Treating an apartment with cold fog against bedbugs: what is it, how does this method of killing bedbugs work, consumer reviews

What is cold fog? How is it achieved?

This is the name of the finely dispersed suspension, which is released when special equipment - a sprayer - is turned on.

Microscopic particles of a chemical substance enter the air, which has a detrimental effect on the nervous system of all insects, including blood-sucking individuals. The technique under consideration is called cold fog, because as the room is treated, a cloud consisting of insecticide droplets is formed. The particles are volatile and spread quickly throughout the room. The cloud consists of microdroplets with increased penetrating ability. The properties of such a medium resemble fog.

When a room is being treated, a solution at room temperature is sprayed. This makes it possible to separate the concepts of cold and, at the same time, hot fog. The second method is similar to the one under consideration, but it uses a heated working solution. This technique is called hot fog treatment. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but in everyday life the first option is more often used. The size of microparticles when killing bedbugs with cold fog is 30-80 microns.

This allows the drops to continue to “fly” for 2-4 hours.

Hot fog treatment

Cold fog treatment

Why is the cold fog method so effective against bedbugs?

When insecticides are used in different forms, the effectiveness of the room treatment procedure is assessed. Cold fog against bedbugs is effective due to the following factors:

• microparticles are released, which are evenly distributed throughout the apartment, and when insects move on surfaces, they will immediately receive a dose of poison - insecticide particles will remain on the cuticle;
• the suspension of microparticles does not settle for a long time, the drops are so small and light that they continue to affect pests through the respiratory system for several hours - this guarantees the death of parasites;
• when the cold fog method is used as a basis, the toxic substance is evenly distributed over the entire area of ​​the room, as well as over many objects in the apartment, equipment, coatings, as a result, it will not be possible to avoid contact with the poison by insects.

When the poison ends up on the chitinous shell of bedbugs and also enters the respiratory tract, the destruction of insects occurs even faster, since a double dose of the insecticide penetrates the body.

When treated with cold fog, poison particles are evenly distributed in the room

What preparations are used to treat a room with cold fog?

In order to remove parasites from an object during disinsection, the same means are used as in domestic conditions. They are divided into groups:

• class of pyrethroids (analogs of natural pyrethrins);
• a group represented by more modern substances – neonicotinoids;
• classic options are organophosphorus compounds.

However, unlike household ones, specialized preparations contain a more significant proportion of toxic substances, and may also contain various additives. It is not recommended to use them at home due to toxicity. Such means include:

• Sinuzan;
• Tetrix;
• Xulat.

To reduce the risk of intoxication, use drugs with a less pronounced odor or without it at all:

• Lambda Zone;
• Delta Zone;
• Get.

The substances do not lose their properties because they are not exposed to heat. To work, the bedbug repellent is mixed with water in the ratios recommended by the manufacturer.

Preparations used in cold fog treatment

Low-toxic cold fog treatments

Cold fog generators

The equipment that is used during pest control is often called a sprayer. However, it has a definition - fog generators. The devices received this name because they produce a fine suspension, which creates a special environment in the room. In domestic conditions, it is possible to treat bedbugs with cold fog, since hot fog equipment is more complex and 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 design details are provided.

It is quite possible to purchase a cold fog generator for your home for 18,000 rubles. However, this will be the simplest device. Moreover, it is likely that the particle size at the nozzle exit in this case is not the smallest (perhaps medium), but this option is still better than household preparations (aerosols, powders). Its price is justified by its highly effective action.

Processing is performed using a device called a fog generator

Why aerosol (fog) is useful: differences from other forms of drugs

Fine suspension has many advantages. You can understand why fog is better than using household preparations if you compare them according to the main parameters:

• aerosols: the size of the released particles is larger than when treated with cold fog, as a result they settle faster; with this method, a minimum amount of poisonous droplets enters the respiratory tract of insects;
• powders: allow you to treat only horizontal surfaces, and the substance covers them unevenly, and does not penetrate the body of bed parasites through the respiratory tract;

• spray: particles are even heavier than with aerosol or cold mist, causing the coating to be treated unevenly;
• crayons: significantly different from the use of a fine suspension (chemical cloud), the substance is applied in lines, does not cover the entire area of ​​the object, and acts only through the cuticle of the bug.

