Anti-cockroach dust "clean house": how to use, instructions, reviews

Dust - fight against cockroaches. Mechanism of action and effectiveness of the dust. How is treatment carried out in apartments? Danger to humans and animals. Rules of use and safety measures. Advantages and disadvantages of dust. Preventive actions.

When owners of apartments and houses are faced with a very unpleasant situation, such as the appearance of cockroaches, they have to use a variety of methods to combat these pests. Of course, the main thing is not to let the situation get worse, because if you notice one or two insects, you shouldn’t wait and hope that they will just go away. In most cases, their entire family comes for them. In addition, they multiply very quickly and after a short period of time there will be a huge colony in the apartment, which is very difficult to cope with.

There are no problems with choosing specialized products, because there is a huge selection on the market. But you always need to understand what substance you will be working with and how effective it is, so as not to waste money and precious time. One of the substances that shows good results is cockroach dust. Let’s try to figure out how rational it is to use it in your situation.

Description and composition of Dust

Such a product as dust became known a long time ago, and earned popularity due to its good effectiveness. It was a widely used drug, and the insecticidal effect was achieved thanks to DDT powder. But a powerful effect does not mean safe; harmful effects on the human body have been observed, and laboratory studies have proven that this component is dangerous. Therefore, DDT was excluded from the composition and was replaced with pineronyl butoxide, which has the same powerful effect, but in this case is not so dangerous.

Dust is a toxic drug and is intended to combat synanthropic insects. Its main difference is the presence of an active substance that has a prolonged effect. In other words, the effect lasts for a very long time after treatment.

The basis of the drug is boric acid, the active substance is 1-10% depending on the form of release, classification, and manufacturer. You can buy dust in powder form; it has a gray or grayish-yellow color. Available in packages of different volumes, the smallest package is 50 g, this amount is enough to treat an area of 10 sq.m.

Instructions for use

The rules for treating a room with cockroach dust are identical for all preparations.

Before using the powder, you need to clean the contaminated rooms, move the furniture away so that the dust can be crushed.
Open the package in places where insects are most concentrated, following the trajectory of their movement. Be sure to apply it to baseboards, behind furniture, around sinks, toilets, and into cracks.
You need to scatter the powder from a low distance so as not to create dust.
Disinsection is carried out with the windows open; upon completion of the procedure, they can be closed.

You can determine whether dust helps against cockroaches by the presence of dead insects. They begin to appear after 1-2 days. Leave the drug to act for 7 days or 2 months, depending on the degree of infection of the apartment. After successful destruction, sweep away the powder, wash the floors with water with the addition of soap and baking soda. The alkaline solution completely neutralizes the effects of toxic substances.

On a note!
Dusts are often dissolved in water to form a solution. They treat furniture and pour it into cracks. This should not be done, since in a humid environment the active substances are destroyed, so the procedure is useless.

Security measures

Regardless of the form in which the product is used (powder, solution, mixture), the following rules must be adhered to:

Be sure to use a respirator to prevent toxic fumes from entering the respiratory tract;
Use clothes that cover the body as much as possible, pants and a long-sleeved jacket, be sure to use gloves;
To protect your eyes from harmful and dangerous substances, use safety glasses;
In the room where the treatment is carried out, the windows must be opened to ensure the flow and natural circulation of air, but in no case should there be drafts;
When treatment is carried out, you cannot eat, smoke or even drink water or other drinks in the room;
There should be no other people in the apartment, only the one who carries out the procedure and has protective equipment, and there should be no animals in the room;
After the procedure, you need to take off your clothes, throw them away or wash them, wash your hands with soap, wash your face and rinse your mouth with water;
Make sure that the product does not get on open areas, especially those surfaces with which people come into contact;
If you follow the processing rules, then after it you need to leave the room for 2-3 days, this allows you to process a large part of the area, thereby maximizing efficiency;
Before residents return to the premises, they will need to carry out wet cleaning and thoroughly rinse open areas of the premises;
Remember that before returning to the apartment, you need to check the surfaces several times for the presence of the product, especially important if small children and animals live in the apartment;
If anyone living in the apartment suffers from allergies, asthma or respiratory diseases, you should not use powdered dust, replace it with another form of release.

