How to properly use cockroach chalk “Mashenka” - Review + Video

Insecticidal chalk is one of the most common means of combating cockroaches in the domestic space. This popularity is due to five reasons.

1. Affordable price. Fighting insects will not hit the family budget. A package weighing 20 g costs about 15 rubles (data as of January 2022).
2. Ease of use. All you have to do is open the package and start painting.
3. Safety. The chalk is odorless, does not generate dust and does not emit harmful fumes into the air.
4. Aesthetics. The product is applied in inconspicuous places. Traces of chalk can be easily wiped off surfaces with a damp cloth.
5. Popularity. Crayons and pencils have been successfully used in the fight against household pests since Soviet times.

Chalk (pencil) Mashenka against cockroaches and bedbugs

Getting rid of cockroaches quickly and inexpensively is the burning dream of everyone who has encountered these household pests in their premises. The appearance of cockroaches causes hostility, and life next to them is filled with the risk of contracting many dangerous infections.

There are a lot of remedies for baleen insects; most victims, in pursuit of cheapness, choose the most budget-friendly of all - a pencil for cockroaches or a chalk for cockroaches called “Mashenka”. Let's take a closer look at how effective and how to use the Mashenka pencil against cockroaches.

How to properly use crayons against cockroaches

You can use a cockroach pencil in different ways:

• Clean up and thoroughly wipe away any dirt from the area where the lines will be drawn.
• Draw dense lines up to one and a half centimeters wide, crossing the expected paths of cockroaches: along the perimeter of the entire living space on the floor along the baseboards;
• cabinets and shelves with food supplies in the kitchen, as well as mezzanines;
• walls and floor around the slab;
• draw a circle around the place where the trash can is located at a short distance from it;
• batteries and walls behind them;
• areas around the sink, toilet, bathtub and kitchen sink;
• the reverse side of hanging paintings, as well as pieces of furniture on the side adjacent to the wall;
• the perimeter of all walls and ceilings in the apartment.

When carrying out this procedure in an apartment, it is also worth treating the common areas in the entrance:

landings and flights;

entrance to the basement;

garbage chute location.

This treatment can guarantee the best effect in killing cockroaches in the apartment. It makes sense to unite with your neighbors and all at the same time take measures to eliminate the problem in all apartments of the building in order to avoid the reappearance of cockroaches.

You can calculate the number of crayons based on one package for processing one room from 20 to 30 m2.

Remedy for cockroaches Mashenka

Chalk against cockroaches is a drug that has been around for quite some time. Surely, many remember that their parents used it when they tried to remove cockroaches from the apartment.

• Quite easy to use;
• Does not require preliminary preparation of the premises;
• It's cheap;
• Approved for residential use.

The active insecticide of the drug is chlorpyrifos. This is a contact substance, that is, the insect must first get dirty in it, and then taste it while cleaning its paws. After such a tasting, the pest is simply doomed to death.

Cockroach chalk comes in the form of a pencil or chalk, which is where it got its name - cockroach chalk. The weight of one pencil is 20 grams, it is enough to treat a room of 20 square meters from pests.

Despite the fact that this drug is considered one of the safest products, in a home where there are pets or small children, it is recommended to apply it where they cannot get dirty with chalk or taste it.

Advantages and disadvantages of chalk

Mashenka against cockroaches has a lot of advantages, but also several significant disadvantages.

Advantages of the product:

• It does not have a pronounced odor or color, and can be used to kill insects in a house where people with allergies live;
• There is no need to leave the apartment during processing;
• Prolonged action;
• Ease of use;
• Low price and availability;
• Destroys not only cockroaches, but also other insects;
• Possibility of use for prevention.

Despite the benefits of chalk against cockroaches Mashenka, the product has a major drawback. The pencil is produced by many companies, and not everyone follows the technology; the composition may contain other active ingredients in different concentrations. You need to choose the chalk carefully. In addition, the product is not effective in medium and critically occupied premises. It spoils the appearance of furniture and decoration, as it is noticeable after application to the surface.

Terms of use

The instructions for the drug indicate three methods of use. If you choose a Mashenka pencil for cockroaches, you must choose the most suitable treatment method for yourself and strictly follow it.

• Method No. 1: draw lines with chalk in places where there are a lot of insects.
• Method No. 2: grind the chalk into powder and sprinkle it in places where insects accumulate.
• Method No. 3: prepare an aqueous solution, pour it into a spray bottle and treat surfaces and hard-to-reach areas.