Before processing, you need to remove all personal belongings, dishes

Types of generators

There are two main types of this equipment - a cold fog generator and a steam generator. As for the second device, it is capable of operating at a temperature of +50°C. It only takes a couple of minutes to kill bedbugs. Moreover, all things – furniture, books – can be treated with hot fog. The effectiveness of this method is extremely high. Most often used for processing industrial premises.

But cold fog generators do not have the ability to heat the insecticide. But the method has many positive aspects without this property. These devices are most often used in everyday life; they are more economical and convenient to use. Generators are easy to transport.

Preparing the apartment - get ready for general cleaning

To get the desired result of the insect baiting process, you need to follow the basic recommendations:

• cover the ventilation hole with film and tape;
• remove all interior items and decor;
• personal items that cannot be processed are hermetically sealed with film;
• the equipment should also be covered with an impermeable material (preferably polymer), the joints are fixed with tape;
• food and utensils should not be in the room being processed; if possible, food should be placed in the refrigerator, utensils should be packaged using film;

• move the furniture away from the walls (10-15 cm is enough);
• remove furniture from items; they must be washed at high temperatures in a washing machine;
• turn off the power source at the entrance to the apartment;
• it is necessary to remove the aquarium from the apartment (for example, to neighbors), since the poison will remain in the air for up to 4 hours;
• roll up the carpets and, if necessary, further treat their back side;
• At the last stage, general cleaning is carried out: all surfaces and things are cleaned, which allows you to find some insect nests.

Apartment preparation plays a key role during pest control. This stage provides half the success of the event.

Processing must be carried out in a protective suit

Security measures

When using the technique of treating a room with cold fog, a high risk of intoxication is noted. It is not the insecticide itself that causes harm to humans (most of them are relatively harmless when working), but the method of its delivery - by releasing microparticles that easily enter not only the body of bedbugs, but also the respiratory tract of people. The substance covers the entire skin and reaches the mucous membranes. The danger to humans is quite high. In order not to risk your health when poisoning insects, they use different means:

• wear safety glasses;
• 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 a lot of poison will remain on your face, you need to wash your face as quickly as possible.

After handling, wash your hands thoroughly

Further actions after disinfestation

After filling with chemical mist, the apartment is closed for at least 3 hours . If the parasites were poisoned using the hot method, this period increases to eight hours. Therefore, it is better to carry out this procedure in the evening, leaving the apartment closed at night.

After this, the room must be ventilated by opening windows and doors for 2 hours. General cleaning is carried out after 15-16 days. Before this, it is enough to wash only the surfaces with which residents come into contact with a soap-soda solution: kitchen tables, door handles, switches and dishes.

Floors, baseboards and walls are washed after two weeks. At the same time, curtains and bed linen from the closets are washed, and lighting fixtures are processed.

Repeated treatment is required if neighboring apartments are also infested with parasites. If disinfestation with cold fog was not effective enough, then you need to change the preparations or use another method in the form of temperature exposure.

How to treat an apartment against bedbugs with cold fog

Main stages:

1. The solution is being prepared. Experts mix the insecticide with water according to their own recipe, because they know what has a better effect on pests. At home, you can follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
2. The working solution is poured into the equipment container.
3. After connecting the device to the network, the process of spraying the substance begins.

Staining lasts several hours, which depends on the degree of infection, the area of ​​the object and the quality of preparation of the premises for work. Upon completion, you should leave the apartment in a mothballed state for several hours (windows and doors closed). Then through ventilation is performed (at least 1 hour).

Only some surfaces can be immediately cleaned of insecticide: door handles, windows, armrests, bedside tables - those objects and coverings that are often used.

Treatment lasts several hours depending on the size of the room

How long does it take for bedbugs to die?

Insects die at different intervals. If a bug receives the maximum dose of poison, it can die in a few minutes. Most individuals die within a few hours. The rest can still move on the surfaces for some time. Each time the dose of poison increases, so death in this case is slow, occurring after a few days, and sometimes after a few weeks.

Olga, 30 years old, Nizhny Novgorod

We invited specialists because after doing it ourselves, there were still bedbugs in the house. The exterminators treated the room with a strong insecticide, after which no insects were visible, and I noticed the result almost immediately - the next day.

