The appearance of bedbugs in the house suggests the need to take emergency measures to combat these unpleasant insects. And here you can’t do without a special remedy for bedbugs. But, not everything is so simple. You can waste money and time, since most anti-bedbug medications are ineffective or require temporary relocation, which causes a lot of trouble.
Chalk "Mashenka" is one of the easiest to use means that guarantees effective destruction of bedbugs, and not the high cost at which it can be purchased - another rather pleasant aspect for any housewife.
Insecticide composition
The twenty-gram Mashenka pencil looks like an ordinary school block of chalk. It is sold in plastic bags in all hardware stores. In addition to gypsum and chalk itself, this popular insecticide, as the name suggests, contains two toxic substances. Thanks to the plasticity of gypsum and chalk, the product is easily applied to surfaces that need to be treated against bedbugs.
Deltamethrin 0.05%
Deltamethrin is an insecticide belonging to the pyrethroid family. Pyrethroids are man-made versions of pyrethrins, natural insecticides found in chrysanthemum flowers. Deltamethrin is commonly used outdoors on lawns, ornamental gardens, golf courses, and indoors to treat cracks and cracks where bed bugs hide.
In its pure form, Deltamethrin is colorless or light beige crystals that are odorless.
Deltamethrin was first described in 1974 and came to market in 1978. It is included in numerous products used to kill a wide range of insects. Deltamethrin can often be included in insecticidal products in the form of aerosols, sprays, and powders. Mashenka chalk, which contains Deltamethrin as an active ingredient, is very popular in Russia.
Zeta-cypermethrin 0.1%
Cypermethrin was originally developed to control bedbugs on agricultural lands, and was also used to kill ectoparasites (lice, fleas, various ticks) that affect cattle, sheep and poultry. Subsequently, it became available to household consumers and was included in many household products, including the “Mashenka” chalk. If you have ants, cockroaches and other stubborn insects infesting your space, you can try to kill them with any products that contain this insecticide.
What needs to be processed?
Bed bugs need regular nutrition for normal functioning, so bed bugs try to choose their shelters in the immediate vicinity of a person’s place of rest. A bug that has sucked blood cannot travel long distances; it becomes clumsy and slow.
According to statistics, the bulk of all insects are located within a radius of five meters from a person’s sleeping place; it is this area that needs to be given maximum attention during disinfestation. As you approach the bed, the intensity of application should be increased. We process:
- Skirting boards;
- Bed legs and frame;
- Cracks in the floor and walls;
- Wallpaper joints;
- Back walls and pull-out shelves of bedside furniture;
- The backs of paintings and wall hangings.
For safety reasons, it is recommended to “draw” stripes with chalk in places inaccessible to children and pets. After completing all procedures, you should wash your hands with soap.
Operating principle
Penetrates the insect's body and paralyzes it.
How does Deltamethrin work?
Deltamethrin can kill insects by direct contact or if they eat it. This disrupts their normal nervous system function. It is less toxic to mammals due to their higher body temperature, larger size, and reduced sensitivity to the chemical.
How does Zeta-cypermethrin work?
On the one hand, this is a powerful weapon for protecting your home from insects, but on the other hand, this substance is one of the ten most severe toxic substances, along with DDT, hydrocyanic acid, and chlordane. Of course, its concentration in chalk is extremely low, but we must remember that it strongly depresses the nervous system.
Preparatory activities
The Mashenka chalk is quite easy to use. The instructions describe the algorithm of action in detail. Although it is not necessary to leave the room during treatment, it is still recommended if the area of infestation is high. Then proceed as follows:
- It is better for small children and animals to temporarily stay in another place. The chalk has no volatile substances, but the ingredients may accidentally enter the digestive system.
- It is necessary to move all the furniture and disassemble it as much as possible.
- Mattress covers and covers should be removed.
- The dishes should be taken out.
- It is better to use gloves when processing.
How to use
Take a chalk and block with lines two to four centimeters thick all the paths of the insects that you want to destroy. Each of them has its own habitat. The processing principles and algorithm of actions when you use chalk are always the same.