The second treatment method is considered the most effective, since crushed chalk sticks to the paws more easily, forcing insects to try the poison while cleaning.

No matter how safe the drug is, the manufacturer strongly recommends using thick rubber gloves to protect your hands.

What is recommended to treat with chalk against cockroaches:

• Window sills and ventilation hatches;
• Doorways and thresholds;
• Skirting boards and waste storage areas;
• Water pipes and floor next to sink and toilet.

When to use a chalk pencil

Today, an insecticidal pencil against cockroaches is used not only by residents of private households or apartments, but also by employees of hospitals, clinics, as well as owners and employees of warehouses. It comes with detailed instructions for using the drug.

According to the recommendations specified in the instructions, this insecticidal agent can be applied to office furniture, as well as to corridor baseboards and dorm walls. However, there are also places where you cannot use a cockroach pencil.

For example, such chalk cannot be used in a kindergarten, because small children can easily climb into those places that are usually treated with insecticide.

Accordingly, a child can lick the insecticidal chalk from his fingers with his tongue and become poisoned by it.

In such a situation, adults do not immediately guess the reasons for the sudden poisoning of their child in kindergarten. This leads to serious damage to the baby's health.

In addition to licking his fingers, a child can instantly become poisoned by an insecticidal pencil from cockroaches by chewing on the crayon!

Also, this drug should not be used in poultry or livestock farms.

After all, a chicken that accidentally pecks a poisoned cockroach first poisons itself, and then passes the insecticidal poison along the food chain to humans.

In addition, with extreme caution it is necessary to use chalk against cockroaches in a private household or apartment in which a pet lives - a cat or a dog.

Such a drug can only be used in places with which these animals will not come into contact.

Storage conditions and safety

Mashenka chalk belongs to hazard class IV, it is low-toxic and generally safe for people. Externally, open chalk looks like ordinary school chalk, which is used to write on a blackboard and asphalt. Therefore, it is very important to think about storing the drug; choose places where children cannot find it.

You must not only hide the chalk from prying eyes, but also ensure that it is properly stored, otherwise the insecticide will very quickly lose its ability to fight cockroaches.

Conditions under which the product remains effective:

• Room temperature;
• Protection from high humidity;
• Protection from direct sunlight.

As mentioned above, you can only work with chalk while wearing gloves, and it is advisable to store it only in its original factory packaging. There should be no utensils or food products near the poison.

Chalk “Mashenka” - treating an apartment for fleas

Fleas can even attack an apartment where there are no pets. The neighbor's dog scatters insects all over the floor, and they run through the cracks towards you. Stray cats in the entrance covered the entire doormat with parasites. Ground fleas from the street penetrate into basements and first floors. There are a lot of options, and in any case you will have to expel insects from your home.

If you have a four-legged pet, first get rid of fleas with medications intended for animals. At the same time, you need to free your apartment from parasites. These insects multiply at tremendous speed, and very quickly all things located no higher than 1.5 m from the floor level will be infected. It is undesirable to use drugs with high toxicity; for such treatment the whole family will have to leave the house for several hours.

First, arm yourself with a vacuum cleaner and clean all hard-to-reach places, crevices, upholstered furniture and toys, this way you will collect the bulk of both insects and their eggs. Burn the filter or treat it with an insecticide. Take Mashenka crayons and draw stripes along the floor and walls. The cat's or dog's bedding can be covered with powder, and after a while washed in hot water.

The effectiveness of chalk against cockroaches

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this cockroach repellent, it is best to read the reviews of those who have used it at home. As a rule, the drug helps very well, if there are few insects in the room, 2-3 treatments carried out in accordance with the instructions are enough.

In case of severe infection, it is better to abandon chalk in favor of more concentrated and long-lasting preparations. Mashenka chalk is also good for preventing infection. For example, you know that your neighbors have poisoned cockroaches, carry out barrier treatment and this will protect you from defector cockroaches.

Another disadvantage is the very limited duration of action of the insecticide. That is, the drug does not have sufficient power to cope with large infestations, nor does it have a prolonged effect that allows it to fight new generations of insects.

If the cockroaches have not disappeared, try repeating the treatment and refreshing the lines, or call the Dez Eco-Clean specialists who will perform professional treatment using modern technologies and get rid of cockroaches once and for all.

