To combat bedbugs, various insecticides are successfully used - special chemical preparations, the main property of which is toxicity. Having selected the right substance, scientists look for a way to use it that will be most effective.
To rid your home of bedbugs, a variety of methods are used. Among the most effective is the use of cold fog or smoke.
What is cold fog?
Cold fog is the spraying of insecticide in the form of droplets of steam. To convert a substance into vapor form, special devices are used - generators. During operation, they form an artificial cloud consisting of tiny particles of a toxic substance.
Despite the fact that the toxic substance is converted into steam, this is not accompanied by heating, as with normal boiling of a liquid. Therefore, the created artificial cloud is called cold fog or cold smoke.
Reasons for the effectiveness of cold fog:
- duration of existence of the created artificial cloud;
- miniaturization of cold fog particles.
The cloud released from the generator does not disintegrate immediately, but remains in its original state for about 3 hours. During this time, the smallest particles penetrate everywhere, even into the smallest cracks, cracks, holes and other hard-to-reach places.
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Principle of action on adults
The devices are filled with various toxic drugs. They have a paralyzing effect on parasites.
Particles penetrate into insect habitats and settle on the chitinous cover. Without remaining on its surface, the poison penetrates the shell and enters the circulatory and nervous systems of the insect. Exposure to toxins causes first paralysis and then death of bedbugs.
Even if the bloodsuckers find themselves in the shelter during the immediate treatment of the room, they come under the influence of the drugs. All surfaces on which particles of toxins adhere during treatment and after it, as the fog settles, become dangerous for bedbugs. The poison penetrates the body of bedbugs upon any contact with surfaces on which particles of the toxic substance have settled.
Is it possible to sleep on treated sofas and beds?
After treatment, you can sleep on all sleeping places - sofas, beds, mattresses - without any additional measures. If you wish, you can lay 2-3 sheets on them, wrap the treated pillows in 2-3 pillowcases, but in general there is no need for this: the drug absorbed into the upholstery does not enter the air and does not penetrate the human respiratory tract.
Moreover: you need to sleep on treated beds. If there are surviving bedbugs left in the room, they will try to get close to the sleeping person at night, and therefore will crawl on the beds and mattresses. Here they will come into contact with particles of dried insecticide and sooner or later they will be poisoned. If a person does not sleep on the bed, insects will not climb here and the likelihood of their death will be less.
Duvet covers and sheets that people sleep on that have been treated with the product should be washed and dried. There are no bedbugs on them, but they may retain the smell of insecticide.
All this is true for ordinary beds and sofas, and for cribs. Your baby can sleep safely on a clean sheet and a clean pillowcase, covered with a blanket and a clean duvet cover, even if there is a treated mattress underneath.
Does it work on bedbug eggs and larvae?
Cold fog generators produce clouds that are poisonous not only to adult bedbugs, but also to bedbug larvae or eggs. Once under treatment, all insects die, including those that were just preparing to be born. Thus, the processing efficiency is increased.
Principle of operation
A cloud consisting of tiny particles is formed in the generator by compressed air. Having high speed, it collides with a toxic substance and destroys its structure, dividing the liquid filled into the generator into microscopic parts. Then compressed air, enriched with toxic particles, is released under pressure from the generator. The mechanism is designed in such a way that spraying is carried out evenly.
Generator Review
Retail chains offer customers various models of cold fog generators.
Generator "IGEBA Nebulo"
One of the most popular is a device from Germany, manufactured by the IGEBA brand.
The generator from IGEBA attracts, first of all, its compactness, its length is 40 cm and its height is 35 cm. The device weighs 3.8 kg, it is easy to carry and hold in your hands during processing. The device operates from a network (220 V), to which it is connected with a 3 m long cable. The IGEBA Nebulo can be filled with up to 4 liters of insecticide.
A powerful electric motor (700 W) processes the toxin into particles of different sizes and densities. The minimum possible particle size is 5 microns, the maximum is 30 microns. The processed distance is up to 7 m. The device does not create loud noise during operation.
Scope of application:
- Living spaces;
- small office premises (offices, small warehouses, premises in medical institutions, etc.);
- personal plot.
The creators of the device tried to make it convenient to use.
- The container with the toxin is connected directly to the generator, without additional adapters that make the design more cumbersome.
- The consumer can, if necessary, independently determine the degree of treatment intensity: at minimum intensity, 0.3 liters of insecticide per hour are consumed, at maximum - up to 3 liters per hour.
- The generator can also supply clean air. For this purpose, the manufacturer has provided a special mount on the case (rear panel). But the hose for supplying clean air is not included in the IGEBA Nebulo kit; it must be purchased additionally.
