are often mistaken for bedbug bites.

More than three dozen species of midges live in central Russia. Their departure is scheduled for early May. They cause the greatest concern from the end of May or the beginning of June. They exhibit the highest activity at a temperature of 16-24°. The manifestation of their activity, as a rule, begins at dawn, decreases at noon and drops sharply after 18-19 hours. At night and during the hottest hours of the day, midges hide in the treetops. The flight ends in September.

There are 15 species of midges in central Russia. All of them belong to the genus Culicoides. Spring emergence is usually observed at the end of May, and in years with late spring – at the beginning of June. The massive flight coincides with the flowering period of bird cherry. Midges can produce two generations over the summer. Therefore, by autumn their activity increases noticeably again. Midges fly until October.

Of the 36 species of horseflies of the family Tabanidae (Tabanide) living in central Russia, the so-called horseflies themselves are in first place in terms of numbers, rainflies are in second place, and lacewings are in third place.

In years with early spring, horseflies fly out in late May, in years with late spring - in early June. 5-6 days after departure, they already attack animals and people en masse. Horseflies are very heat-loving insects, so they are active only in the summer, especially on hot days. At a temperature of 12-13°C they stop. Horseflies attack humans less often than animals. The flight of horseflies usually ends in mid-August.

Weather conditions such as strong wind, rain, fog, and frost greatly reduce or completely stop the activity of all components of the gnat.

Midges are arthropod insects that belong to the order Diptera, suborder Long-whiskered, family midges (lat. Simuliidae).

Midges - description, structure and characteristics

The body length of midges varies from 1.2 to 6 mm. The smallest species live in the tropics, the largest are common in the northern temperate and subpolar latitudes.

There are 3 main sections in the structure of midges: head, chest and abdomen. The rounded head of females has a wide forehead; in males it is narrower. The antennae of midges consist of 11 (sometimes 9 or 10) segments, they are very thin, rope-like and covered with short hairs. The color of the antennae varies from dark yellow and brownish to dark gray and black. The antennae of females are thicker and shorter than those of males, and also have a slight flattening and taper towards the end.

The eyes of the midge are faceted, in males they usually touch along the frontal seam, in females they are separated by the forehead. Horizontally, the eyes of males are divided into a larger upper part, where the large facets are located, and a smaller lower part, where the small facets are located. In females, all facets are the same size, and their number exceeds the number of facets in males. Additional simple eyes are not developed in midges.

The chest of insects is strongly convex. Hairs grow on the back, and there may also be various spots of dark or silver color. The color and shape of the spots vary among different species of midges.

The abdomen of midges is oval in shape, slightly pointed towards the end and consists of 11 segments. The dorsal part of the first segment protrudes upward and backward, forming a kind of collar covered with a brush of long hairs.

Midges have well-developed halteres, which are club-shaped. The halteres are paired appendages of the thoracic segments of insects; in midges they are located on the metathorax and are modified wings. During flight, they help the insect maintain balance, vibrate and make a characteristic sound. That's why insects buzz. The stalk of the haltere in midges is of medium length, at the end of the club there is a slight impression. The color of the halteres varies from white-yellow, yellowish and ocher to brown and black. The club is usually lighter than the stalk. In addition, males have darker and brighter halteres than females.

The wings of midges are wide, round-oval, transparent, with longitudinal venation, length from 1.4 to 6 mm. The surface of the wings is covered with small tubercles. When at rest, the wings fold horizontally, covering one another.

The oral appendages of midges consist of palps and a complex proboscis of the piercing-sucking type. The proboscis is short and thick, it consists of an upper lip and epipharynx, hypopharynx, 2 mandibles (upper jaws), 2 maxillae (lower jaws) and a lower lip. The upper lip, mandibles and maxillae of blood-sucking females have teeth of the tearing-cutting type. In males and females that do not drink blood (for example, Prosimulium alpestre), the teeth are replaced by hairs. The maxillary palps consist of 4-5 segments; on the third segment a special sensory organ is developed that performs sensory functions. The palps are used by midges to orient themselves on the body of a person or animal when choosing a place for an injection. The upper lip also has the same functions, but first of all it serves to pierce the skin of the victim. After the bite, the wound is sawed off at the ends of the mandibles, which move from top to bottom. Maxillae, when immersed in the wound, tear the tissues and walls of the victim’s blood vessels. Next, the midge immerses the upper lip, epipharynx and hypopharynx into the wound and drinks blood. In the hypopharynx there is a channel through which saliva enters the wound, preventing blood clotting. The lower lip has a sensitive function and is used for licking. Like other bloodsuckers, midges pass water and liquid carbohydrate food through the esophagus into the crop, and blood flows directly into the midgut.