Source: dezecoclean.ru/informaciya/preparaty/melki/

Precautionary measures

Although the active ingredients of the product described have a low level of toxicity, it can pose a danger to people and animals. The cause may be prolonged contact with the skin or its entry into the digestive tract.

When processing chalk at home, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. There is no need to completely unpack the crayon. Only the top part of the film needs to be removed from it. The residue will protect the skin from contact with the poison. Or you can put gloves on your hands and open the chalk completely.
2. Protect your face with a mask or respirator. If dust from the chalk gets into the respiratory tract, it can cause poisoning.
3. Child safety. You need to draw with crayons only in places where the child cannot touch.
4. Animal safety. Contact of pets with surfaces treated with chalk should be limited. The remainder of the product should be stored in a secluded place.
5. Be carefull. Activity after using Mashenka can remain for a period of up to two months, even if the surfaces are well washed. Therefore, precautions must be maintained for some time after use.

When reading reviews of the Mashenka chalk, we can conclude that great success can be achieved with a large-scale approach to the fight against cockroaches. It is best to negotiate with your neighbors to treat all apartments at the same time. In addition, it is also worth treating the walls and floors in the entrance and the area next to the garbage chute.

Chalk Mashenka - a reliable remedy for cockroaches and bedbugs

The presence of insects such as cockroaches or bedbugs in the house is a serious problem that anyone can face. It is worth noting that cleanliness in the home does not guarantee the absence of these unpleasant roommates, since they often move into a house or apartment from untidy neighbors.

In addition, cockroaches and bedbugs can “travel” and come with you from business trips, hiding in suitcases and bags.

Being around such insects is unpleasant and unsafe for health, so even if you find one cockroach or bedbug at home, you need to immediately address this problem.

What do the reviews say?

The price for Mashenka against cockroaches is on average 20-30 rubles, and you can buy a pencil in any store that sells home care products. Both cost and widespread use, as mentioned above, are great advantages that almost everyone who has used the chalk noted in their reviews.

Looking through reviews of the use of Mashenka for cockroaches, the conclusion suggests itself - the remedy is quite effective, and, perhaps, there is no such person who would be disappointed in it. Of course, you shouldn’t place high hopes on it, since a pencil is practically powerless against a large colony of cockroaches. But if parasites are just beginning to colonize your living space, then the result will be pleasantly pleasing. The main thing is to follow the instructions so as not to harm yourself.

In the 90s, a funny advertisement for the Mashenka chalk was filmed:

Information from the site

What is chalk Mashenka

Chalk Mashenka is a means to fight cockroaches, bedbugs, ants, fleas, moths and even flies. It is an analogue of the Chinese pencil against harmful insects in the house, has a low cost and effectively fights household pests.

Mashenka chalk is based on a Chinese insect repellent pencil with a similar composition.

The composition of the chalk includes:

• deltamethrin (0.05%) is a synthetic insecticide that blocks neuromuscular transmission and leads to paralysis and then death of the insect;
• zeta-cypermethrin (0.10%) is a pesticide that causes synoptic disturbances in the body of pests (nerve impulses malfunction, resulting in paralysis and then death in insects);
• chalk acts as a filler.

Externally, Mashenka resembles an ordinary drawing chalk

Once in the insect’s body, the active substances stop muscle function and block the nervous system, resulting in the death of the parasite.

It should be noted that to obtain this result, the cockroach or bedbug does not have to eat the poison; it is enough to simply run along the chalk line.

This is explained by the fact that the substances contained in this drug penetrate the enemy’s body not only through the mouth, but also through the chitinous membrane. In addition, insects smeared with chalk carry deadly poison from individual to individual.

The modern market offers the buyer a huge selection of all kinds of means to combat unwanted neighbors in the house: sprays, gels, traps, etc. Despite the fact that the effectiveness of such products is often higher than that of Mashenka chalk, the analogue of the Chinese pencil does not lose its popularity. This can be explained by the following factors:

• effectiveness of use against pests at home;
• low cost of the product;
• ease of use.

It is worth noting that Mashenka chalk, unlike many other insecticides, does not kill insects quickly. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get rid of cockroaches or bedbugs in your home. In cases where pests are present in very large numbers, the use of chalk must be combined with the use of other, more effective drugs.

In particularly advanced cases, it is worth using chalk in combination with other insect repellents in the house.

