Is Mashenka chalk effective in the fight against ants and other insects? How to make a trap in an apartment or house? Tips for ensuring maximum effectiveness of the product. Description of the action of the pencil components. Prophylactic use. Is chalk dangerous for humans and pets?
Chalk Mashenka has been used for a long period. The modern version of the presented drug contains effective components with a poisonous effect. People have known about the pencil since the times of the Soviet Union, but at that time it was distinguished by other components and chemical compounds.
The drug has become widely known due to its popularity among owners of houses and apartments who fight different types of insects. Before using Mashenka chalk against ants, you need to familiarize yourself with the principle of action, features of use, etc.
Release form, composition and properties
In its category, Mashenka chalk is the most popular. It is characterized by a solid structure and is made in the form of an oblong block of light gray color. It is easy to use due to its low weight (20 g). The product is packaged in impenetrable blue plastic packaging with the characteristic inscription Mashenka. The pencil is produced in Russia.
Crayons of this type contain 2 active ingredients:
- Zeta-cypermethrin at a concentration of 0.1%. This is an insecto-acaricidal compound of the pyrethroid group. The substance is several times more toxic than the insecticide cypermethrin. In addition, this type of chemical compound does not promote the development of resistance in insects. This means that a drug containing zeta-cypermethrin will have a higher level of effectiveness than analogues, and it can be used regularly. The insecticide is characterized by contact-intestinal action. It blocks nerve impulses, causing the development of paralysis.
- Deltamethrin (0.5%). This is another insecticide of the pyrethroid group. It enhances the effect of zeta-cypermethrin, which increases the effectiveness of the drug. Deltamethrin works on a similar principle as zeta-cypermethrin: the process of transmission of nerve impulses is disrupted, and motor centers are damaged. The insecticide retains its properties for 15 days after treatment.
In addition to insecticidal and acaricidal compounds, ant chalk also contains other components - chalk and gypsum. They are auxiliary, despite the fact that they are used in large quantities. The concentration of toxic substances is low. They are contained in an amount equal to 1.5% of the total volume. However, this does not mean that the drug is weakly effective. The insecticides contained in the chalk are highly toxic, so the stated amount is sufficient to kill ants.
Folk remedies against ants
Most of the pencil consists of a mixture of auxiliary components - plaster and chalk. They account for 95% of the total volume. The remaining 5% is occupied by chlorpyrifos, a combination of several active substances of contact and intestinal action. It includes:
- Zeta-cypermethrin is a compound belonging to the toxic group of pyrethroids. The substance blocks nerve impulses in ants, leading to paralysis of the insect. Long-term use of the drug does not lead to the development of addiction in insects.
- Deltamethrin is a substance that enhances the effect of zeta-cypermethrin. When it enters the gastrointestinal tract of ants, deltamethrin affects the motor centers of insects, leading to their death.
Substances that are harmless to people and pets do an excellent job of killing ants. Among them:
- coffee. Caffeine is very poisonous to ants. You need to sprinkle ground coffee on surfaces where ants like to walk. The insects will take some of the coffee into their nest, thereby poisoning their fellow tribesmen;
- boric acid. It destroys the chitin of insect shells, causing the ants to die. It is necessary to prepare a mixture of 1 tsp. boric acid and 1 tsp. sugar or honey. The resulting product should be used to lubricate baseboards and other paths favored by insects;
- yeast. Prepare the paste: add 200 ml of water to the yeast, add a pinch of sugar for a sweet taste. It is necessary to coat the ant paths with a viscous mass;
- borax. Mix sugar and borax in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting powder should be scattered in places popular with ants;
- corn flour. It should be sprinkled along the paths. Ants eat flour, but their stomachs are not able to digest it. Insects die a painful death.
Today, humanity has a wide choice of pest control agents and preparations. What did you do in times when there was no such choice? That's right - we used folk methods and means. For example, they found a nest and destroyed it by filling it with water or spraying it with a poisonous drug.
But since finding a nest is quite difficult and not always possible, means are used that operate on the same principle as modern traps or pencils - the ants either poison the food with poison that gets on their paws, or bring poison and feed the queen with it. For example, boric acid is very toxic to ants.
You can do without any poison at all. Corn meal is harmful to the digestive system of pharaoh ants. The flour is simply scattered along all the cracks, and then all that remains is to wait until the entire colony, led by the queen, dies out from the irreversible processes of destruction of the digestive system.
To more effectively combat parasites, it is advisable to involve all neighbors. Even if everyone tries to cope with the invasion of food ants, in this case it is better not to save money and contact pest control specialists. We should not forget that ants carry various infections, and treatment of diseases will be longer and more expensive than the services of professionals.