Rules of application

Important points:

it is mandatory to put all things in closets and food;
remove household members from the home;
wear protective clothing, a respirator, goggles and gloves;
prepare a working solution or use the product in powder form;
treat all areas where cockroaches penetrate, especially carefully areas where synanthropic insects actively accumulate;
It is convenient to use a small flat paint brush to distribute the powdered product. Hard-to-reach areas are treated with a working solution from a spray bottle;
4–6 hours after disinsection, wipe surfaces and open areas with a solution based on soap and soda. For 1 liter of warm water, take 2 tbsp. l. bulk product and a little shaved laundry soap, then wash and wipe all open areas (tables, floor, work surface in the kitchen) to which there is general access.

READ ALSO: Where do cockroaches come from in an apartment and how to get rid of the ubiquitous insects yourself

Harm to humans

Before purchasing any insecticide, you need to understand what you will have to work with and what the living space will be treated with. Regarding dust, it became popular back in the 60s, had a fairly wide spectrum of action and showed fairly high efficiency results.

At that time, the active substance DDT, which was included in the composition, began to show not only good results in the fight against insects, but, unfortunately, it became known that it was harmful to health. After research, it was proven that toxic substances accumulate in the body and cause great harm, it was banned for use, and the active substance was replaced.

The new composition has become softer and safer, but it is worth understanding that the product is still toxic and can harm both humans and animals. Therefore, you should work with it only using protective equipment. In addition, it is important that after treatment all procedures are carried out to prevent the product from entering the body of people and animals; fumes are also dangerous, and ventilation is required.

First aid for poisoning

All sorts of situations are possible when working with the drug, so if you feel dizziness, nausea, weakness in the body or other symptoms, you must:

Leave the premises and go outside;
Drink as much water as possible (about 3 glasses) to induce vomiting; you can also dilute 0.5 teaspoon of soda in a glass of water and drink;
After this, you need to take activated carbon;
Consult your doctor.

Popular types of dusts against bedbugs

You can find a large number of dusts from different manufacturers on sale. Dust can be produced in the form of an aerosol, a product that needs to be diluted with water, but the most popular preparation is a powder. Here are several types of the drug that are often found on sale and have proven themselves in the fight against domestic bedbugs:

Dust Clean house from bedbugs. One of the most reliable means, which is used even by pest control services. The method of using it is simple - the powder is scattered where there are the most bloodsuckers. One package of dust weighing 50 grams is enough for a ten-meter room. Sold in hardware stores, as well as retail outlets for gardeners. A bag costs only 15 rubles. Reviews about the Clean House dust from bedbugs are almost all good, but there is also a drawback: it will not be able to destroy insect eggs.

Tornado is a universal product made in Russia, sold in packs of 150 grams. The active substances are boric acid and cypermethrin. The cost of packaging is 70 rubles. Before use, you need to read the instructions on how to dilute the dust and in what quantity you should use the product. Almost every review of Tornado dust confirms that after one or two treatments insects can be controlled.

Absolute is a powder based on fenthion and deltatemethrin. These substances kill the bloodsucker in a few seconds. This is a fairly economical product: 50 grams costs 20 rubles. Usually such a bag is enough even to re-treat the apartment. There is no need to mix the powder with water. Disadvantages include an unpleasant odor that can cause dizziness, as well as the need for long-term use.

Phenaxin is a drug that does not have a strong odor, so it should be chosen by those with allergies. A package weighing 125 g costs 20-25 rubles. For baiting insects in a one-room apartment, two such packs are enough.
Riapan. Its active ingredient is permethrin. Among the advantages are low toxicity and almost complete absence of odor. You don’t have to think about where you can buy dust: it’s available in any hardware store.
Nika 1. The insecticide is sold in 100-gram bags for 50 rubles per pack. 3-5 grams of product are required per square meter of area. Dust can remain in its place for up to 2-3 weeks, and in places where it is difficult to get - up to 2 months.
Klopoveron. This is a powerful tool that helps the first time. It is not for nothing that it is used even at military facilities. It rarely goes on sale, but on the official website you can buy it for 1,800 rubles. Due to the high price, this dust is not in demand.
Karbofos, an effective remedy that quickly helps get rid of insects. Sold in both liquid and powder form weighing 30 and 60 grams. A 60-gram bag can cost from 40 to 60 rubles.