Analogues of Mashenka chalk and what to do if Mashenka doesn’t work

In situations where the colony of cockroaches in the house is very numerous, even with the correct use of Mashenka, the result may be unsatisfactory. In this case, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive treatment - use insecticides in the form of an aerosol, gel preparations, and use crayons after the treatment is completed for preventive purposes.

In addition to Mashenka, the modern market for barrier products to combat cockroaches is represented by crayons from other manufacturers:

• A clean home - manufacturers guarantee a quiet life without insects.
• Brownie - when used, the result will be noticeable within a week.
• Eurogard is a proven long-lasting pencil.
• Tornado is a chalk for repelling crawling insects; when applied in damp areas of an apartment, regular line renewal is required.
• Titanic has an advantage over its analogues: thanks to its unique formula, it destroys cockroaches even a month after application.
• Rubit – one chalk kills all insects in an area of ​​30 m2.
• Global - copes with its task and provides good results.
• Nika - has residual activity on absorbent surfaces for more than 35 days and up to 2 months in hard-to-reach places.
• Blockbuster - when calculating the number of packages per area to be treated, it should be taken into account that its weight is 2 times less than the weight of crayons from other domestic manufacturers.
• Chinese anti-cockroach pencils can only be purchased through Chinese product websites or in special stores. The active substance is stronger compared to products from domestic manufacturers, but the level of toxicity is also higher.

How to use

The main method of using Mashenka chalk is to draw lines in places where cockroaches and bedbugs appear most often:

• baseboards;
• pipes (water and heating);
• ventilation holes;
• under sinks and around trash cans;
• tile joints;
• cracks in the floor and walls;
• back surfaces of carpets, furniture, paintings, mirrors, etc.

Bedbugs and cockroaches can hide anywhere

The chalk lines must be continuous and wide, at least 1.5 cm. Compliance with this condition gives the maximum effect, since when crossing the line the insect manages to capture an amount of the drug sufficient for rapid death.

When drawing with chalk, draw continuous, wide lines.

One Mashenka chalk is enough to cover an area of ​​about 30 square meters.

In addition, chalk can be used in other ways:

1. In powder form. In this case, the chalk is crushed to a powdery state and carefully poured into hard-to-reach places that cannot be treated with a pencil: crevices, corners of sofas, cracks in the walls.
2. In the form of a thick solution. Crushed chalk is mixed with water to form a paste-like mass and applied with a brush to areas where pests are located.
3. In the form of a spray. The crushed pencil is mixed with water (1 stick of Mashenka per 1–1.5 liters of liquid), poured into a spray bottle and sprayed in the required places. This method is convenient for treating large areas, for example, carpets or furniture on the back sides when killing bedbugs.

To quickly treat large areas, you can use a solution of chalk and water, which needs to be poured into a spray bottle.

The intensity of the impact of chalk on insects lasts for about a month. However, already 7–10 days after applying the drug to the surface, the effect begins to weaken. After 2-3 weeks, the remaining product must be washed off with a soda-soap solution and, if necessary, treat the room again with a pencil.

Chalk Mashenka should be stored in a dry, dark place at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees. In an open package, the drug begins to lose its properties already at temperatures above 25 degrees.

Chalk "Mashenka": instructions for use

Using the Mashenka chalk is very simple; it has the shape of a block, familiar to everyone since school. Do not rely on your skills, the instructions for use were written for a reason, you should read them. You can simply draw lines in places that are difficult for children to reach and inconspicuous, but there is no guarantee that active movement of insects will occur there. For maximum efficiency, outline the entire perimeter of the room with a continuous line at least 2 cm wide. Draw a closed outline along the baseboards on the floor and on the walls. Now the cockroach will not be able to leave or enter the room without touching the poisonous trail.

Treat utility entry points, ventilation openings, and window sills. If there are cracks or holes in the structures, draw a continuous closed outline around them. Draw a circle around hard-to-reach places where insects like to nest: the back walls of furniture, the interior cavities of cabinets and sofas. For convenience, you can chop the block and sprinkle powder on the places where pests accumulate.

The drug does not lose its qualities if dissolved in water. You can spray the solution on indoor plants and even vegetable crops. A small concentration of poison will destroy harmful insects, but toxins will not accumulate in greens and fruits. Using a home spray bottle, direct a stream of liquid product to areas where traces of parasite activity are visible. Returning there, they will definitely receive a dose of poison.

