Instructions for use of the drug Karbofos against bedbugs

On the market of insecticides (preparations for killing insects), there is a constant change from one drug to another, and the bug adapts to them quite quickly. Just yesterday we successfully carried out disinfestation with one substance, but today the bug doesn’t care about it. But there is an organic compound that has been included in bed bug control products for many years - malathion. One such remedy will be discussed in this article - Karbofos. Karbofos is a widely used product based on malathion at 50% concentration, which makes it a powerful insecticide in the fight against parasites such as bedbugs, ants, weevils, sawflies, aphids, mites, etc.

Instructions for use

Using this product to kill bedbugs involves the following steps:

1. Preliminary preparation of the drug for use.
2. Preparing the premises for the planned treatment.
3. Implementation of the procedure for the destruction of parasites.
4. A set of measures after completion of the treatment of the premises.

Preparing the solution for use

It is necessary to pay special attention to the preparation of the product, since the effectiveness of the event will primarily depend on this.

It is necessary to pay attention to the following points:

1. First read the instructions for use, which should be included with the karbofos at the time of purchase.
2. Determine the degree of infestation of the premises by parasites; the concentration of the prepared drug will directly depend on this factor. If the situation has been identified as a medium level infection, then it is recommended to use 2-3 ml or 4-5 g of karbofos, depending on the chosen form of the product, which will need to be diluted in heated water. If the situation seems advanced and more complex, then the dosage can be increased to obtain a more concentrated solution.
3. If there is a nest of bedbugs in the area to be treated, then in any case a certain volume of concentrated solution will be required to destroy it.
4. When carrying out preventive measures, it is better to reduce the concentration of the prepared solution.

Preparing the premises

Once all issues with karbofos have been resolved, you can begin preparing the premises itself; this process should include the following activities:

1. The room being treated must be cleared of pets and people who are not involved in the process of exterminating bedbugs.
2. Dishes, food and personal hygiene items must also be removed from the premises. If this is not possible, the food should be discarded and other items should be packed in plastic film or bags with an airtight closure system.
3. Sofas, armchairs and other folding furniture must be disassembled.
4. Curtains and drapes must be removed from windows.
5. All unnecessary and large items that interfere with the processing process must be removed.
6. All fabric items must be removed.
7. If the outside temperature is below -18°C, then it is best to move furniture and clothes outside, since such a temperature regime will allow you to get rid of parasites and their eggs in the most natural way.

Processing procedure

Once the required concentration of the solution has been determined and the room is ready for the procedure, you can proceed directly to the treatment process:

1. The drug must be applied to all surfaces and objects in the room being treated. For these purposes, it is recommended to use a spray bottle, as it will allow the product to reach even the most secluded and hard-to-reach places.
2. You must remember to treat all cracks , openings, the space behind the baseboards and ventilation hatches.
3. Polished objects are subject to one-time processing, but all objects that are capable of absorbing liquid, for example, upholstered furniture or untreated wooden surfaces, need to be processed at least 2-3 times.
4. Completely prevent contact of karbofos with skin.
5. Organize ventilation of the room directly during processing to eliminate the risk of poisoning by harmful fumes.

Activities after treatment

After an apartment or other premises has been treated with karbofos, a number of other measures are required to avoid any negative consequences:

1. Dispose of all food that was not removed promptly because it had become poisoned.
2. All clothing or fabric items that remained in the apartment during treatment should be dry cleaned or washed at high temperatures, and then thoroughly ironed.
3. Wash dishes using special cleaning products.
4. Clothing worn during treatment procedures is best disposed of or washed in water with baking soda added.
5. Places and surfaces that are most often touched by apartment residents, such as door handles or table surfaces, should be thoroughly washed with soap, water and baking soda.
6. 1.5-2 months after the treatment, carry out a thorough cleaning and cleaning of the entire apartment.

Preparation for processing

"Karbofos" is one of those substances that can accumulate in warm-blooded organisms. For this to happen, exposure to poison must be regular and prolonged. That is why the poison has an average degree of toxicity. It is not capable of causing significant harm to the body when processed at home. However, inhaling poison particles can cause dizziness, vomiting and other symptoms that do not correlate with good health.

To protect household members and pets, they will have to leave the house at the time of disinfestation. There are three more rules that should not be neglected when choosing Karbofos as an elimination agent for bedbugs.