FAS-double is almost no different from Phenaxin. If you read reviews about how to use dust, it will become clear that it acts quickly and is suitable for baiting any parasites. Its cost is approximately 25 rubles per 125 grams.

Dust brands

Acarytox. Designed to destroy all types of household pests. Used in non-residential premises. The result is noticeable on 2-3 days, after treatment it remains effective for 2 months. Packaged in 1 kg packages, the cost is about 1,500 rubles.
Clean house. Designed for use in residential premises. Sold in powder form, packaged in 50 g packs. Use is possible in pure form (the powder is scattered) and in the form of a solution (the powder is diluted with water in proportions according to the instructions). This product has a complex effect. The main effect is on the nervous system, which paralyzes the insect and then causes death. In addition, insects infect each other with this substance by carrying it on themselves.
Asp. A fairly universal drug, the effect of the active substance (acetamiprid) is through contact and the intestinal tract. Refers to substances with a minimal level of toxicity.
Alfatrine. Refers to substances with an average level of toxicity. Containing alphacypermethrin, the active component has a long-lasting effect of up to 2 months. You can purchase packages with different volumes from 25 g to 1 kg.
Ecokiller. Refers to innovative insecticides. The action is carried out by contact. Indispensable in difficult situations when the apartment is heavily contaminated. Affects the cockroach through contact. Unlike other insecticides, it enters the body thanks to diatomite. This substance belongs to rocks; during production, it is crushed into microparticles that scratch off the cockroach’s armor, and it dies from dehydration. The result is noticeable after one or two weeks, but several procedures will be required.
Phenaxin. This insecticide is based on 3 active components: boric acid, lubricating oil and fenvalerate. It is quite convenient to use, the package has a special hole through which the powder is poured, it lasts about 1.5 months.
Pyrethrum. The composition includes the active component perethrin. This is an absolutely natural insecticide, which is obtained from Dalmatian chamomile. In itself, it is safe and does not cause harm to people and animals. The advantage is that the possibility of addiction in insects is excluded. There is also a drawback: the duration of exposure is quite short, repeated procedures will be required.
Absolute. It is a very effective and economical remedy. The advantage is the stickiness of the substance, which upon contact sticks to the paws and body of the cockroach. It is a professional insecticide and contains several active ingredients.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

High concentration of active substance. The bulk of cockroaches will die in the first day after treatment with a dust based on peritroids or FOS, the rest within 2 - 3 days. If the treatment was carried out in areas where cleaning is not needed (basements, warehouses, etc.), the effect will last for 6 - 8 weeks.
Low price - the price of dust from different manufacturers ranges from 15 - 50 rubles.
Versatility - you can equally successfully treat bedbugs, cockroaches, fleas, etc.
Ease of processing - they are produced in finished form, we only need to open and sprinkle, there is an opportunity to dilute with water and use by spraying.

As long as I feed my favorite cockroaches in my head, everything is fine... But as soon as I give them something to drink...

Flaws:

The treatment itself is dust and is carried around the room by feet. The particles are so small that they can float in the air for some time, and the use of a respirator, safety glasses, rubber gloves and a change of clothing is mandatory.
Cleaning after treatment - sometimes it can be problematic to remove dust from the floor and furniture, but a vacuum cleaner is always at hand.
Treatment of vertical surfaces - walls, furniture legs, cabinet doors.

Methods of application

Regardless of whether you purchased Russian or Chinese dust, you should always use it according to the instructions.

In addition, remember that each release form has its own application characteristics:

Dry. It is worth using in places where there is a concentration of cockroaches; areas where they are most likely to appear are also treated, for example, baseboards, ventilation holes, cracks, etc. Regarding the complete result, it all depends on the degree of infestation; in severe cases there may be several of them .
Water. A solution is used that is prepared independently immediately before the procedure. The preparation process is quite simple, you need to dilute the powder in water, but proportions are important here, so always stick to the amount specified in the instructions. The advantage is the ability to treat hard-to-reach places; it is applied using a spray bottle.
Mixtures. In this case, dust is one of the components of the bait. They are very effective and easy to prepare. There are many recipes for preparing such mixtures; let’s look at the most popular ones. Recipe 1. You need to take equal parts of dust, flour and powdered sugar, then pour in a little water at a time, mixing thoroughly until you get a consistency like dough (it should be dense). Recipe 2. You need to take mashed potatoes, dust and a boiled egg, mix everything to get something similar to plasticine. Recipe 3. Take 200 g of dust, add 60 g of starch and powdered sugar and 30 g of vanilla sugar. Mix well and add water until you get a tight “dough”. Application: From the resulting mass you need to make small balls, the size of a pea. They are placed in places where cockroaches are found. This paste can also be applied in a thin layer directly to walls, baseboards, and other places.