When fighting harmful insects, you need to take precautions and protect yourself from contact with poison. When drawing the lines, you can open one edge of the package and hold the drug by the cellophane wrapper, but it is better to wear rubber gloves. Try to prevent particles of the drug from getting on your face: if you are crushing chalk or sprinkling powder on insect nests, it is advisable to protect your eyes with glasses. After work, wash your hands and face with soap, and only then can you touch food products.

Security measures

The effectiveness of Mashenka chalk is determined by the presence of harmful chemicals in its composition that can harm the health of humans and pets. Therefore, when working with this drug, you should adhere to certain rules:

1. It is prohibited to carry out pencil treatment in rooms where small children and animals live.
2. When working with chalk, you should use rubber gloves and a face mask. It is also advisable to protect your eyes with glasses. When working with chalk without gloves, you should hold it without completely removing it from its original packaging.

When starting to work with chalk, do not forget about safety measures

After handling insecticide, wash your hands and face thoroughly.

Summarize and draw conclusions

Having studied the information, we can summarize the above. The main point is that it is an effective remedy. But you always need to take into account related factors. For example, if you live in a country house, the infestation of the premises by cockroaches is minimal, so it will be quite easy to deal with them, just do not forget about the offspring, which must be immediately neutralized in order to prevent new young animals.

In multi-storey buildings the situation is much more complicated, because there is always a risk that, having eliminated their own cockroaches, new ones will come from the neighbors. There is no need to despair; prevention will help here, although not to the maximum. It would be correct to remove insects together, come to an agreement with neighbors, this is a common problem, in severe cases, use other means in combination, contact specialized services.

Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of Mashenka.

Advantages

• Affordable price,
• Easy and convenient to use,
• No smell
• Low level of toxicity.

Flaws

• Short period of validity (7 days),
• Ineffective against large numbers of insects,
• Dangerous for children and animals.

Despite its shortcomings, chalk remains one of the most popular.

Remember that use should only be carried out in compliance with safety precautions. Don't neglect the rules. Ventilate the room, do not forget about wet cleaning, wear gloves, respirators, and do not apply chalk in places where there may be children and animals.

Remember about sanitary standards in the premises. In order not to attract “mustachioed guests,” take out the trash as often as possible and wash the area under and around the trash can. After each meal, wash the dishes and sink, wipe the sink dry.

First aid

If safety precautions were violated and external or internal contact with the drug occurred, you should immediately contact a medical institution for qualified help. Before examination and consultation with a doctor:

If chalk particles come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes. You urgently need to rinse them with running water or a soda solution (1 teaspoon of soda per 200 ml of water).

If chalk particles get into your eyes, immediately rinse them with clean water or soda solution.

Running tap water will help you remove Mashenka's pencil from your skin.

Gastric lavage with manganese solution is one of the available measures to cleanse the body during intoxication

Intoxication when working with insecticide is a serious reason to consult a doctor

How to choose the right pencil

Today, not all manufacturers of insecticides produce chalk pencils for cockroaches, so their range is not large.

You can also ignore the price, because their cost fluctuates within small limits. Therefore, the main criterion for choosing a specific chalk pencil is to compare its safety with its effectiveness.

Today, the most popular remedies for various types of cockroaches are chalk pencils from, as well as from Domovoy Proshka.

When choosing a specific insecticidal chalk, residents follow these tips from professionals:

• purchase chalk pencils only from popular modern manufacturers, products from which have shown long-term positive results among previous users;
• Before purchasing an insecticidal product, check the integrity of its packaging. Indeed, with prolonged external contact with air, the toxic components of a chalk pencil lose their beneficial properties;
• carefully study the information indicated on the packaging. In this case, first pay attention to the release date of the insecticidal pencil and its expiration date;
• Don’t buy cockroach chalk just in case - only for business reasons. Otherwise, if the product is not used for a long time, it expires and is no longer useful.

Reviews of chalk Mashenka

We were renovating the kitchen and temporarily left the hood “naked” - after 2 days we found 3 bedbugs! My husband is so squeamish about all living creatures - he sat on the Internet until 3 am, searching for methods of fighting. So, bedbugs appear in new apartments and after renovation, and even in new furniture. I read that bedbugs are afraid of wormwood. Well, we rushed to the pharmacy, bought 8(!) packs in bags - the pharmacist looked at us sooooo much, 3 bottles of wormwood essential oil and Mashenka chalk. So, all evening we painted on the bottom of the furniture, scattered bags everywhere and smeared them where the baby wouldn’t lick them. All - NOBODY (TTT).

