When detecting bugs in the room, any methods are used to destroy them. One of the most affordable, and at the same time popular, is the chalk “Masha”.
He has already proved to be very effective in the fight against cockroaches, ants and other domestic insects, and works well against blood-sucking parasites.
An important advantage of crayons is convenience and ease of use, and the absence of any unpleasant odor.
Chalk Masha from bedbugs
It is believed that the chalk "Masha" was developed by order of the Ministry of Defense to protect military supplies from insects. After the tool showed its effectiveness, it was decided to put it on the open market for civilian use.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any tool, the small thing “Masha” has both advantages and disadvantages.
Among the advantages are:
- Ease of use - they can make lines in necessary places, spending a minimum of effort on this. Compared with aerosols and sprays, for which you need to pre-prepare the room, crayons can be applied immediately.
- Low price - This is one of the reasons for the high popularity of the tool. In hardware stores the price of a pencil is in the range of 20-30 rubles, which is available to people with any income level.
- Lack of smell and non-toxicity - thanks to this property, the use of tools can be made in the presence of people and pets. And since there are no toxic particles in the air, its toxicity is minimal.
At the same time, the chalk has several disadvantages:
- Small effective term - despite the fact that according to the instructions, the drug acts up to 6 weeks, it begins to lose its effectiveness after the 1st week. It is adversely affected by heat and sunlight.
- Low efficiency with large room contamination - if the colony of bed bugs in the apartment is large, the chalk will not be able to have a significant impact. It can be used as a co-agent with chemical treatment.
- Unwanted use in the presence of children - they may accidentally touch the lines drawn, with further ingress of the agent into their digestive system, which will lead to poisoning.
In addition to insecticide crayons in the fight against bedbugs, they use other remedies for bedbugs, both folk and chemical. We have prepared for you a number of articles on this topic.Read all about aerosols and sprays Dichlorvos, Raptor, etc., Clean House powder and Fufanon liquid solution.
Forms of release
The drug "Masha" is available only in the form of a chalk bar of gray-white color weighing 20 grams. It is sold in an opaque blue packaging, on the back of which is located instructions for use.
The composition includes four substances.:
- Zeta-cypermethrin.
- Deltamethrin.
- A piece of chalk.
- Gypsum.
The first two components are poisons of contact action, and they destroy insects. However, at the same time, they can adversely affect humans and animals.
Impact mechanism
When a bedbug runs over the striated surface, poison is placed on its limbs, which is absorbed through the proboscis into the digestive system. After that, the substance begins to work.
Zeta cypermethrin and deltamethrin act on a similar principle interrupting the transmission of impulses in the nervous system. As a result, the functioning of all the muscles in the body of the parasite stops and it dies.
Compared with aerosols, which begin to act immediately when spraying and ingestion of insects, crayon works only after a certain time.
First, the bug should touch the vehicle, running along the drawn strip. As a result, the more parasites it crosses, the greater the effect can be achieved.
In addition, the particles of toxic substances on the paws fall into the nest, thereby affecting its other inhabitants.
ATTENTION! The death of insects begins from 4-5 days after contact, and reaches its peak in 2-4 weeks. At the same time, it is necessary to update the “barrier” lines every week.
Instructions for use
There are three ways to use the “Masha” chalk.:
- Draw a line across the routes of the parasites.
- Grinding fine and placing the resulting powder over the entire surface.
The advantage of this approach is that toxic substances will be applied in a thick layer over a large area. Its disadvantages are that when spilling it, it is necessary to close the mouth and nose from accidental inhalation, and the powder can be blown off or raised into the air by a stream of air. This works best when falling asleep in the cavity inside the furniture.
- Preparation of the solution - the ground composition can be dissolved in a certain amount of water, and the resulting mixture is sprayed on the treated surfaces.
The effectiveness of the effects of substances in each of the three cases is about the same, so you need to choose based on ease of use.
Before processing with chalk it is necessary to conduct a little preparation in the apartment:
- Remove furniture from the walls, freeing both its back part and opening access to the baseboards.
- If there are carpets on the walls, it is best to dry them.
- Paintings and other objects on the walls must be processed with chalk on the back side.
IMPORTANT! Work with chalk is made only in rubber gloves to prevent the product from touching the skin.
When processing, it is best to conduct wide strips measuring 2-4 centimeters.
Need to draw lines in the following places:
- Circle the entire room with two lines - one is carried along the wall above the baseboard, the other on the floor in front of it.
- If there are gaps in the plinths, or there are wallpapers that have fallen off from the walls, an additional line is drawn in these places.
- The back of the furniture, the bed frame, the lower part of the mattress are circled.
Precautions and risks
Precautions when using crayons should be as follows:
- Be sure to wear protective gloves.
- If you are prone to allergies, do not neglect the use of a respirator and safety glasses.
- It is advisable to close the treated room for a while.
- A few days later, thoroughly air the room and conduct general cleaning.
It should be noted that specific contraindications to the use of this tool does not exist. However, it should not be used with individual intolerance to drugs that are part of, without protective agents, especially with a strong tendency to allergies.
Is there a risk of poisoning?? When crayon enters the body - no doubt, because it is an insecticide, which means poison.
Pencil "Masha" - a time-tested tool that successfully destroys a variety of domestic insects, including bedbugs. If the advantages are ease of use and low cost. The chalk acts on the insect when it crosses the drawn line, and remains active for up to 6 weeks.
It can be applied in three ways - by drawing a line, grinding it to a powder and sprinkling it on the surface or dissolving the powder in water and getting a solution for spraying.
There is no unequivocal answer to the question which of the means will be the most effective in the fight against bedbugs. Experts recommend processing with several different substances to avoid insect habituation of insects.For these purposes, you can use: Geth, Kukaracu, Raptor or Malathion. In our articles you will find detailed information about them.
Useful materials
Read other articles about bedbugs:
- Pay attention to such means of struggle at home as scarers and traps.
- Find out the main causes of the appearance of bloodsuckers in the apartment, namely the bedding parasites.
- What do homebugs look like and how to get rid of them using various methods?
- Learn what they are dangerous to humans? How to recognize their bites, especially in children and how to properly handle damaged areas?
- To effectively deal with these insects, find out what species exist, how they multiply and feed, where to find their nests and can they live in clothes?
- Read more about folk remedies, in particular vinegar and temperature effects.
- Effective preventive measures.
- Study several review articles about modern means of struggle, in particular with bed bugs. Familiarize yourself with the list of safe products for people and pets, and also learn how to properly prepare the apartment before treatment.
- If you can not cope with the parasites on their own, we recommend that you contact the professionals. They possess effective destruction technologies and will be able to help you as soon as possible.
