Karbofos against bed bugs: we evaluate the composition and correctly treat with the drug

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.

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.

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.

Types of effects on parasites

Karbofos is a contact intestinal insecticide whose work is based on blocking the nerve impulses of the insect. Once on the body or inside, the transmission of impulses from cell to cell is disrupted, resulting in paralysis and subsequent death of the insect. Combines all types of insecticidal effects:

• Ovicidal - effects on insect eggs, through the shell affects the larvae.
• Larvicidal - destruction of larvae in the initial stages of development.
• Imagocidal - fight against adult insects.

For humans and warm-blooded animals, Karbofos can be quite toxic, having a cumulative (accumulates in the body) property.
But this happens when the drug is used for a very long time; in our case, accumulation does not occur. Interesting fact: After the bug is saturated with blood, its body becomes like a small ball of the corresponding color. The more time passes from the moment the bug ate food, the darker the color it acquires, which is due to the oxidation of iron, which is part of hemoglobin.

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.

Karbofos instructions for use

The drug is a water-based concentrate, so at home we dilute it with water at room temperature. Concentration of the working solution (ready for use): add 2 - 5 ml of aqueous emulsion per 1 liter of water, the concentration depends on the number of insects. When diluting the powder at 5 grams per 1 liter of water, an average package of 30 grams is enough to treat a 2-room apartment. We carry out the treatment by spraying using a spray bottle or a household sprayer. The average consumption of the working solution is from 50 - 100 ml per 1 m2, it all depends on the absorbent properties of the surfaces. All the above and subsequent measures should be carried out using protective equipment. Safety glasses, a respirator or protective mask, rubber gloves and a change of clothing are required.

Properties

The insecticidal agent is intended for the destruction of harmful insects, arachnids in open areas and indoors. The active ingredient is malathion.

The drug has a neuroparalytic effect. The contact insecticide penetrates the chitinous cover, disrupts the regulation of nervous activity, causes paralysis, blocking vital processes, and provokes the rapid death of the pest.

The larvae and eggs of bedbugs, cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes are more resistant to the effects of the active component of the drug Karbofos. To destroy the population of parasites and pests, three to six treatments are required.

Preparing the area for disinfestation

Before you start pest control, you should prepare your apartment. Let's start with regular cleaning using a vacuum cleaner; you will partially deal with the bugs that come across, detect nests and visually determine the number of parasites.

• Wash bed linen, curtains and drapes.
• Pack food, cosmetics and personal hygiene products in tight bags and put away.
• People and animals must leave the premises.
• Cover aquariums, terrariums and house plants tightly.
• Move furniture away from the walls.
• Remove carpets and paintings from the walls.
• Hide clothes in a closet unless the closet itself needs to be treated.
• Wash soft toys or send them to dry cleaning.

Etching is not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women. People with sensitive skin to chemicals. It is not recommended to eat or smoke during pest control. In case of contact with skin, wash with running water and soap. In case of contact with eyes, rinse thoroughly with running water; if irritation occurs, consult a doctor.

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.”

Where to poison bedbugs

Bedbugs are slow, so they place their nests close to the feeding area; we look for them near our resting places. We process:

• Bedroom furniture - all joints and crevices of wooden structures.
• Sofas should be treated both outside and inside.
• Furniture bedside tables, chest of drawers, etc. (bottom, back walls and drawers).
• The reverse side of carpets and paintings, all wall decorative elements.
• Under the window sill and heating panels.
• Sockets and switches (disconnect power in advance).
• It is possible that you got bedbugs from your neighbors, treat the frame of the entrance doors and the ventilation shaft.
• Gaps in the floor and baseboards.
• Places of joints and loose wallpaper.

After disinfestation is completed, put your work clothes in the wash, take a shower and rinse your mouth. All processing is carried out with the windows open. Leave the apartment for 3 - 5 hours, and ventilate well upon return. Wipe all contact areas (shelves, tables, chairs, door handles, etc.) with a soap solution with the addition of soda. After 2 - 3 days, the cleaning is carried out; the presence of dead insects will show you the quality of the treatment; sometimes it is necessary to re-treat (if the number of bedbugs was large). Carry out general cleaning after 1.5 - 2 months. Now products based on Karbofos make up about 80% of all insecticides on the market, and many buyers are pleased with their results and price.