Proper processing

Of course, the effectiveness of the treatment will depend on how correctly you applied the dust; in other words, you need to touch all surfaces on which cockroaches are likely to appear.

Pay attention to the following places:

In the kitchen, treat the area near and under the trash can, heating pipes, baseboards, behind cabinets, all pipes under the sink, and vents.
In the toilet and bathroom, pay attention to tiled joints, ventilation, and drain pipes.
Since they do not sit still, but run from room to room, you need to pay attention to door jambs.

As mentioned earlier, you need to leave the apartment after the procedure, the period depends on the number of cockroaches, if there are few of them, then 1-2 days will be enough, but with large populations, the period can reach a week. Remember that you can return to your home only after thorough ventilation and wet cleaning. Cleaning should be carried out wearing protective equipment. A soap solution is used for cleaning. After all surfaces have been cleaned, they must be wiped dry. It is necessary to ventilate with a draft.

Operating principle

Powder from cockroaches enters their body upon contact. Corrodes the chitinous cover, disrupts metabolic processes, blocks the transmission of nerve impulses, provokes paralysis and death. The process lasts several hours, the rate of death depends on the dose of the drug. On average, a colony of cockroaches becomes infected within a week, and mass extinction is observed after 14 days.

The dust acts on cockroaches for a long time, so it is used to destroy pests and prevent re-infection.

On a note!
The active components are resistant to temperature and light, but do not tolerate moisture. New powder paths are sprinkled after 2 months, if the room is heavily infested - 30 days.

Preventive actions

Remember that cockroaches choose their homes in which they find favorable conditions for themselves. If you eliminate the factors that attract insects, then “uninvited guests” will avoid your home, and if they drop in, they will soon leave forever.

Carry out the following actions:

After each meal, wash the dishes, do not leave them in the sink, even if there are very few of them;
Try to clean the kitchen in the evening, wipe tables and other surfaces so that there are no crumbs and other food residues;
Garbage must be taken out every day;
Cockroaches love moisture, so do not overwater the flowers; you must not let water stand in the trays.

Review of effective dusts

Popular brands of dusts

Dust from cockroaches Clean House - products of Russian manufacturers. The estimated cost ranges from 35 rubles. One 50 g package is enough to fully process 10 m². The composition is represented by cypermethrin and tetramethrin, as well as synergists that enhance the effect of insecticides. The product Clean House is gray in color without a pronounced odor. Does not require dilution with water, resistant to temperature changes and humidity. The residual effect lasts for 1 month.
Tornado dust for cockroaches and other crawling insects is available in bulk packaging of 150 g, which is enough for disinfestation of 70-100 m². A loose mixture of white or gray color with a subtle chemical aroma. The composition includes cypermethrin and boric acid. The product scatters in a thin layer in the habitats of parasites. 7-8 hours after treatment, work surfaces must be washed with soap and soda solution. The average price is 100 rubles.
Ecokiller is another representative of dusts. It has a convenient release form and is a polymer bottle with a long spray nozzle or a doypack. The product lives up to its name and does not contain toxic chemicals. Its basis is diatomite. Contact with the powder leads to dehydration and further death of the cockroach. The cost of one bottle is 500 rubles.
Absolute is a Russian-made dust of gray or brown color. The main components are deltamethrin and fenthion. A distinctive feature of the product is the presence of lubricating additives that prevent dusting of the powder. The residual effect lasts up to 8 weeks. The price of a 125 g bottle is 155 rubles.
Fas-double in the form of dust contains two active components: zeta-cypermethrin and es-fenvalerate. Available in polyethylene spray bags for household use and in kraft bags for use by sanitation workers. Brown powder. The packaging has markings for piercing, which allows you to spray and use the product economically. Purchasing one package will cost 100 rubles.
Chinese dust for cockroaches appeared relatively recently. In many ways, online trading platforms contributed to its spread. The composition of funds from the Middle Kingdom is similar to domestic developments. But the price of a foreign drug can differ significantly, and not less.