First, we recommend drawing chalk lines along the baseboards, sewer pipes, and ventilation grilles. Do this as a solid line, because even a small gap left without means will allow insects to cross the forbidden line without illness, damage to health and loss of reproductive functions. After the boundaries around the main places of possible accumulation of insects have been drawn, a similar treatment of wooden furniture should be carried out. We recommend drawing lines on cabinets, mezzanines, backs of sofas and armchairs.
Features of using a pencil against bedbugs
You need to crush the chalk into dust and pour it into hard-to-reach places where bedbugs like to hide: crevices in baseboards, the inside of upholstered furniture, etc.
This works, but is not safe as you may inhale toxic dust. In any case, you will need a respirator. You can dilute the resulting powder with water and apply the product with a brush. The resulting slurry will seal cracks and cracks well. But the consumption of the drug will be significantly increased, which will reduce to zero such an advantage as the low cost of the drug.
How to use against ants
Works great if you find the ants' trails. If small critters like to wander around your dining table, you can apply chalk to the underside of the tabletop. If their path is laid along the window sill, then you can draw barrier lines under the window sill.
But most likely, they will quickly blaze new trails, and victory will remain theirs. It is very difficult to defeat ants, and yet... when choosing who to live with - bedbugs, cockroaches or ants, ants seem more attractive. Moreover, some types of ants eat bedbugs.
Can it be used against fleas?
Very difficult, almost impossible. The substance contained in the chalk kills fleas, but fleas most often live on their owners, and smearing yourself or your pet with chalk is not recommended.
You can apply stripes under the animal's bedding, but there is a danger that he will lick off the product, so it is better to choose something else for these purposes.
Infection of relatives
How long will it take for the entire population to die when using Mashenka bug chalk? Reviews often claim that at first the effect was not visible. The insects continued to bite at night. But after about a week it became noticeable that there were much fewer of them, and soon they completely disappeared. Why is this happening?
Bedbugs live in communities and hide in secluded places. It is unlikely that they all feed on the blood of one person, so it is not possible to assume that in one night they will all cross the line and soon die. But there is another mechanism at work here. In order to become infected, an insect only needs to touch a fellow insect that has crawled along the chalk line. That is, returning to the nest, the bug will bring with it death for many insects.
Is chalk against bedbugs and cockroaches “Mashenka” dangerous for humans?
People working or working with pyrethrins and pyrethroids (including cypermethrin) sometimes develop tingling, burning, dizziness and itching.
How can I be exposed to Deltamethrin or Zeta-cypermethrin? Of course, the percentage of these substances in Mashenka chalk is very small, and you are unlikely to want to treat yourself to chalk, but touching the chalk with your bare hands or inhaling its fine dust while you are treating surfaces with it can negatively affect your well-being.
Some signs and symptoms from short-term exposure to Deltamethrin and Zeta-cypermethrin
When these substances come into contact with the skin, they can cause a tingling, itching, burning or numbness sensation in the area. These sensations usually go away within 48 hours. However, any insecticides will cause irritation if they come into contact with the eyes. Inhalation of dust in which they are present can cause headaches and dizziness. Although it is not common, there have been cases of people experiencing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and muscle contractions after handling household insecticides. But you don’t need to be too scared: Deltamethrin and Zeta-cypermethrin in the Mashenka chalk have low toxicity when touched or inhaled.
Many people who have heard that insecticides are carcinogens ask, can Deltamethrin contribute to the development of cancer? Data from animal studies indicate that Deltamethrin does not cause cancer. Specifically, the US Environmental Protection Agency classifies Deltamethrin as an unlikely human carcinogen by all routes of exposure. Studies were conducted using laboratory animals that confirmed that Deltamethrin did not cause birth defects in dogs and rats that ate it during pregnancy.
The use of Mashenka chalk in places where small children live
Although children may be particularly sensitive to pesticides compared to adults, it is currently unknown whether children are particularly sensitive to Deltamethrin and Zeta-cypermethrin. However, studies in rats showed that young rats were more sensitive than older rats when they were both fed these insecticides.