1. Protective suit. A respirator, overalls or, at a minimum, a robe, which after treatment can be instantly thrown into the wash, as well as rubber gloves - these things must be worn before you pick up a package of insecticide. Safety glasses will also help, as they will protect your visual organs from contact with the poison.
2. Packing things. According to the rules, food, dishes, and bed linen must be removed from the area being treated. If this is not possible in practice, you can put all the things in one place and cover them securely with oilcloth.
3. Read the instructions. All recommendations listed in the article are general in nature. Clear instructions for using Karbofos against bedbugs are contained exclusively on the packaging of the drug containing the toxic substance; it depends on the form and concentration of the poison.

The action of the drug and its effectiveness

Regardless of the chosen form of the product, it will help get rid of parasites in the shortest possible time, the principle of action remains the same:

1. The poisonous effect is achieved after direct contact of the bug with the drug in any form.
2. The product, once on the bug, seeps through the chitinous cover and enters the body.
3. Malathion, which is part of the product, begins to quickly transform into malaoxone. The new substance has a number of fundamental differences, first of all, it is characterized by a high degree of toxicity.
4. Under the influence of malaoxon, rapid destruction of the parasite's body begins. Most processes are disrupted, all systems fail, this leads to the fact that the bug loses the ability to move, feed and breathe normally.
5. Due to the inability to perform the simplest actions, death occurs.
6. The larvae, after contact with a toxic substance, lose their protective shell. This also leads to disruption of the basic functions of their body and subsequent death.
7. Parasite eggs can be destroyed according to the same principle as larvae, but their susceptibility to karbofos is much lower, so there is a high probability that they will be able to survive. In this case, a new generation of bedbugs will be born, for this reason, after 4-7 days, it is recommended to carry out a control treatment of the premises with this drug.

If we talk about the effectiveness of the product, then we can highlight two main features, knowledge of which will improve this characteristic:

1. The use of water emulsions by 1.5-2% allows you to increase the effect of the product. You can get them from purchased concentrated liquid, the approximate dosage is about 100 ml of the drug per square meter.
2. Using only 50 grams of karbofos allows for high-quality and effective treatment of a one-room apartment.

Safety for people and pets

In fact, every person who decides to use karbofos to kill bedbugs at home is interested in the question of the effect of this drug on the health of humans and pets.

Here are the following features:

1. The most toxic substance in the composition of karbofos is malaoxon, but the process of converting malathion into it occurs only when it enters the parasite's body. For this reason, the drug cannot have the same toxic effect on humans or warm-blooded pets.
2. Upon contact with indoor plants, malaoxone is produced, a process identical to what happens inside the poisoned bug. Given this fact, all plants should be removed from the premises.
3. Despite the fact that malathion is not so dangerous for people and animals, poisoning can occur by inhaling volatile chemical compounds that are formed and released when malathion evaporates. For this reason, apartment processing must be carried out only with disposable gloves, protective or unnecessary clothing and a respiratory mask.

Remember

Here are some more tips for eliminating unpleasant odors:

• Do wet cleaning more often. You can add a couple of drops of essential oil to the water. This will add freshness and a pleasant aroma;
• Install a kitchen hood. She will draw in the smells of cooking food;
• Distribute activated carbon. This absorbent absorbs unpleasant odors well;
• Check the expiration date of products. The kitchen most often smells rotten from spoiled food;
• Install an air ionizer. It will remove the smell from the room and improve your well-being;
• Buy an automatic air freshener. Place several air fresheners around the apartment. They will maintain a pleasant atmosphere.

Advantages and disadvantages of the drug

Karbofos is a fairly popular remedy; it has become widespread mainly due to the following positive aspects that it has:

1. Instant result, poisoning of parasites occurs immediately.
2. Multifunctionality , since all other pests that have settled in the apartment will die along with the bedbugs.
3. Efficiency , which is due to the fact that the composition contains substances that are extremely destructive to bedbugs, so they have no chance to survive.
4. Low level of toxicity to humans and pets , if a small amount of malathion enters the body, then only minor intoxication will be observed as a side effect.
5. Low cost, affordable for everyone. By spending a very small amount you can treat the entire apartment at one time.
6. Easy to use; no need to contact specialists to treat the room. To use karbofos you do not need to have any special skills or specific knowledge. The process of preparing the working solution is also distinguished by its simplicity.