What it is

Dust is a general name for insecticidal agents in the form of a powder, usually white or gray. Today, a whole line of similar drugs with a strong and effective effect on insects is sold.

In the old days it was DDT, very dangerous not only for insects, but also for people

It had to be used very carefully, but the residual effect could cause harm to human health even some time after treatment. Therefore, this poison fell out of use and was replaced by no less strong but safer for people active ingredients, although out of habit all insecticidal powders are still called dusts

These products are so strong that usually one treatment at home is enough, and a small 50-gram package is enough to disinfest an area of about 10 square meters. The duration and strength of action of these drugs is negatively affected only by moisture, which destroys the composition of the product and blocks its action.

How to use dust to clean your home from fleas

You can use the dust in its pure form, or in a diluted form. The second method is more effective and safe - the solution is not as volatile and is consumed more economically.

Dust treatment can only be carried out while wearing PPE, since the drug is toxic not only to fleas, but also to humans.

Before you begin pest control, you need to move furniture away from the walls and remove all pets (especially cold-blooded ones) from the room.

Instructions for using dust in an apartment:

The package of powder is diluted with a liter of warm water. The resulting suspension is used to wipe baseboards, walls (about a meter from the floor), and areas of potential flea accumulation.
Use a spray bottle to spray hard-to-reach areas (cracks between floorboards, far corners, floors under cabinets that cannot be moved).
It would be a good idea to wipe the rubber mats and spray the carpets from the back.
After 6 hours, wet cleaning should be done.

If the fleas do not completely disappear at one time, the treatment can be repeated after three weeks. If desired, the powder can not be diluted, but scattered in places where fleas accumulate.

How to dilute the product

The concentration of the solution depends on the degree of flea infestation in the room. If there are a lot of insects, you need to mix at least 40 grams in water. powder. If their number is small, you can get by with 20.

It is necessary to dilute the dust by wearing a respirator so as not to accidentally inhale a toxic substance.

Dilute the insecticide with slightly warm water and then treat the surfaces with it.

Features of using dust soap

Flea dust soap has a high level of toxicity. With repeated use, the active substances can accumulate in the body, leading to disruption of its systems and causing fetal pathology.

If disinsection is carried out, both residents (especially pregnant women and children) and pets must be removed from the treatment area.

To get rid of fleas in an apartment, you need to treat the room according to the following scheme:

move all objects away from the walls;
put on PPE: gloves, respirator, change of clothes;
beat the soap in warm water until rich foam;
apply foam to baseboards, doorways, walls if they have a moisture-resistant coating (paint, washable wallpaper);
wait a while, rinse off the soap solution with warm water;
After treatment, the premises are ventilated until the unpleasant odor disappears.

Dust soap is used not only for disinfection of premises, but also for treating cats and dogs. To do this, apply a product to wet wool, whipped to a rich foam.

You need to watch carefully so that the soap does not get into your pet’s eyes and mouth (it’s best not to soap your hair at all).

After waiting a couple of minutes, the product is thoroughly washed off.

It is prohibited to use dust on pregnant, weakened, young (up to 1.5 months) cats and dogs. The product is very toxic, so it can lead to the death of your pet.

How and which drug is better to choose

On the shelves of specialized stores you can see a wide range of products in powder form. They all differ in composition: some are very toxic, others are relatively safe for humans and animals. They also differ in packaging size. For home use, the product is sold in small 50 gram bags, which is enough to treat approximately 10 m² of living space. For industrial enterprises, packages weighing up to several kilograms are available for sale. Chinese insecticidal powders are especially popular among Russian consumers.

When choosing a dust, it is necessary to take into account the fact how densely the room is populated by cockroaches. In critical situations, when the pest population has reached global proportions, you should choose products that contain karbofos. This substance is highly effective and will allow you to significantly reduce the number of unpleasant tenants in the shortest possible time.

If there is a need to treat furniture or other surfaces that subsequently cannot be completely washed off from dust, it is better to choose a natural-based product with a minimal level of toxicity. For example, Russian powder from the Clean House line of products. This dust contains natural ingredients, which will make the fight against parasites as safe as possible for humans and pets.