Irinka-picture

https://mama51.ru/forum/index.php?topic=14707.120

There were also black cockroaches. I bought a Mashenka pencil at Ozerka - there was nothing. I haven’t seen Redhead alive for ten years.

dr.Ded

https://dnepr-forum.com/topic2091.html

when cockroaches came running to us, the neighbors were poisoning them, we bought a chalk “Mashenka”, so these monsters began to crawl out and run everywhere, out of fear, I ran from the house to my parents, spent the night there, and came back in the morning... and not a single cockroach, not even corpse, I don’t know where they went, but there were no more

Pike

https://vladmama.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1446&t=18891&start=60

I harassed them with regular Mashenka chalk. True, I had to maintain perfect cleanliness and coat the vents with this chalk (they came from the neighbors). I haven't seen you for 2 months.

Lucy

https://dez-otzyv.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6

I want to say that we had bedbugs, and we fought with them for 2 months. They sprayed us with everything - it was terrible, the beds were dismantled down to the last screw, everything was impregnated with aerosols and all sorts of chemicals, and they, like a jack-in-the-box, came out and bit us and the child. They already wanted to throw out all the sofas and burn them, but they did it. I even bought a Karcher steam cleaner to evaporate everything, it’s all useless. Mashenka’s chalk helped, you won’t even believe it. We bought 8 pieces and painted all the beds, wherever we could, inside the perimeter, as they say, with all our hearts. So far we have no complaints about bedbugs. And most importantly, it is not harmful to people. Just try to buy fresh chalk and not counterfeit. We bought online; there was no other choice. Good luck everyone .

Svetlana

https://forum.dobro-est.com/threads/kak-izbavitsja-ot-postelnyx-klopov.15/

Mashenka. Did you study descriptive geometry? No? You buy Mashenka chalk and draw on the walls. Removes both bedbugs and cockroaches with a bang!

Holden

https://xn--j1aefiie.xn--p1ai/topic/34828-%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8/

Chalk Mashenka is an effective means for exterminating harmful insects in your home. The cheapness and effectiveness of this drug make it in demand for many years.

Source: zoolog.guru/drugaya-poleznaya-informacia/melok-mashenka-ot-tarakanov.html

Reviews on the use of Mashenka chalk against bedbugs

We rented a new apartment, which turned out to be infested with bedbugs. They were everywhere - in the old sofa and under the wallpaper. At night the parasites bit us and our three-year-old child. We wanted to rent another apartment, but our parents advised us to try decorating the rooms with Mashenka’s pencil. It is inexpensive and is available in every hardware store. We moved all the furniture away and went to spend the night with my mother. And my husband smeared chalk on all surfaces and furniture. The bedbugs disappeared after just three days . Now I use Mashenka for prevention. We always have this product in our house.

Marina, Russia

As the weather warmed up, we arrived at the dacha and discovered bedbugs. We didn’t buy any new products, but decided to resort to the old, proven Mashenka chalk. A week before the vacation, they covered all the rooms with it. The two weeks of rest passed quietly. Only mosquitoes bit us.

Alexandra, Samara

Our house is always clean, but then in the morning we started waking up bitten. It didn't look like mosquito bites, and I thought to look under the mattress. There were a lot of bedbugs underneath him. It’s unclear where they came from, since our neighbors are normal. I immediately sat down at the computer and began looking for information on how to deal with them. My parents remembered Mashenka’s chalk, which used to help against various insects, and I read that parasites do not like the smell of wormwood. I bought a pencil and spread wormwood. After treatment, the bedbugs disappeared two weeks later .

Igor, Tver

Appearance and composition of chalk

The remedy for cockroaches Mashenka looks like an oblong gray-white block, weighing 20 g. The chalk is sold in an impenetrable blue polyethylene wrapper with information on product consumption and method of use printed on it. This is a Russian-made drug, developed on the basis of the well-known Chinese insecticidal pencil. It consists of the following components:

Only two components exhibit insecticidal properties - zeta-cypermethrin and deltamethrin. These substances belong to the pyrethroid group of contact poisons. They are toxic to warm-blooded animals and humans, so the chalk is assigned a 4th degree of danger.