Today a pencil with the cute name “Mashenka” can be found in almost any hardware store. Its name is especially surprising because inside you will not find chalk for children’s creativity at all, but an insecticide, a threat of insects. Today we will try to summarize all the experience gained in pest control using this inexpensive and time-tested product.
For cleanliness of housing
A large number of jokes have already been made on the topic of cockroach crayons, but the fact remains a fact. Among the variety of gels and sprays against insects, the least dangerous and at the same time the most effective is the “Mashenka” chalk against cockroaches. Reviews emphasize that with the help of a simple drawing technique you can get rid of annoying mustachioed creatures.
How does this product work? A pencil or chalk exerts its effect due to the content of contact-type toxic substances. As insects crawl across the line, they catch small particles on their paws. This is how the insecticide begins to act. The insect stops feeding and soon dies.
Currently, the most famous household insecticide is the silver chalk “Mashenka”. Reviews suggest that it helps clean the house from any insects: synatropic cockroaches, red ants, bedbugs and fleas, house flies. However, it does not pose a threat to humans. The only exceptions can be small children who have not yet learned to walk.
Release form
Many years ago, Chinese insect chalk entered the Russian market. It was wrapped in blue with hieroglyphs. This idea was picked up by domestic manufacturers.
They didn’t change the recognizable brand much, and we still buy Mashenka chalk wrapped in blue packaging. It is produced in the form of a gray bar, weighing 20 g.
The packaging is equipped with a layer of polyethylene, which protects from moisture and sunlight.
It’s not for nothing that the “Mashenka” chalk fell in love with a wide audience. Reviews emphasize that a simple and cheap product has a lot of advantages, which conquers the first time:
- The chalk is colorless and odorless and is suitable even for people prone to allergic reactions.
- It can be used regardless of whether people are in the room or not.
- Accordingly, there is no need to leave the house for several hours and then ventilate it for a long time.
- Long lasting. If the line is not applied to a surface that is regularly wiped with a damp cloth, it remains harmful to insects for several months.
- Ease of use. Any student can easily make strokes on the floor.
- Possibility of use for prevention.
But that's not all. “Silver Chalk” is famous for the fact that it is equally dangerous for almost all insects, so you don’t have to buy different products for all occasions.
Composition of chalk
The composition contains four components, two of which directly affect insects, and two are neutral - chalk and gypsum. They are needed to create the shape of the chalk itself, as well as to designate the stripes. The active substances are the following:
- Deltamethrin.
- Zeta-cypermethrin.
Both of them are widely used in the practice of destroying crops and domestic parasites. Once in the insect's body, they block the nervous system.
As a result, the work of all muscles stops and the insect quickly dies. “Mashenka” helps a lot against bedbugs. Reviews emphasize that it is quite difficult to remove them, but if you do a good job with chalk, the bloodsuckers disappear.
And we emphasize once again that in small quantities these substances are not dangerous to humans.
Operating principle
In order for the fight to be won, you need to know a little about your enemies.
We suggest you read: Bedbugs in an apartment: where they live and how to look for them correctly
If these are cockroaches, then they usually appear at night from behind the bedside tables and sink, running along countertops and open shelves. This is where the product needs to be applied.
The “Mashenka” chalk against bedbugs works a little more difficult. Reviews say that it is difficult to find the nesting place of these tiny creatures. But this is not required.
The bug feeds at night. Where are you? That's right, in your bed. Therefore, draw stripes around the approaches to it. Moving along the surface of the floor, insects with their paws pick up particles of the substance, which then enter the digestive system and, finally, into the blood. The result is known.
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.
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.
This is a very important property that distinguishes the Mashenka chalk from bedbugs. Reviews emphasize that, unlike aerosols, the drug begins to act not at the moment it hits the insect, but after some time. This gives the insects time to poison their entire colony.
The principle of action is a slow effect on insects. In a few days, most of it is destroyed, and after about a week the result becomes clearly visible. Consistent and systematic use will completely get rid of insect infestations in just five days.
How to apply
There is not one, but at least three different methods, and the result will be slightly different each time. Let's look at each of these options separately.
The traditional method of applying the drug is through lines. They are applied as if with a pencil or chalk. There is no need to make it too wide; 1 mm is enough so that, crawling along the line, the insect will be smeared and die within an hour.
Quite often people ask whether Mashenka chalk helps against bedbugs. Reviews advise using a different method of application so that the tiny blood-sucking creatures will definitely die. To do this, the chalk must be crushed into powder and applied by spraying.
With this method of application, chalk quickly helps remove cockroaches from the home.
The drug is diluted in water. As a result, it does not lose its properties, but only acquires a new form. Now, using a brush, like paint, it is applied in the favorite habitats of insects. If there are cracks in the walls and floors, insects can hide in them. With this method of application, you have every chance of destroying the entire colony. This also applies to ants and fleas.