Karina, 34 years old, Ufa

A solution of significant concentration acts for a long time, and the dose of poison is large. This helps get rid of bedbugs immediately. After treatment, I still noticed bites on my body, there were more insects. In fact, this is a false assumption. There are fewer bedbugs, it’s just that all of them or most of the individuals cease to control themselves. That’s when I saw the terrifying invasion, a couple of days passed after that, and it became clear.

Insects die within a few days after treatment

How long does it take for bedbugs to die?

On the websites of sanitary and epidemiological services, there are often negative reviews that several days after cleaning, insects continue to bite and, therefore, the cold fog procedure is ineffective. This opinion arises due to ignorance of the stages of development of bedbugs. Most adults will die immediately after contact with the chemicals. But new ones may appear from the clutches after 3-4 days, and after two weeks they grow and begin to cause inconvenience to people.

One female lays about 20 eggs at a time. And not a single service will give you a guarantee that it has not put them aside, for example, in a distant outlet behind a closet. That is, new hatched and grown pests are biting you. Or you received parasites from neighbors whose apartment was also infested.

Therefore, experts advise not to carry out general cleaning for half a month, because the drugs used have a prolonged effect.

If after this period the insects still haunt you at night, then re-treatment with another insecticide is necessary.

Bedbugs die within half a month.

Pros and cons of the method

Benefits include:

• high speed of work;
• universal effect - all insects that were previously encountered on the object die;
• cold fog helps to clean objects of any purpose;
• high processing efficiency: insects die faster;

• particles affect pests in different ways at once;
• small drops remain in cracks of any size;
• a guarantee is provided;
• a large area is processed, which is due to the low weight of the particles; they acquire a property such as volatility.

If we compare cold and hot fog, it turns out that the first method has an advantage over the second. It consists in the absence of the risk of premature destruction of substance molecules under the influence of a heat source.

There are few disadvantages of using the cold fog method:

• the complexity of independent implementation, you need to buy special equipment, however, if such treatment is a necessary measure that is taken quite often, it will be cheaper to purchase such a device once than to contact a pest control service every time;

• high toxicity due to the significant penetrating ability of the suspension;
• It is not always possible to destroy insect eggs;
• the apartment will retain a specific smell even after ventilation, but over time it will disappear;
• difficulty of preparation.

If you follow all the rules when processing, then soon all the bedbugs will be destroyed

Does it happen that cold fog doesn’t help?

One of the options for the development of the scenario is that the treatment efficiency is not high enough, and bedbugs appear again (in a few days/weeks). Factors that contribute to this:

• insufficiently thorough preparation;
• poor-quality treatment of the premises (unqualified employees or malfunction of equipment);

• non-compliance with proportions when preparing the working solution;
• violation of recommendations regarding re-treatment or spraying the substance too early/late for the second time (it is best to carry out this procedure 10 days after the first).

Benefits of using cockroach fog

The advantages of killing cockroaches with hot and cold fog are undoubted:

1. Cost-effective – the cost of calling specialists will be lower, because the consumption of the active drug is small.
2. Efficiency - there is a guarantee of complete destruction of cockroaches the first time.
3. Speed ​​– the death of insects is observed literally immediately after the end of treatment, and the disinfestation itself lasts a short time.
4. Preventive action - steam treatment will prevent cockroaches from moving to neighbors and returning to their “home” in the future.
5. Convenience and practicality - neither drops nor traces of fog remain on surfaces in the house, nor does it leave an unpleasant odor.

There should be no doubt about the safety of hot and cold mist against cockroaches for humans. This method of disinfestation does not pose a threat to the health of household members and pets. However, some people associate fogging with spraying aerosols such as Dichlorvos. This aerosol is indeed toxic, but this has nothing to do with the use of hot and cold fog.

The fog method cannot harm a person, so even ventilation and kitchens are treated with it. However, during the period of disinsection of the premises, people and pets are removed from it. Those who choose to stay will be required to wear a respirator and protective suit.

You can use cold and hot fog:

• In the apartment
• In the cottage
• In a private house
• In the barns
• In a public area
• In production, etc.

Hot and cold fog can be used both at home and at work - it is not dangerous for humans

Self-application of the method at home

Using a generator without experience and knowledge is harmful to health and even life-threatening. The consumer can choose a device based on its main characteristics. However, he is unlikely to know what poison to use. It must comply with sanitary and epidemiological requirements. There is a risk of poisoning during work. Also, consumers are not always aware of all insect habitats without exception.