Is chalk dangerous for pets?
Mashenka chalk can cause illness in dogs and cats if they eat it or lick the treated surface. It can cause vomiting, drooling, coordination and muscle tremors. If any amount of crumbled crayon accidentally gets on their skin, it can sometimes cause skin sensations that lead to biting, scratching, or licking the area touched by the substance.
In studies on animals that ate Mashenka chalk, it was found that chemical poisons were eliminated from the body within 2 days. In a rat study, Deltamethrin was poorly absorbed through the skin. The small amount that was absorbed through the skin left the body within 24 hours.
Fighting ants
These are not frequent guests in apartments, but they may take a liking to old five-story buildings. And the private sector is well acquainted with anthills in the foundation, in the cellar and in the kitchen. You should not waste time and effort preparing various potions according to folk recipes. Mashenka ant repellent chalk helps a lot. Reviews suggest that it can be used in two ways:
- The insecticide is dissolved in a bucket of water. The resulting solution should be used to treat the floors in the apartment, or to water an anthill if one is found.
- The pencil is crushed and scattered in the cracks along the baseboard, especially in those places where ants get out.
After handling chalk, wash your hands thoroughly.
Analogues of chalk "Mashenka"
There are many analogues of Mashenka chalk, even Mashenka silver or silver chalk, although it is unclear how these preparations, other than the name, differ from each other.
You can buy the protection product “Brownie Proshka”. The composition of this chalk also coincides with the above-mentioned components. Just different brands.
There is a chalk in the “Clean House” series of insect repellents. You can buy Chalk "Absolute" - this is an insecticidal agent for fighting cockroaches, ants, fleas, bedbugs, rat mites and flies.
You may come across “Titanic” - a cockroach chalk for disinfection services and household use. An identical remedy is the “Vigilant Guardian” chalk against cockroaches and ants. In addition, it is necessary to mention such product brands as “Tornado” cockroach chalk (30g), Insect repellent, “Rubit” in the form of chalk.
conclusions
It is advisable to use Mashenka chalk against bedbugs when the insect population in the apartment is insignificant. The pencil can be used quite successfully only in the early stages of infection and as a preventive measure against bloodsuckers. In heavily infested rooms it is no longer possible to do without powerful insecticides.
Sources
- https://oklop.ru/melok-mashenka-ot-klopov
- https://pestout.ru/domashnie-vrediteli/klopy/mashenka-ot-klopov.html
- https://www.syl.ru/article/362302/pomogaet-li-melok-mashenka-ot-klopov-otzyivyi-ob-effektivnosti-sredstva
- https://beetlestop.ru/melok-mashenka-ot-klopov/
- https://klopvon.ru/klopy/melok-karandash-mashenka-ot-klopov-otzyvy-kak-primenyat-gde-kupit-cena.html
- https://deadbug.ru/klopy-boyatsya-mashenku-risuem-melom-neprobivaemuyu-zashhitu.html
- https://GdeKlop.ru/insecticide/klopy/melok-mashenka-ot-klopov/
- https://vredstop.ru/sredstva/melok-mashenka.html
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Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the product are:
- Can be bought everywhere, the product is available for free sale
- Extremely low price
- Easy to use
- Convenient release form
- The product does not crumble during application
- The chalk does not wear off under the influence of moisture
- No unpleasant odor
- The dense consistency of the chalk does not allow it to wear off or crumble for a long time;
- After applying the drug, ventilation and wet cleaning are not required;
- The product is quite effective against several types of insects: bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches, flies
- Chalk can work for two months after application
- No unpleasant odor
- After applying the drug, no ventilation or wet cleaning is required.
- The product is effective against several types of insects: bedbugs, fleas, cockroaches, flies
Disadvantages include:
- Ends quickly
- The effect appears no earlier than after a week
- Leaves visible, unsightly marks on furniture
- Not the fastest and most lethal result
- The composition is not resistant to direct light rays
- Will not cope with large numbers of insects
Instructions for use
Before you start processing, you should figure out how to use Mashenka chalk. The algorithm for using a pencil is simple. During the rehabilitation process you will need:
- Wearing gloves, remove the product from the packaging.