Scope of application, principle of operation
The pencil contains poisonous compounds that are characterized by a wide spectrum of action. With the help of deltamethrin and zeta-cypermethrin, you can destroy different types of insects: domestic, garden. This means that chalk is also used in the fight against ants (red, black). In addition, the drug effectively fights cockroaches, bedbugs, and flies. Ants die when the poison gets on the chitinous covers. In this case, the likelihood of the insecticide penetrating the digestive system is low.
You can use Mashenka’s chalk on objects for various purposes. It is used in residential and non-residential premises. A product with a solid structure has a number of advantages compared to aerosols and sprays. When drawing lines using chalk, the poison is not released into the air. This means that it can be used in preschool and school institutions.
There are practically no restrictions on the use of a pencil, but you need to remember that this tool is an auxiliary tool. A better result can be achieved if you additionally apply a gel containing bait to different areas of the object. The fact is that the chalk does not contain attractants. These are substances that attract insects. This means that it is necessary to apply the product throughout the room, which will help increase the level of effectiveness.
Considering that the composition includes contact-action drugs, the death of insects will occur if they touch the poison, which can happen when crossing chalk lines.
Insecticides block nerve impulses, causing damage to motor centers. First, paralysis occurs, and soon after this the insect dies.
Chalk Titanic
This product was primarily developed to kill cockroaches - the high concentration of active substances makes it possible to infect even the most resistant organisms. It also quickly kills ants that follow the chalk lines. Chalk based on fipronil and cypermethine is extremely cheap, but for greater effectiveness in pest control it is necessary to use other means. Use chalk to outline places to which access to insects should be limited, or areas through which they enter the home.
Advantages and disadvantages
Chalk is an ambiguous product. It has positive qualities, but at the same time it is not without drawbacks. Under different conditions, the drug may behave differently. For this reason, some users praise the Mashenka pencil, while others, on the contrary, claim that the product is ineffective in the fight against ants. To determine whether a drug will help get rid of crawling insects, you need to learn more about its advantages and disadvantages. Positive traits:
- Versatility. Insects of various types (ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, flies) die upon contact with the stripes applied to surfaces.
- Low consumption. The amount of the drug may vary, depending on the degree of infection of the room. However, on average, one bar is enough to clean an area of up to 30 m².
- Low cost. Chalk Mashenka is one of the most affordable, as it is offered at an average price of 100 rubles.
- Prolonged action. The product can retain its properties for 15-30 days. The duration of residual action varies as insecticides are broken down by sunlight. This means that in some areas the product will kill insects, while in other areas (where there is a lot of light) the chalk lines will lose their properties.
- There is no smell.
- The drug is considered conditionally safe for humans. The dose of insecticide in the pencil is small. In addition, no volatile compounds are released during processing. If you apply stripes in hidden areas, the risk of poisoning children and animals will be reduced to zero.
Chalk has quite a lot of disadvantages. For example, an average level of effectiveness is noted. If the infection is severe, this drug will not give good results. In addition, it does not contain bait, which means more lines need to be applied to improve performance. Remote areas and crevices cannot be processed using chalk.
A still low speed of action is noted. Chalk Mashenka destroys pests slowly. Insects may continue to appear in the apartment for some time. The peak of effectiveness occurs in the 2-3rd week of action of the product. Another disadvantage is the need to clean up after removing insects. Surfaces need to be cleared of streaks.
Will chalk help get rid of ants?
These insects differ in their lifestyle and vital activity characteristics from representatives of other species. For example, to destroy cockroaches and bedbugs, it is enough to use a contact or intestinal drug, and then wait for the infected individuals to die. According to this scheme, the pest population is reduced. All females can reproduce. If they are destroyed, the number of insects will immediately decrease, and new individuals will not appear.
In ants, the female is responsible for reproduction. She is constantly in the nest and is not engaged in obtaining food or building an anthill. These functions are performed by working individuals. They are the ones that constantly catch your eye, forming a semblance of paths in apartments and houses. If you destroy worker ants, new individuals will still appear, since the female constantly lays eggs.
This means that it is necessary to influence the uterus. You can get to it by destroying the anthill. This is quite difficult to do, since it is not always located on the premises. In most cases, ants set up a nest outside the house or apartment. If there is no way to destroy the queen, contact insecticides should be used. They will be carried to the nest by workers.
Considering that Mashenka chalk does not contain attractants, you need to apply stripes indoors as often as possible. Then the likelihood that workers will pick up insecticide particles will increase. The ants will carry the poison to the nest and, upon contact with healthy ants, will pass the poison on to them. Using this scheme, it is quite possible to destroy the ants, as well as the queen.
If you use malok along with bait, the effectiveness of the product will increase significantly. Stripes are applied to surfaces, and food attractive to pests is left nearby. Then the insect, in search of food, will stumble upon an organized trap and will certainly receive a dose of poison.