Midges have 3 pairs of fairly powerful limbs, each consisting of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and a five-segmented tarsus. The paws of midges are equipped with claws: in males, at their base there is a wide cup-shaped tooth, in females the claws can be simple (short or long) or also have a tooth (large or small). Most often, the limbs of midges are black, although in some varieties individual segments of the legs may be yellowish or brown in color or covered with silvery spots. The coloring, pubescence and shape of the limbs depend on the type of midge.

How long do midges live?

The lifespan of a midge depends on the species, weather conditions and nutrition. Herbivorous species live very short lives - only a few days (less than a week). The average lifespan of blood-sucking species is 3-4 weeks, although some females of certain species can live up to 3 months.

Where do midges live?

Midges live on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. These small insects live in North and South America, Australia, Mediterranean countries, Russia, Central and Central Asia, Japan, Indochina, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Taiwan, the Far East and the Caucasus, the Baltic states and in North Africa.

Particularly many midges are found in taiga regions, in deciduous forests with high humidity, and also near water bodies. The presence of nearby water is a necessary condition for the habitat of midges, because three of the four life stages of development (egg, larva, pupa) of these insects take place in water bodies or in the immediate vicinity of them. Only adult imagoes live on land.

What do midges eat?

The nutrition of these insects depends on gender. The females of most species of midges are a large component of midges (in addition to mosquitoes and midges) and prefer to drink blood, attacking people, animals or birds. With their painful bites, they cause a lot of unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, local redness, swelling of the skin and even serious allergic reactions. Goats, roe deer, buffaloes, and geese become victims of annoying midges. But they practically do not suffer from midge bites.

Male midges are avid vegetarians and feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices. Among midges there are also completely non-blood-sucking species.

Types of midges, names and photos.

Today, approximately 1,800 species of midges are known. Below is a description of several varieties.

• Decorated midge ( Odagmia ornata)

The length of the insect is from 3 to 4.5 mm. A silver border is visible on the back. The coloring of the legs, antennae and abdomen depends on the subspecies. The body length of the larva is 6-11 mm (depending on the subspecies), the size of the pupa is 3-5 mm. Different subspecies of the ornate midge live throughout the Palearctic, north to Greenland, Novaya Zemlya and the outskirts of Europe and Asia, south to the Mediterranean and southern India, and is also found in North America.

• Horse midge (W ilhelmia equina)

Presented in several varieties. The length of the midge reaches 2.5-4 mm. The back and abdomen are covered with silvery-golden hairs; males have silver spots on the shoulder fields. The body length of the larvae is 5-7 mm. In its posterior sucker there are 80-100 rows of hooks with 17-24 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa varies from 2.6 to 4 mm depending on the subspecies of the midge; the cocoon has a shoe-shaped shape. The habitat of the horse midge extends from the Kola Peninsula and Karelia to Kamchatka. The southern boundaries of the range have not been determined. Larvae and pupae are distributed in different rivers along the course and can live even in heavily polluted water bodies. Preference is given to bodies of water with vegetation. Females are bloodsuckers and attack people and animals. In horses, accumulations of midges can be seen in the ears. During the year, one (in the northern regions) or several (in the south) generations of horse midges develop.

• Boophthora sericata

The body length of the midge is 3-3.5 mm. A pattern in the form of silver stripes is noticeable on the back of males. Females have a yellow color on their legs. The size of the larva is 6-7 mm, its color is whitish-yellow. The length of the pupa is 3-4 mm, the cocoon is simple, opaque. This type of midge lives in the European part of Russia and Eastern European countries. Midges develop in rivers and channels of large rivers that are silted and overgrown with vegetation.

Taken from: science.mnhn.fr, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

• Tundra midge ( Schoenbaueria pusilla)

The length of males is from 2.5 to 3 mm. The tentacles are short and thin. The back is velvety black, has a silver tint on the sides and back, and is covered with sparse golden hairs. The abdomen is brownish-black on top, with dark hairs. The legs are black, the halteres are brown, darker at the base.