Evgeniy, 38 years old, Ekaterinburg

I bought the simplest unit. The neighbor who called the exterminators helped me select the product (he gave the name of what the specialists used). It turned out that this was not an easy procedure, I’m not sure that I would dare to do this again.

Milana, 34 years old, Chelyabinsk

My husband decided to buy it because... We periodically fight various pests (private home). I prepared the room, he sprayed. It seemed to go well, after 2 weeks they repeated it, there were no more bedbugs.

Inga, 42 years old, Moscow

In our city, the price of disinfestation services is high, and over the last 2 years we have already been treating bedbugs again (they come from our neighbors). Quite a convenient thing, it will certainly come in handy at home for those who often use cold mist against bedbugs, reviews confirm this. None of us have been poisoned yet.

Cold fog acts very quickly

Table: prices for cold fog treatment

Today, such services are offered by different companies, there are quite a lot of them. To navigate the choice of organization, you should compare the costs.

Who poisoned - reviews of the use of cold fog in the apartment

Marina, 32 years old, Krasnoyarsk

My husband and I invited exterminators to join us. The guys cleaned up the apartment very quickly (we have a one-room apartment). Everything would be fine, but the parasites appeared again after 1 month. We called again, they did everything for us free of charge (there was a guarantee).

Kirill, 37 years old, Kazan

Cold fog pest control is one of the best methods. This is what is called “cheap and cheerful”. The price is lower than hot mist, and the results are the same (at least in my home).

Varvara, 33 years old, St. Petersburg

In our city, prices are almost the same as in Moscow for many products and services. But now, I found an office that deals with pest control, so the price is lower. I didn’t think that this was possible in St. Petersburg, and the result of the treatment was good.

Irina, 39 years old, Lyubertsy

It is very difficult to prepare the premises for treatment, and after it it is also difficult to live in an apartment. All the things were folded, there was insecticide on them... Only after 2 weeks I breathed a sigh of relief while I returned everything to its place, washed it, and did the cleaning.

Inna, 44 years old, Khabarovsk

I have a friend who works in such a company. He advised me what to buy, what device and poison was best. In a private house I have already poisoned insects three times in 2 years. First there were cockroaches, then ants, and now bed bugs.

The price of cold fog disinfection is lower than hot fog disinfection

How to prepare an apartment before fogging?

If there are cockroaches in the apartment, and you decide to call a team of exterminators to treat with fog, you need to take the following actions:

1. Do the cleaning - wash the floors, wipe down the furniture, remove grease and stains from the surfaces in the kitchen.
2. Rinse the bathroom and plumbing fixtures thoroughly.
3. Get rid of garbage, wash and dry the bucket.
4. Place all food items in the refrigerator, on the balcony, or pack them in bags and tie them tightly.
5. Put bed linen in closets, like all things.
6. Place toothbrushes and other personal belongings in lockers and put them in bags.
7. Move the furniture a little (if possible).

Consumer Reviews

Marina, 34 years old, Rostov-on-Don

When I noticed the bedbugs, I didn’t even think long, out of fear I immediately began looking for a pest control company. They quickly did everything themselves, but I was required to prepare the room. I don’t have enough clothes and things, so I managed quickly (the hotel is only 20 meters away).

Evgenia, 31 years old, Orel

I read a lot of positive reviews, but I was not lucky. It was not possible to completely destroy the bedbugs; I wanted to treat the apartment myself a second time with a different preparation (regular aerosol), but this did not help. I had to spend money and invite other specialists.

Anastasia, 39 years old, Krasnodar

I liked everything: the price, the speed of processing. And I didn’t even have to call the pest control guys a second time. But the smell lasted for a long time and it was very unpleasant.

At the first symptoms of poisoning, you should consult a doctor

Expert advice

Evgenia Vitalievna Marinina, entomologist specialist, 16 years of work experience:

Marinina Evgenia Vitalievna

Entomologist, researcher. Work experience 16 years.

Ask a Question

• when choosing a drug, it is important to use ovicidal agents (those that can destroy even bedbug eggs), then a single treatment is sufficient; • 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 avoid re-infection of the apartment; as a rule, the drug gradually loses its properties, albeit not completely and not immediately, but its effectiveness decreases.