"IGEBA Nebulo" has proven itself in the process of use as a reliable device that provides high-quality treatment of premises and land.
Generator "Hurricane"
produces generators, the name of which is translated into Russian as “hurricane”. Thus, the manufacturer emphasizes that the device has destructive and even destructive power for harmful insects.
“Hurricane” is a small device: its length is 33 cm, width is 20 cm, height is about 36 cm. An unfilled generator without a tank for toxic substances weighs 3 kg, with a tank - about 4.5 kg. The toxin tank can hold 3.8 liters of substance. The generated particles range in size from 5 to 50 microns.
The American “Hurricane” differs from many other designs in that spraying is carried out more than through one hole that releases particles. Generator manufacturers have increased their number: the generator has 3 nozzles that spray cold mist.
The scope of application of Hurricane is extensive. It is successfully used both indoors (residential, warehouse, office), in garden greenhouses, etc., and outside, on agricultural plots.
Considering the possibilities of use, manufacturers have provided that various substances are used to combat harmful insects. “Hurricane” is multifunctional, it is ready to work with water- or oil-based preparations.
The float valve ensures economical operation of the device, the minimum consumption of toxic substances is from 0.15 liters, the maximum amount of substance that can be sprayed using Hurricane in 1 hour of operation is 19 liters.
Generator BURE SM B100
The generator from South Korea BURE SM B100 has proven itself well. Manufacturers equipped it with a reliable motor, which is produced by the famous brand “Samsung”; the motor power is 1250 W. The device is made of durable plastic, the weight of the device is about 3.7 kg, the volume of the container for the sprayed substance is 3.5 liters.
One of the main advantages of the South Korean generator is provided by its powerful engine. It sprays toxic particles over a distance of up to 10 m at such a speed that it takes about 30 square meters to treat a room. m takes only 10 seconds for a room with an area of 100 square meters. m, takes a little over a minute - about 80 seconds.
Manufacturers have endowed their device with other advantages:
- a long cord (7 m), which makes it possible to conveniently connect the generator, regardless of the location of electrical outlets in different rooms;
- regulator for independent determination of the required power and ease of switching;
- Easy to attach and detach the toxin tank, both processes are achieved by pressing 1 button.
Generator OR-DP1
The Chinese OR-DP1 generator is widely known in many countries around the world. This device is classified as a budget option that combines high quality and affordable price.
OR-DP1 is easy to use. The device is compact (37 cm in length, 41 in height, 26 in width). In this case, the height parameter indicates the size of the mechanism itself with a container for the substances used. The toxin tank is not removable and is permanently attached to the device.
An unfilled generator with a tank weighs 3.5 kg, the tank holds up to 4 liters of liquid. During operation, the generator emits a jet at a distance of up to 6 m, particle size up to 20 microns.
The OR-DP1 generator has high performance. It can operate continuously for up to 30 minutes, spraying up to 0.3 liters of substance every minute.
The device has proven itself well both when treating premises for various purposes, and when used on an agricultural plot.
Generator "Storm"
Russian manufacturers offer their customers a domestic development - the Storm generator. The body and toxin tank are made of high quality plastic. The container for the substance is not removable; together with the tank, the design has the following parameters: length - 36 cm, width - 32 cm, height - 40 cm. The weight of the unfilled device is 4 kg.
A powerful engine ensures reliable operation of the mechanism, the performance of which can be adjusted during use. The maximum level is spraying 30 liters of the substance for 1 hour. The device can generate cold fog without interruption for 20 minutes; when sprayed, the particles spread over a distance of 8 - 10 m, the distribution area increases due to the presence of three nozzles for releasing particles.
“Storm” is available in two versions, differing in the capacity of the toxin tank: 7 and 10 liters.
Consumers consider the only drawback of the device, which has a favorable price, to be the insufficient cable length - from 1 to 1.5 m. However, until this drawback is eliminated by the manufacturer, the problem is easily solved by using extension cords.
Treating an apartment against bedbugs with cold fog
Precautionary measures before treating premises with cold fog against bedbugs consist of the following:
- It is necessary to first move the furniture away from the walls and remove dust there using a damp method;
- It is advisable to remove all carpets and paintings from the walls;
- It is best to remove food and hygiene products from the apartment or securely pack them;
- Place the dishes in sealed bags - after processing the housing, rinse the dishes in warm running water;
- Move all plants and pets to another place (you can agree with your neighbors);
- After treating the premises, it is necessary to treat chair seats, tables, furniture surfaces (especially fabric ones), door handles and nearby surfaces with warm soapy water.