However, despite the presence of so many significant advantages, karbofos also has certain negative aspects:

1. The presence of a pungent odor, which does not pose any threat , but makes staying in the room extremely uncomfortable.
2. It is impossible to use in apartments where allergy sufferers live, since karbofos causes a corresponding reaction in them and a number of side effects , such as headaches, difficulty breathing or severe coughing.
3. The effect of the product lasts only for an extremely short period of time; there is no long-term protection for the treated area. In just 2-3 weeks, the toxic substances will be completely eliminated, and there is a risk of parasites reappearing.
4. The drug does not always effectively destroy bedbug eggs , so additional additional treatment may be required.

Danger to humans

You should work with this substance as carefully as possible, because you can not only poison bedbugs, but also get severely poisoned yourself. Poisonous fumes that enter the human body through the respiratory tract are dangerous.

Symptoms:

• Increased blood pressure;
• Tachycardia;
• Diarrhea;
• Coma.

Important!

As you can understand, the consequences can be quite dangerous. If any symptoms appear, call an ambulance immediately. It is also dangerous for animals, so do not allow contact and do not leave it in the room where the procedure is being performed.

Storage and safety precautions

If karbofos was purchased with a reserve or after treating the apartment there is a certain amount of the product left, then you need to remember the rules for storing it, which are as follows:

1. A solution diluted in water cannot be stored, so you need to try to use up the entire volume or get rid of it after processing. Only concentrated karbofos or other forms of the drug can be stored.
2. Storage should be carried out exclusively in a dry place where there is ventilation or the possibility of ventilation, and the temperature does not exceed +25°C.
3. It is strictly prohibited to store any forms of karbofos together with food and any pharmacological agents.
4. The storage location must meet fire safety standards , since karbofos is a highly flammable substance.
5. Access to the storage area should be limited to small children or pets.

Description of the product

Karbofos (malathion) in its pure form is an oily liquid that is colorless, but with a specific, pungent odor. The drug, which is already sold for use, is a dark brown liquid with a specific odor. The main properties of Karbofos include:

• Poor solubility in water.
• Mixes well with organic solvents.
• It is destroyed when exposed to an alkaline environment (after treatment, it is enough to wipe everything with an alkaline solution, for example soap, to disinfect surfaces).
• It is highly volatile when the temperature rises.
• Moderate resistance to sunlight.

Karbofos is produced in the form of powder (dust) containing 10% malathion, in bags of 30 and 60 g. And in the form of a liquid with a 50% content in ampoules of 5 ml and canisters of 1, 5 and 10 liters.

Price and where you can buy it

Karbofos is not a rarity, so you can purchase it at most points of sale of household chemicals, departments with products against household parasites, or via the Internet. In the latter case, delivery costs are added, which will most likely exceed the cost of the drug itself.

The approximate price is:

1. About 30-70 rubles for sachets of the product in powder form, volume 30 or 60 g.
2. About 150 rubles for each liter of concentrated solution.

Release form

Depending on the territory in which the product will be used, a more convenient and suitable form of release is selected.

All release forms have the same effect and are designed for convenient and effective use:

• Powder. For processing, a solution must be prepared first. It is packaged in small packages of 30 g and 60 g. In this version, the product is sold at the lowest price.
• Ampoules. You also need to prepare a solution, but in this case it is much easier to work with. It differs from powder in that the product in ampoules has a higher concentration of the active substance.
• Solution. This is an already diluted solution that can be used for processing. The only negative is that it comes in large-volume canisters, and this is not always convenient.
• Emulsion. Regarding the advantages, it is a strong concentration, so very little is required to prepare the solution. Disadvantages: large containers, sold only in cans.

Reviews

Many people have already tried karbofos in action, now some of them share their impressions of this drug, their reviews about it are given below:

1. Lyudmila: “Our family has known about karbofos for many years now; we have been using it for a very long time. It has one drawback, which is simply a terrible pungent odor that is difficult to dissipate. Probably, sometimes you just need to endure it, since karbofos removes bedbugs instantly. We recently did some renovations and added a small amount to the glue used to glue the wallpaper. I think now we can basically forget about bedbugs.”
2. Igor: “First, the child, and then my wife and I, began to experience strange bites. We had never had bedbugs in our lives, so we suspected flies or mosquitoes. All doubts were dispelled when these parasites were discovered in a box under the bed. Since childhood I can’t stand insects, so I felt a real disgust at the picture I saw. We used some remedies, as well as herbs and heat treatment; we basically did not want to resort to caustic chemicals because of the child. When all other methods turned out to be ineffective, we decided to treat the entire apartment with karbofos, moving out for a few days. 3.5 months have passed since then, I haven’t seen a single bug again and I really hope that I won’t see any more.”
3. Veronica: “Bed bugs are just an unimaginable problem, I never thought that they would appear in my home and that it would be so difficult to get them out. By the way, karbofos also did not work immediately. Judging by my experience, the powder variety is not so effective; I used it to treat the apartment twice, but the parasites were not removed. I bought the liquid in a brown bottle and it worked immediately. Although, perhaps, the result was achieved for the reason that this was already the third treatment. If anyone plans to use karbofos, I recommend buying only in liquid form and using it in the absence of children, since the smell from it is simply terrible.”