Female tundra midges are about 3 mm long and have black-brown tentacles and antennae. The forehead and crown are grayish, covered in dense hairs. There are no silvery spots on the back of females; the back itself is black and gray, covered with silvery hairs. The halteres are light yellow. The front veins of the wings are white and yellow. The legs of the female midge are brown-black. The claw is small, with a thickening at the base. The abdomen is black above, dark yellow below, covered with sparse hairs.

The dimensions of the larva are 4.5-6 mm, its color is yellow-white, the dorsal side has transverse brown stripes. In the posterior sucker of the larva there are 70-72 rows of hooks, 11-13 hooks in each row. The length of the light yellow pupa is from 2.5 to 3 mm, the cocoon is simple, with loose weaving, without windows on the sides. Tundra midges are common in the northern regions, from the Kola Peninsula to the Yenisei River basin. Mass pupation occurs in June-July. The flight of adult individuals is observed from July to the first half of September. The tundra midge is a vicious bloodsucker that attacks people and animals.

• Short-palmed midge ( Simulium morsitans)

The length of the adult is approximately 3 mm. The body is black, but there are silver spots on the back. The length of the larva is from 5.5 to 6 mm, the pupa is from 2.8 to 3.6 mm. This species of midges lives en masse from Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region up to the Moscow region and the territory of Transbaikalia. The habitat depends on the subspecies.

Taken from: www.boldsystems.org

• Silver midge ( Simulium argyreatum)

The length of an adult insect is from 3.5 to 3.8 mm. Narrow silvery spots are visible on the back of males; these spots are dark on females. The antennae and palps are black, although in females the antennae may have a brownish tint. The limbs of males are mostly black, although there is a silver spot on the middle tibia, and the hind tibia has a yellowish tint. The legs of females are brownish-black, with silvery spots on the outer side of the fore and middle tibia, and also with a light yellowish tint at the base of the hind tibia. The halteres of females are yellowish-white. The length of the larva is from 7 to 8.5 mm, the size of the pupa is approximately 4 mm. The cocoon is simple, with an edging along the front edge. Silver midges live in Russia, North America and Western Europe. They inhabit small, overgrown, silted rivers in the forest zone, and in the tundra in the north. Adults are found from early June to September, depending on latitude. Silver midges are vicious bloodsuckers that attack people in the taiga and tundra zones.

• Light-fronted midge ( Simulium noelleri)

The length of the midge is about 4 mm. The antennae of males are black, the limbs are also black with a lighter shade at the junction of the femur with the tibia, as well as on the first segment of the hind tarsus. The antennae of females are light yellow at the base. The female mandibles are evenly sloping and serrated on both sides. A bright silver pattern is visible on the back. The limbs of females are brown-black, with a lighter shade in some places. The size of the light-fronted midge larva varies from 7 to 9 mm, its color can be red or gray-yellow. The large fan of the larva contains 47-57 setae. The rear sucker has 68-80 rows of hooks with 10-15 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa is 4 mm, the cocoon has loose weaving, with numerous holes on the sides and top. Light-fronted midges live over a vast territory that extends from the countries of northeastern Europe east through Russia to Transbaikalia. In the south, the range reaches the middle of the European part of Russia.

Taken from: www.biodiversity.ubc.ca

Reproduction of midges

The life cycle of midges consists of 4 phases:

1. Larva
2. doll
3. Imago (adult)

After fertilization by a male, the female simply needs blood for normal growth and maturation of eggs. With sufficient nutrition and favorable weather conditions, the eggs will fully mature within 5-7 days; otherwise, the laying process may be delayed for up to three weeks. The female midge lays eggs in one layer in rows or groups of 50-100 pieces each, gluing the eggs together with a special secretion. Sometimes several females of the same or even different species lay eggs in one place. Midge eggs are laid on a constantly wet substrate next to a body of water, on stones, snags or vegetation protruding above the surface or completely submerged in water. The development of eggs, and then larvae and pupa occurs in running water.

Midge eggs can have a rounded-triangular or rounded-rectangular shape, resembling an oval. The egg shell is very thin, sometimes translucent, and absolutely smooth. The length of the eggs varies from 0.15 to 0.4 mm. The color of the newly laid clutch is light ocher, then the eggs begin to darken and their color becomes dark brown.

Taken from: www.researchgate.net

The midge larva is worm-shaped and consists of 11 segments. The color of the larva is light yellow or ocher, interspersed with greenish, brown or brown spots. The thoracic region of the body is noticeably thickened and equipped with a kind of “leg” for movement. The posterior end of the body has a strong swelling and a special organ (the so-called sucker) with numerous hooks, with the help of which the larva fixes its position. The ventral part of the body is often flattened.