The procedure for killing bedbugs with cold fog in most cases turns out to be more effective compared to other methods.
Cold fog generators against bedbugs are small-sized and produce steam (room temperature) with a small particle size (50 - 80 microns). Due to this, very effective destruction of insects with cold fog is achieved.
The chemical is sprayed in the room evenly throughout the entire space; this method allows you to efficiently and quickly spray cold fog against bedbugs over the entire area of the home. After the procedure, a pestilence of parasitic insects begins; after the cold fog, bedbugs begin to die intensively, simultaneously infecting their relatives, who may be located in hard-to-reach places.
Read on the topic: Smoke bombs for fleas (fumigation as a method of smoking out pests)
Advantages and disadvantages of the cold fog method
For a number of reasons, this technology cannot be used in some rooms:
- school and preschool institutions;
- medical centers;
- residential areas (dangerous for allergy sufferers and asthmatics/people with other pulmonary diseases).
Advantages
- During processing, chemical particles remain in the air for a long time and at the same time gradually and evenly settle over the entire surface;
- Minimum insecticide consumption;
- Deposition and penetration of substances even into rather hard-to-reach places;
- High level of safety of the substance for human health and livestock.
Flaws
The disadvantages of this treatment method include the following factors: the absence of people and animals, as well as products from the disinfestation zone, the treatment is best carried out in the warm season, it is undesirable to wash the floors for two to three weeks in the treated room.
After 4 - 5 hours, the room must be thoroughly ventilated for 1 - 2 hours. If any of the residents will be present when the chemical is sprayed, they must wear a protective suit and a mask to protect their breathing.
Working principle of a cold fog generator
The cold fog generator operates on the principle of aerosol spraying and consists of an electric motor that drives a compressor (similar to a carburetor). During operation, the compressor creates a vacuum in the channel, which is connected to the liquid reservoir, thereby creating a dispersed state of the substance. The size of suspended particles is 30-80 microns.
Cold fog generator operation diagram
What does a cold fog generator look like?
Aerosol cold fog generator BURE
Technical characteristics of the BURE aerosol generator:
- Power consumption (MAX): 1250 W (220V/50Hz)
- Adjustable capacity: 0.1-19 liters/hour
- Particle size: 5-50 microns
- Tank capacity: 3 liters
- Spray length: 8 -10 meters
- Country of origin: South Korea
Guarantees after the period of treatment of premises
Specialists carrying out the procedure for exterminating insects, if necessary (in case of reappearance of bedbugs and other parasites), after two to three weeks, re-treat the possible habitats of various domestic insects.
The guarantee for the pest control service provided can be up to six months. The service is carried out by highly qualified specialists. But not always - read our article about how disinfection services can be deceived and be careful!
Video: Disinfestation of a room with a cold fog generator
Using devices
Cleaning rooms with cold fog is offered by many companies involved in disinfection.
However, the generator is also available for self-use. The devices are easy to use and do not require special skills. All operating rules for a particular generator are presented in detail in its operating manual.
When deciding how to treat a room (on your own or with the help of professionals), you should take into account important points.
- Purchasing generators will require certain expenses. They are justified if the devices will be used in the future on an existing garden plot, or in your own business (for example, in hostels, etc.).
- To carry out disinfection, there is a need for protective items (clothing, glasses, respirator).
- You should be careful when purchasing a toxic substance and strictly follow the recommendations for its dilution. A common mistake many consumers make is diluting large amounts of toxins with minimal generator needs.
- When deciding on self-processing, you need to take into account the health status of the person who will perform the procedure. It is not recommended for people suffering from pulmonary diseases or allergies.
If the generator is not intended to be used further, there is no possibility or desire to interact with toxic drugs, the processing should be entrusted to specialists.
Advantages of the method
Spraying microparticles is very effective and helps even in cases where other methods of combating parasites have been tried, but it was not possible to completely get rid of bedbugs.
Maximum treatment of the entire room
There are no corners in the rooms where the smallest particles, which have destructive power for insects, cannot penetrate. Moreover, they will be distributed evenly throughout the entire volume of the room; bedbugs will not be able to hide anywhere.
Minimum processing time
Almost all cold fog generators have high power, so complete treatment of a room does not require a long time and takes from 0.5 to 1 hour.
Death of all insects
Using cold fog generators will help get rid of more than just bedbugs. If there are other insects in the room (cockroaches, ants, etc.), they will die during the treatment, and the room will be completely cleared of all harmful insects.
Apartment processing safety
If you strictly follow the instructions, cold mist turns out to be absolutely harmless to spray. It is safe for both animals and humans. After disinfestation, the smell of toxic chemicals characteristic of most modern aerosols does not remain in the apartment or office. The smell present in the room is very insignificant and evaporates immediately after ventilation. This treatment is also suitable for the control of woodlice in the apartment and the destruction and treatment of insects in general.