How to use it correctly

The effectiveness of the drug directly depends on proper use; compliance with safety measures is mandatory.

The processing procedure itself consists of several stages, each of which is very important:

• Study the instructions;
• Purchase protective equipment;
• Prepare the room;
• Preparation of the solution;
• Treatment;
• Final steps.

When working with the product, you must use protective equipment, wear gloves, a respirator and safety glasses. Only the person performing the procedure should be in the room; this applies to people and animals.

Studying the instructions

Depending on the form in which you purchased the drug, you must study the rules of use and strictly follow the recommendations. Prepare the solution according to the specified proportions. Remember that you cannot change the proportions yourself; a weaker solution will not bring results, and a highly concentrated one can be dangerous.

Protective means

You need to prepare clothes that completely cover your body, ideally work in protective overalls, and be sure to wear rubber gloves on your hands.

To protect yourself from toxic fumes, be sure to wear a respirator. Since the insecticide is applied using a sprayer and small drops fly in different directions, it is necessary to protect your eyes with glasses.

Preparation of the solution

It doesn’t matter which form of the drug you choose: Karbofos powder for bedbugs, as well as liquid emulsion, is intended for dilution with water and preparation of a solution. The table offers average data.

Table - Dilution proportions of "Karbofos"

Form of preparation Volume of water, ml Volume of poison

The exact amount of poison required to dilute the concentrate is indicated on the packaging. In case of severe bedbug infestation, it is recommended to prepare a more concentrated solution.

Spraying

Reviews of Karbofos against bedbugs confirm that a liter of solution is enough to treat a room in an apartment. This volume is designed for 20 m2. The rules for treating the premises do not depend on what form of poison you choose - dry or liquid. They are identical for any preferred option.

• Convenient spraying. Manufacturers recommend pouring the solution into a spray bottle, or better yet, into a garden sprayer. This way you will ensure comfort when working with the drug and will be able to distribute it evenly throughout the apartment.
• Treatment of hard-to-reach places. Liquid “Karbofos” against bedbugs should penetrate even where your hands cannot reach. On the one hand, a spray bottle will help with this. On the other hand, competent preparation of the premises for disinfestation. Furniture must be moved away from the walls: most often, bedbug nests are located in places hidden from human eyes. The preparation must be applied to the back of cabinet and upholstered furniture, niches under window sills and to their lower surface. If there are places where the wallpaper has moved away from the wall, you also need to “walk” over them. Not to mention the space behind the baseboards and under the carpets, where bloodsuckers also often hide.
• Application to upholstered furniture. For cabinet furniture, surface treatment is sufficient. And on sofas, armchairs, ottomans and mattresses, the solution must be applied generously - in larger quantities.

Reapplication

“Karbofos” helps against bedbugs, but for a 100% effect, the solution must be treated twice. Repeated spraying is usually planned 72 hours after the initial spray. The room in which disinfestation is carried out must be thoroughly ventilated every day. For this purpose, the windows in an apartment or house are opened for about two to three hours, and then closed again. If you neglect ventilation and do not provide the room with proper circulation of fresh air, the acrid smell of poison will remain with you for a long time.

Household members will be able to return home only five days after repeated spraying of the insecticide. Before returning, the monastery must be thoroughly vacuumed. Places with which family members constantly come into contact should be treated with soapy water to wash off any remaining poison.

Currently, malathion is increasingly being replaced by synthetic insecticides that are safer for warm-blooded creatures. These include:

• cypermethrin;
• permethrin;
• thiamethoxam;
• diazinon.

If you decide to give preference to malathion, remember: you need to dilute Karbofos for bedbugs in accordance with the instructions printed on the package. A drug can be considered safe for humans only if all protective measures are followed. If the poison does enter the body, you will understand this by the symptoms. Blood pressure will increase, nausea will begin, and possibly vomiting. First aid in such a situation is to provide the patient with a flow of fresh air and take sorbents. Consultation and examination by a doctor after poisoning with Karbofos is mandatory