My husband decided to order the service of disinfestation with cold fog from bed bugs: what it is and how it works, the order of application - the specialists of the company told him about everything. There are no questions here. But I have some doubts: how effective this method is and whether it should be used at home. In the organization where we went, they would hardly tell us about it, they would only praise us, and I would like to have true information. Please tell me about the peculiarities of this method. Thank you in advance.
The author of the portal answers the question:
What is a cold fog. How it is achieved
This is the name given to the finely dispersed suspension that is released when you turn on the special equipment - the atomizer.
Microscopic particles of a chemical substance are released into the air, which has a devastating effect on the nervous system of all insects, including bloodsucking insects. Cold fog is called the technique in question because as the room is treated, a cloud of insecticide droplets is formed. The particles are volatile and spread quickly around the room. The cloud consists of microdroplets with increased penetrating ability. The properties of this environment resemble a fog.
When treating a room, the solution is sprayed at room temperature. This makes it possible to separate the concepts of cold and, at the same time, hot fog. The second of the methods is similar to the one under consideration, but a heated working solution is used. Such a technique is called hot fog treatment. It has its own advantages and disadvantages, but in everyday life, the first of the options is more often used. The size of microparticles during extermination bedbugs cold fog is 30-80 μm.
This allows the drops to continue to "fly" for 2-4 hours.
Why the cold fog method is so effective against bed bugs
When insecticides in different forms are used, the effectiveness of the room treatment procedure is evaluated. Cold fogging of bed bugs is effective due to factors:
- micro-particles are released, which are evenly distributed throughout the apartment, and when the insects move around the surfaces, they will immediately receive a dose of poison - the insecticide particles will remain on the cuticle;
- Suspension of microparticles does not settle for a long time, the drops are so small and light that they continue to affect the pests through the respiratory organs for several hours - it guarantees the death of parasites;
- When the cold fog method is used, the poisoning agent is spread evenly over the entire area of the room, as well as many objects in the apartment, equipment, coatings, as a result of avoiding contact with the poisoning insect will not be possible.
When the venom ends up on the chitinous shell bedbugsThe insects are killed even faster as a doubled dose of insecticide enters the body.
What preparations are used to treat the room with cold fog
In order to remove parasites from an object during disinfestation, the same agents are used as in domestic conditions. They are divided into groups:
- class of pyrethroids (analogues of natural pyrethrins);
- group represented by more modern substances - neonicotinoids;
- The classic variants are organophosphorus compounds.
However, unlike household preparations, specialized preparations contain a more significant proportion of the poisonous substance, the composition may also include various additives. It is not recommended to use them at home because of their toxicity. Such remedies include:
To reduce the risk of intoxication, preparations with a less pronounced odor or no odor at all are used:
- Lambda Zone;
- Delta Zone;
- Get.
Substances do not lose their properties because they are not heated. To work, the bed bug repellent is mixed with water in the ratios recommended by the manufacturer.
Cold fog generators
Equipment that is used for disinfestation is often referred to as a sprayer. However, it has a definition - fog generators. The devices are so called because they produce a fine mist which creates a special environment in the room. In domestic conditions, it is possible to treat bed bugs with cold fog, because the equipment for hot fog is more complex, large-sized.
In this case it is necessary to bring the working solution to a certain temperature. For this purpose, a heating element and other parts of the design are provided.
Purchase Generator холодного тумана для дома вполне можно за 18000. Однако это будет наиболее простое устройство. Причем вероятно, размер частиц на выходе сопла в данном случае не самый мелкий (возможно, средний), но такой вариант все равно лучше, чем бытовые препараты (аэрозоли, порошки). Его цена оправданна высокоэффективным действием.
What is the usefulness of aerosol (mist): differences from other forms of drugs
A fine mist has many advantages. To understand why fogging is better than the use of household preparations, you can compare them according to the main parameters:
- aerosolsThe size of the particles released is larger than in cold fog treatments, resulting in faster settling, with this method a minimal amount of poisonous droplets gets into the insects' respiratory tract;
- powders: allow you to treat only horizontal surfaces, and the substance covers them unevenly, and through the respiratory tract does not penetrate into the body of the bedwetting parasites;
- Spray: the particles are even heavier than with aerosol or cold fog, which makes the coatings unevenly treated;
- crayons: significantly different from the use of fine suspension (chemical cloud), the substance is applied in lines, does not cover the entire area of the object, acts only through the cuticle of the bedbug.
Preparing the apartment - get ready for a general cleaning
To get the desired result of the insect poisoning process, you need to follow some basic recommendations:
- cover the ventilation hole with foil and duct tape;
- remove all interior decorations and objects;
- Personal items that cannot be treated are sealed with cling film;
- The technique should also be covered with impermeable material (preferably plastic), the joints are fixed with tape;
- food and utensils should not be in the treated room, if possible, the food is placed in the refrigerator, dishes are packed with film;
- move furniture away from the walls (10-15 cm is enough);
- free the furniture from things, they must be washed at high temperature in the machine;
- disconnect the power source at the input of the apartment;
- it is necessary to take the aquarium out of the apartment (e.g. to the neighbors), because the poison will be in the air for up to 4 hours;
- roll up the carpets, if necessary, further process their back side;
- At the last stage, a general cleaning is carried out: all surfaces and things are cleaned, which allows you to find some of the insects' nests.
Preparation of the apartment plays a key role in disinfestation. This stage ensures half of the success of the event.