Rules for preparing the premises
Regardless of whether the generator will be used by yourself or will be operated by a professional, before processing begins, it is necessary to prepare for it.
Tips for preparing living rooms:
- remove all residents, take out food, feed;
- remove or carefully pack personal belongings, toys, dishes, computer equipment, etc.;
- to treat all surfaces of furniture, move it away from the walls;
- clear the walls of photographs, paintings, clocks, and decorative items;
- do wet cleaning, removing dust and other debris, close windows and vents.
When moving or packing things, you should carefully inspect them to be sure that bedbugs will not leave the room with them.
How to deal with insect infestation?
Having penetrated into a new space, bed bugs, like cockroaches, quickly begin to inhabit hidden places, protected from light, not in the kitchen, but in the bedroom, about 2-3 meters from the resting place of their victim. Each female, at the same time, can lay 3-5 or 12 eggs at a time, which allows her to produce from 300 to 600 individuals in just one year. Her young offspring will be fully ready for reproductive functions in 1.5 months in order to continue to actively reproduce.
Feedback: Our neighbors on the landing have been renting out housing to students for many years. In general, such a neighborhood is not burdensome for us. But the guys always have either bugs or cockroaches that run over to us. As a result, he invited competent specialists. All procedures were carried out carefully and in a very short time. It took no more than 5 hours including cleaning and airing. Thanks a lot. We will recommend you to everyone.
Fighting bedbugs on your own is ineffective and more expensive, both in time and financial costs. Citizens incompetent in the field of chemical reagents get down to business, relying on the recommendations of random advisers. Using household spray bottles, sponges and brushes, they treat household items with potent pesticides, arbitrarily choosing the dosage and duration of action. This approach is unsafe and can (perhaps not immediately, but in the future) have a detrimental effect on the health of the entire family and lead to poisoning.
Sometimes, having discovered bedbugs under the upholstery of a chair or bed, residents immediately throw out the infested furniture from the house, thereby unwittingly “helping” the insects spread along the entire trajectory of the sofa from the designated place in the apartment to the garbage dump.
Expert advice: Do not rush to throw away and replace old furniture inhabited by blood-sucking parasites with new ones! They will not disappear if at least one female’s clutch of eggs remains intact somewhere. We offer an inexpensive, completely new, but already recognized in the EU and the civilized world, chemical-physical treatment method - “cold fog”, which can quickly clear the room of harmful insects without damaging the furnishings, keeping the apartment’s decor unchanged , and is completely safe for the health and well-being of people and the animals living with them.
What to do after disinfection?
The person in the treated area must take care of himself after the procedure is completed.
- You must not remain in the same clothes that were worn while working with the generator.
- You need to thoroughly wash your hands and face, and be sure to take a shower.
The rooms being treated also need sanitary procedures.
The procedure for preparing the premises for the return of residents:
- The rooms are ventilated for 2-3 hours. It is recommended to open windows and vents for ventilation no earlier than 2 hours after completion of treatment;
- washing surfaces with which people come into contact (switches, door handles, chairs, window sills) - after ventilation. A soap solution is used for washing;
- washing floors and other surfaces - no earlier than 3 days after treatment. When using some insecticides, it is recommended to postpone wet cleaning for a longer period, from 7 to 10 days after treatment.
What to do with clothes, children's toys and dishes?
After baiting bedbugs, individual items and items in the room are either washed or not touched at all.
So, clothes that were directly in open areas and on which the drug came into contact should be washed or at least rinsed in water so that the smell of the product does not remain on it.
Clothes that were kept in closed closets during treatment do not require washing - the drug did not come into contact with them (usually we do not process closets, except in the most egregious cases of infection).
Before processing, we recommend that children's toys be hidden in bags and not processed. Bed bugs almost never settle in them, and it is very difficult to wash them after treatment. The same toys that have been treated with the product can be washed in a washing machine - if their filling does not lose its structure after this, then they can be played with.
Bed bugs almost never settle in soft toys, and if a single individual ends up here, they die when processed and the aerosol gets on the toy.
Dishes in closed cabinets in the kitchen usually do not undergo any treatment, since, firstly, bedbugs usually do not settle in kitchens and no treatment is carried out here, and secondly, in closed cabinets the product does not get on them. However, if the treatment was carried out in all rooms and even in the kitchen, especially with a hot mist (which penetrates even the narrowest crevices), it is advisable to wash the dishes after it with plain, clean, warm water.