Chalk and gypsum act as a binding component and create the form of the drug and occupy about 95% of its composition. With their help, the toxic substance is securely attached to the surface and does not lose its activity for a long time.

Interesting fact! Chalk Mashenka was originally developed to preserve military supplies by order of the Ministry of Defense in the early 80s. Later, having proven its effectiveness, it went on sale for civilian use.

Cockroach chalk: composition

You can draw conclusions about the safety and effectiveness of a chalk pencil based on its composition, which contains the following components:

• Chalk base. For this purpose, chalk and gypsum are used, mixed together in certain proportions. The base makes up at least 90% of the total mass of the product.
• Active substance. Insecticides (as a rule, these are deltamethrin and cypermethrin, but there are also other substances) that have a detrimental effect on the body of insects and lead to their death. The content of these substances is up to 10% of the total mass.

Many manufacturers use Soviet technology from the 80s to produce crayons, while others use components from Chinese manufacturers.

Operating principle

Cockroach chalk Mashenka exerts its insecticidal effect through direct contact with insects. Its toxic components penetrate the outer shell of arthropods and destroy impulses coming from the nerve nodes to the muscles, thereby causing their paralysis and death.

Compared to aerosol preparations, which begin to act already at the moment of spraying, a pencil against cockroaches manifests itself only after some time. The insect must touch the product for the poison to enter it.

And this is only possible after crossing the chalk line drawn with an insecticidal pencil. Accordingly, the more cockroaches run through it, the higher the effect will be. Insects also bring the drug into their nests on their legs, thus infecting their fellows.

The effect of the drug, as a rule, becomes noticeable after 4-5 days. At this time, the number of insects decreases sharply, and their twisted corpses begin to appear on the floor. In most cases, the entire colony can be destroyed in 2-4 weeks. During this period, several treatments are carried out with an interval of 7 days.

Advice! To achieve maximum impact on insects, it is recommended to apply chalk strips at least 1-2 cm thick. In this case, the cockroach will get so dirty when crossing the fatal line that the poison will begin to act after a few minutes.

The main mistakes in using insecticidal chalk

Despite the fact that the cockroach chalk pencil is very easy to use, many people make a number of mistakes when using it.

In such a situation, residents perform the following incorrect actions:

• They save too much on such a pencil from China. Many people, in order to save it, make the lines not thick and solid, but thin or dotted. Thus, they automatically reduce the effectiveness of such a drug;
• combine cockroach pencils with other insecticidal agents. Many residents, in addition to chalk pencil, apply various fragrant herbs to the infected surfaces, which repel parasites. However, in this case, the insecticidal chalk also becomes ineffective;
• Pencils are not stored correctly to prevent cockroaches. Sometimes people store it next to food or in low cabinets where small children can find it. Such an oversight should also not be allowed;
• do not carry out wet cleaning after completing the sanitation of their home. This is also a gross mistake, which often leads to poisoning of pets (cats, dogs, etc.) and humans.

Therefore, after sanitizing the apartment, it is imperative to remove the remains of chalk pencil from specific apartment surfaces.

Mode of application

Mashenka against cockroaches can be used as follows:

• applied to the surface in the form of a chalk line;
• spray into places where insects accumulate after preliminary grinding;
• used as a solution.

The first option is most convenient, since in this case you won’t have to remove the apartment’s residents during the treatment, and you won’t need any special protective measures either. It is only necessary to ensure the continuity of the drawn line so that the insects are sure to cross it. It is best to apply a strip along the entire perimeter of the apartment, circling the baseboards and doorways with chalk. It would also be good to outline all the strategically important places for insects where they can gain access to food and water:

• trash cans;
• kitchen sink;
• cabinets with food supplies;
• fridge;
• dinner table;
• stove.

Its effectiveness will depend on the correct location for applying the drug. Therefore, before processing, it makes sense to inspect the apartment to detect nests of cockroaches and places of their greatest concentration.

If it is not possible to apply the product in a continuous line, for example, on an uneven surface, then it makes sense to crush it and scatter it in powder form. In this case, take the necessary protective measures. Rubber gloves are put on your hands, and your mouth and nose are covered with a gauze bandage so as not to accidentally inhale particles of the drug.