The head of the larva is large, separated from the body by a clear bridge, and is most often darker in color than the body, often black. On the head of the larva there are developed long antennae, a mouthparts with a pair of powerful mandibles, as well as special chitinous formations - fans, which help the larva to filter food consisting of plankton and algae. In addition, the larvae have well-developed arachnoid glands that secrete a secretion with which they can move. But basically their lifestyle is semi-sedentary.

The midge pupa is completely, and sometimes only partially, covered with a cocoon, which has a round exit hole - through which the process of respiration occurs, carried out with the help of respiratory threads. The cocoon is woven from spider threads secreted by the larva and can be of different shapes: hut-shaped, shoe-shaped, boot-shaped or goblet-shaped. The body of the pupa is sometimes covered with hairs, short bristles, various growths resembling plaques, tubercles, tiny cones, spines or cylinders.

During its development, the midge pupa does not move or feed: it only cares about a comfortable water temperature and oxygen flow. After one to two weeks, an adult is born.

Depending on the species and temperature conditions in the reservoir, the rate of development of midges varies significantly. The overwhelming number of midges wait out the cold season in the egg stage. This method of wintering is especially typical for species living in latitudes with harsh climates where water bodies freeze. It is very rare that midges survive the winter months in the larval phase, and this is most likely the exception to the rule.

In places with a warm climate, where water bodies are not covered with a layer of ice, midges overwinter in the larval stage, although their development may slow down during this period. Over the course of a year, different species of midges can develop from 1 to 3 generations.

Spring comes, and people seem to awaken along with nature. Smiles appear, good mood, anticipation of summer holidays... At the end of May we are pleased with the blossoming trees and early flowers. It's a shame that our mood changes when midges, annoying bloodsuckers, appear in late spring or early summer. Every person waits for the time when the midges disappear.

Most of them occur in Astrakhan and Siberia. During the period when these bloodsuckers appear, people wear special masks,

They try to cover their body with clothes.

The midge is an insect that develops in flowing waters: fast rivers serve as a place for the development of its larvae. It differs from mosquitoes in having shorter, stronger legs and a short proboscis. The midge has short antennae and wings. The length of her body is no more than 6 millimeters. Together with mosquitoes and biting midges, midges form hordes of midges that attack animals and humans.

Adults feed only on hot, sunny days. Cloudy weather and night twilight are the times when midges disappear. Only females are bloodsuckers; males collect food on flowers. I wonder if there has always been a midge that bites people and animals? It turns out that scientists have proven that its activity depends on how their larvae developed: if they were formed in unfavorable conditions, they did not accumulate a supply of nutrients.

The Astrakhan midge replenishes such substances with the blood of living creatures. Therefore, different years differ in the activity of midges. But among them there are species for which blood sucking is a necessary stage. It is no coincidence that you should greet these “guests” with caution, because they can be carriers of various diseases, and their bites cause an allergic reaction in many people. The saliva of midges is poisonous. Sometimes external or internal swelling appears at the site of the bite, signs of poisoning appear, the temperature rises, and hemorrhage occurs, which can lead to death. If small midges bite, then the body burns in this place and itching appears.

In Russia, such bloodsuckers are common in the taiga zone. As soon as they don’t call a midge! “Terror flying on wings”, “bloodsucker”, “killer”. Pharmacies offer many remedies that promise to alleviate people's suffering. In the fight against midges, folk remedies are used, for example, vanilla, cologne, chemical ones - spray, gels, aerosols and lotions. Know - when the midges disappear, dragonflies appear! After all, they feed on these harmful insects.

It should be remembered that children and allergy sufferers most often suffer from midges. We need to try to reduce the number of walks during the peak periods. When the midges disappear, danger and discomfort seem to disappear from the city, and the streets are once again filled with people and domestic animals.

It’s good that this period passes quite quickly. In the 80s, the midge was not so active. Due to improper work on rivers (construction of canals, dams, etc.), its life activity has changed. Currently, areas where midges are especially numerous are being treated, but the chemical kills not only midges, it also causes damage to flora and fauna.

When the midges disappear, only mosquitoes and ticks keep us company until frost. Stock up on the appropriate products, strengthen your defenses, and don’t let every little thing ruin your summer!