From the outside it seemed that Lenochka was thinking. In fact, a lonely cockroach was running around in her head and wailing: “What to do, what to do?”

Concomitant use with other drugs

When using karbofos against pests, you need to take into account its compatibility with other drugs used on the site. For example, in combination with Fazalan there is a risk of destroying all the greens and not getting a harvest at all.

Information about the combined effects of the active substances of the products used is placed in the instructions for use. If the fertilizer cannot be combined with karbofos, then you will have to look for an analogue of one or another product.

Dead cockroaches

Advantages and disadvantages

Like all insecticides, Karbofos has its pros and cons: The main advantages include:

• Availability - sold everywhere from the market to specialty stores.
• Price - the low cost of products based on it is sometimes the main criterion when choosing.
• Efficiency - many years of experience show that it is still an effective remedy.
• Wide range of applications - suitable for treating domestic parasites, and will also help in the garden.

Minuses:

The main and sometimes decisive factor not in favor of Karbofos is its strong specific odor, which is very difficult to dissipate.

Operating principle

In the insect's body, malathion breaks down and releases the more aggressive poison malaoxon. This occurs mainly in cold-blooded animals. Also, this drug, upon direct contact, paralyzes the pest, which leads to death. The product acts faster on larvae than on adults, which is explained by the incompletely formed outer integument.

With constant use of the drug, surviving insects begin to produce a special enzyme that neutralizes the poison. Therefore, before using karbofos to destroy pests on a site or at home, you need to find out whether pesticides containing an organic phosphorus compound have been used in this area.

Application on beds

Try to process plants in the garden in calm weather, with a temperature no higher than +15°C. Apply the spray method evenly to the leaves of the plants. The protective effect of Karbofos lasts 1.5 - 2 weeks, and begins to act within 3 - 4 hours after treatment. The table shows the amount of water required to prepare a working solution from a 60 gram package of Karbofos.

It is prohibited to use the drug during the flowering period; it is dangerous for bees. Do not allow to enter water bodies.

Advantages

Organophosphorus agent, in addition to low cost, has positive aspects:

• acts quickly;
• effectively destroys bedbugs, cockroaches, ticks, ants, and other harmful insects;
• preparing a working solution and treating surfaces is not difficult;
• the insecticide is effective when parasites are resistant to other drugs;
• a sachet of powder weighing 60 g costs only 45 rubles.

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.

Source

What should you do after treatment?

After the first treatment, the room should be ventilated for three days. Approximately on the third day, you need to treat the apartment again in order to destroy the newly hatched larvae. It is recommended to create a draft in the room for several hours so that the unpleasant smell disappears quickly. On the second day after repeated treatment, you can do wet cleaning without touching the places where bedbugs are located. You should vacuum and clean the carpets, wash the walls and cabinets with a garden soap solution, and wipe down areas that people touch (door handles, switches).

Clothing used for treatment should be thoroughly washed or thrown away. Hands should be washed with soap and the remaining solution should be disposed of. The applied solution retains some activity for approximately 14 days, so general cleaning should be done no earlier than two weeks after re-treatment of the room.

Karbofos is a drug that has proven itself in the fight against bedbugs. It is suitable for those who value efficiency, accessibility and cost-effectiveness and for those who are ready to turn a blind eye to the unpleasant smell of the product in order to get rid of blood-sucking parasites.

General information

Their body is designed in such a way that it can develop resistance to poisons previously used against them. Knowing this feature of bedbugs, work is constantly being done on drugs to kill them, and on store shelves you can sometimes find products that no one knew about before. But the most recognizable, and at the same time the most effective in work, remains the insecticidal agent “Karbofos”.

This drug is used when no other remedy has been able to cope with bedbugs, which, if they appear in a person’s home, do not want to leave quickly. Therefore, it is also impossible to remove them quickly. They do not want to submit to either aerosols or sprays. But the combination of malathion and phosphorus ester is capable of destroying all bloodsuckers who decide to live in an apartment for a long time with the most serious intentions. We are talking about “Karbofos”, which is capable of coping with a horde of various insects.

It is a poison that is equally dangerous for both humans and animals. It has a very unpleasant smell. But the fact that after the secondary treatment the result will be one hundred percent is the main thing that attracts you in choosing this drug.