This method is less preferable, since the risk of poisoning increases, and the adhesion strength to the treated surface is significantly reduced. However, as an additional treatment measure under baseboards and in hard-to-reach places, it is completely justified.

Mashenka chalk against cockroaches can be used in the form of a solution. To do this, the product, previously crushed to a powdery state, is diluted in 5-6 liters of warm water. The resulting solution is used to wipe the floor and all surfaces in the apartment. The advantage of this method is that the area of ​​the treated surface increases, however, the concentration of the toxic substance decreases, and the effectiveness of the drug decreases accordingly.

One package of the product is enough for approximately 30 m of the treated area if you plan to use it in the form of a chalk line. You will need two or even three times more powder. A solution prepared from one piece of chalk can be used to treat a medium-sized two-room apartment.

The effect of the pencil decreases after a week, so the treatment is repeated 7 days after the first, after first removing the remnants of the drug that has lost its activity with a damp cloth. Repeat the entire procedure as necessary until the insects are completely eliminated.

Interesting fact! It is unlikely that insecticidal chalk can be used as school chalk, since it has a softer structure and crumbles easily.

Processing rules

The success of the entire operation depends entirely on the correct location chosen. Using Mashenka chalk for cockroaches, outline all strategically important places where these parasites can gain access to water and food:

• Kitchen sink and washbasin;
• Gas stove;
• Fridge;
• Inserting pipes into the riser;
• Bin;
• Dinner table;
• Ventilation holes;
• Back sides of countertops and kitchen furniture;
• Garbage chute;
• Walls under windows;
• Skirting boards;
• Thresholds;
• Lockers with food supplies.

In summer, it is necessary to treat the space behind the heating radiators or close to them. During the heating season, this product will not give any results, since elevated temperatures completely kill the insecticidal properties of the chalk. All surfaces must be pre-washed and wiped dry.

Important! Before starting work, be sure to inspect your home and try to find all cockroach nests.

You also need to follow a few simple rules:

• Do not take the chalk with your bare hands - release it from the packaging only up to half the length and hold it by the packaged end;
• Apply a fairly wide line - 2-4 mm;
• If you find cockroaches only in the kitchen, do not limit yourself to this area. Walk through other rooms with a pencil, otherwise insects will simply run there in search of shelter;
• After disinfestation, wash your hands thoroughly with soap;

• If there was contact with the skin, immediately wipe it with alcohol tincture;
• If the powder gets into your eyes or mucous membranes, consult a doctor immediately.

Pros for chalk

Chalk Mashenka gets rid of cockroaches quite effectively, which is confirmed by its long-term presence on the market of insecticidal preparations. It also has other advantages:

• ease of use;
• low cost;
• no odor;
• low toxicity.

Ease of use is due to the form of release of the drug. It is convenient to draw lines with chalk, quickly and with minimal waste of effort, applying the product in the required places. Compared to powdered and aerosol preparations, which require additional special equipment, preliminary preparation of the room, and long preparation times, the pencil is easy to use and does not require special knowledge and skills.

Low price is another factor in the popularity of this product. It ranges from 10-30 rubles, which makes chalk accessible to all segments of the population. It is unlikely that there is another insecticidal drug that has such a low cost and such an effective effect on insects.

The chalk has no smell, which makes it possible to treat the apartment in the presence of residents and pets. Thanks to this, its toxicity is reduced to almost zero, since there are no particles of toxic substances in the air.

Main pros and cons

Chalk Mashenka enjoys well-deserved popularity due to its positive qualities:

• versatility - helps not only against cockroaches, but also against other domestic, garden and garden insects;
• lack of smell;
• ease of use - does not require any preliminary preparation and is easy to apply;
• effectiveness - the result in the form of cockroach corpses appears within 3-4 hours;
• security;
• ease of removal after the end of the processing period;
• affordable cost;
• Possibility of use for preventive purposes to prevent the appearance of cockroaches;
• availability - insecticide pencil is easy to find on sale.

However, judging by consumer reviews, this drug is not without its drawbacks:

• short period of action, the chalk quickly loses its toxic properties - after 7-10 days, especially under the influence of sunlight;
• long period of exposure - several successive treatments will be required to completely destroy the colony;
• no toxic effect on oviposition in nests;
• low efficiency in case of global infestation of the territory by insects;
• potential, although not too great, danger to children and pets;
• the presence of a large number of drugs with the same name Mashenka, differing in effectiveness (there are also counterfeits).