Safety precautions
A high risk of intoxication is noted when using cold fogging techniques. It is not the insecticide itself that causes harm to humans (most of them are conventionally harmless in operation), but the way it is delivered - by releasing micro-particles that easily get not only into the body of bed bugs, but also into the airways of people. The substance covers the entire skin, gets on the mucous membranes. The danger to humans is quite high. In order not to risk your health when poisoning insects, different means are used:
- wear protective goggles;
- The work is carried out in polymer gloves;
- wear closed clothes and shoes;
- It is better to work in a gas mask or a special respirator, but in the second case there will be a lot of poison on your face, you need to wash as soon as possible.
How to treat an apartment against bed bugs with cold fog
Key steps:
- A solution is prepared. Specialists mix the insecticide with water according to their formulation, because they know what has the best effect on pests. In domestic conditions you can follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
- The working solution is poured into a container of the equipment.
- After the device is plugged in, the process of spraying the substance begins.
The stain lasts for several hours, which depends on the degree of infestation, the area of the object and the quality of preparation of the rooms for the work. After completion, the apartment should be left in a preserved state for several hours (windows and doors closed). Then you should ventilate the apartment thoroughly (at least 1 hour).
Only some surfaces can be cleaned from the insecticide at once: door handles, windows, armrests, bedside tables - those of their objects and coatings that are frequently used.
How long before the bedbugs die
Insects die at different intervals. If a bedbug gets a maximum dose of poison, it can be dead in a few minutes. Most die after a few hours. The rest can still move around surfaces for a while. The dose of poison increases each time, so death is slow in this case, occurring in a few days and sometimes in a few weeks.
Pros and cons of the method
Benefits include:
- high speed of work;
- universal action - all insects that were previously encountered on the object are killed;
- cold fog helps to clean objects of any purpose;
- high treatment efficiency: insects die faster;
- particles affect pests in different ways at once;
- small drops remain in cracks of any size;
- warranty is provided;
- a large area is treated, which is due to the low weight of the particles, they acquire a property such as volatility.
If we compare cold fog and hot fog, it appears that the former method has an advantage over the latter. This is because there is no risk of premature breakdown of the substance molecules under the influence of the heat source.
The disadvantages of using the cold fog method are few:
- difficulty in independent implementation, you need to buy special equipment, but if such treatment is a forced measure, which is taken quite often, it will be cheaper to buy once than each time to go to the service for disinfestation;
- high toxicity, due to the significant penetrating ability of the suspension;
- it is not always possible to destroy insect eggs;
- There will still be a specific smell in the apartment even after ventilation, but over time it will disappear;
- the complexity of preparation.
Does it happen that the cold fog does not help
One of the scenarios is that the effectiveness of the treatment is not high enough and the bed bugs reappear (after a few days/weeks). Factors that contribute to this:
- insufficiently thorough preparation;
- poor-quality treatment of the room (unqualified employees or equipment malfunction);
- Failure to comply with the proportions when making the working solution;
- Failure to follow the recommendations for re-treatment or spraying too early/late a second time (best to do it 10 days after the first treatment).
Self-application of the method at home
Using a generator without experience and knowledge is unhealthy and even life-threatening. The consumer can choose a device according to its basic characteristics. However, he is unlikely to know which poison should be used. It must comply with sanitary and epidemiological requirements. There is a risk of poisoning during operation. Also, consumers are not always aware of all the habitats without exception insects.
Table: Prices for cold fog treatments
Today such services are offered by different companies, and there are many of them. To navigate in the choice of organization, you should compare the cost.
| Apartments | Country houses | Enterprises, organizations, firms | ||||
| Type of Item | Processing method | Цена | The area of the object, sq. m. | Цена, | The area of the object, sq. m. | Цена, |
| 1 room | Cold Fog | 1600 | not more than 100 | 3400 and up | not more than 100 | from 35/sq. m |
| Hot Fog | 4400 | 101-200 | 35/sq. m. | 101-300 | from 30/sq.m. | |
| 2-room | Cold Fog | 1900 | 201-300 | 30/sq. m. | 301-500 | from 25/sq. m |
| Hot Fog | 4600 | 301-400 | 25/sq. m. | 501-1000 | from 20/sq.m. | |
| 3-room | Cold Fog | 2100 | 401-500 | 20/sq. m. | 1001-2500 | from 15/sq.m. |
| Hot Fog | 4800 | 501-400 | 18/sq. m. | Over 2,500 | from 10/sq. m |
Who poisoned - reviews of the application of cold fog in the apartment
Video tip (photo + video): Disinsection of the room with a cold fog generator
Consumer reviews
Expert tips
- If a standard remedy is used, then the poison should be sprayed twice, as a result the young generation will still die, but after 2 weeks;
- I do not recommend hoping that the prolonged action of the product will help to avoid reinfestation of the apartment, as a rule, the drug gradually loses its properties, though not completely and not immediately, but the effectiveness decreases.
Conclusion
When choosing a method to kill blood-sucking insects, cold fog should be one of the first to be considered. Its features:
- It is noted the universal action (kills all insects), and the preparation, on the basis of which the working solution is prepared, can sometimes kill the eggs insects. In comparison, adults and larvae are destroyed by any product used.
- There are drugs with and without odor. Among them there are more and less effective, but it is difficult to make a choice on your own if you have no such experience.
- Cold fog treatments provide excellent results because they spray microparticles of insecticide. They are dangerous not only to bed bugs but also to humans, and personal protective equipment must be used when spraying.
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