- Holding the chalk at the bottom, draw wide circular lines along the entire perimeter of the room. Floors, baseboards, the bottom of walls, the back surface of carpeting, bed frames, the bottom of mattresses, areas with loose wallpaper, closets with clothes, and paintings must be treated.
- For disinfestation of hard-to-reach places, Mashenka is used in the form of a solution or powder. You can distribute the product using a spray bottle or a wide brush (it is important to avoid getting the product into the eyes and mucous membranes). To prepare a composition for wet surface cleaning, the chalk is dissolved in a small amount of water until a creamy mass is obtained.
For more effective pest control, you will need to disassemble all the furniture in the house.
Re-processing with a pencil is not necessary, because the principle of its action assumes long-term effectiveness (for 30 days). After this period, the room is wet cleaned with soap and soda solution, upholstered furniture and carpets are vacuumed, mattresses are beaten out and ventilated.
Despite the lack of toxic effects of the product on the human body, disinfestation should be done while wearing a medical mask. If a powder or solution was used, after treatment it is necessary to thoroughly ventilate the room, wipe door handles, table surfaces, and wash your hands and face with soap.
Note! If bedbugs are present in neighboring rooms, preventive treatment of the apartment should be carried out. In this case, the chalk is applied in less dense and wide lines to the threshold, ventilation holes, and cracks around heating systems.
Pencil "Mashenka" - user reviews
Galina (Samara):
“I got bedbugs. I use Mashenka chalk as additional insurance. It is not difficult to apply and is not expensive to purchase. Therefore, let “Mashenka” also work until the heap.”
Victor (Belgorod):
“My mother is firmly convinced that this is the best remedy for ants and cockroaches. As soon as an insect appears in sight, we begin to paint everything around with chalk. Recently, cockroaches came from our neighbors, so we got rid of them in a week. And, in general, our house is clean and comfortable, no one crawls, flies, or bites. Maybe because mom is such a neat person, what if chalk helps so much?!”
Alexey (Moscow):
“The chalk disappointed me. It was not possible to get rid of cockroaches cheaply. I had to call specialists and carry out a complete renovation of the apartment. Poison insects with professional, not household means.”
Veronica (Ramenskoye):
“We all know where cockroaches come from. If there is a garbage disposal in the house, infection cannot be avoided and cockroaches cannot be scared away with chalk. If you want them to disappear, you need heavy artillery."
An integrated approach to combat
If you lose the battle over and over again, and the insects begin a new attack, then do not despair. This happens especially often if the house has wooden floors in which fleas have settled. Victory will still be yours. And a simple flea chalk “Mashenka” will help. Reviews suggest that in this case a number of measures will have to be carried out, which will ultimately lead to the final cleansing of the house:
- It is necessary to remove rugs and carpets and take them to dry cleaning.
- Empty the cabinets of things and thoroughly treat the inside with a chalk solution. If it’s winter outside, then take all your things out into the cold.
- Now we need to tackle the upholstered furniture. Sofas and beds, an armchair, must be disassembled as much as possible and thoroughly rubbed with chalk or sprayed with crushed stone. The “Mashenka” flea chalk works great, you just need to make sure that the insects come into contact with the insecticide and do not pass by.
- Take another look at where insects might be hiding in your room. Wallpaper that is coming off the wall, paintings, bookcases and drawers with writing instruments - all this must be taken into account.
- The baseboards around the perimeter of the entire room should be thoroughly rubbed with chalk. Moreover, one strip needs to be run along the baseboard, and the second a little higher, along the wall.
- Pay special attention to cracks in the baseboard. These places are carefully treated by pouring a chalk solution into them.
We must not forget about the most favorite places for cockroaches. This is a garbage bin, a place for washing dishes, refrigerators and a dining area, the space behind the stove.
