What is dichlorvos and what insects is it effective against?

People don’t really like the proximity of any insects, so any means are good to combat them. The most popular and effective tool is dichlorvos. Our grandparents also used it when fighting hordes of various insects.

What is dichlorvos

Dichlorvos is a well-known and effective means for killing various types of insects. It contains organophosphorus compounds, which not only have a fatal effect on insects, but also harm human health, especially the nervous system.

Dichlorvos (DDVP) has a number of advantages:

1. Lightning-fast effect on various insects and mites;
2. Three-way impact: direct contact, vapor inhalation and poison ingestion;
3. Do not belong to the group of highly toxic substances for their effects on humans and animals;
4. Safe for the environment, highly degradable;
5. Can be used close to indoor plants.

New generations of insecticides have recently been used to produce poisonous products against cockroaches, flies and other insects. DDVF was also modified; it began to be produced based on modern achievements in the chemical industry.

The disadvantages of the product include the following:

• Disgusting smell;
• Prolonged ventilation of the room after treatment with the drug;
• When using the product indoors, the person using it may become poisoned;
• In case of accidental ingestion, death is possible, since 2 grams of organophosphorus components are sufficient for this.

They first learned about dichlorvos in 1960. The Americans take credit for its discovery. Since foreign products were banned in the Soviet Union, Russian scientists quickly invented an analogue called “dichlorfors”.

The name fully corresponds to the original composition - dimethyl dichlorovinyl phosphate. In addition, the following components are added to the poison:

• Synergist;
• Cypermethine;
• Tetramethrin.

The modern toxic substance is very different from its ancestor. It is not so toxic and has a neutral odor. New products have appeared with additions to the name in the form of prefixes “Eco”, “Super” or similar abbreviations.

Depending on the country of origin and intended use, the composition of the product may vary.

Who does this toxic substance help?

After obtaining this substance, scientists claimed that it quickly dissolves in the environment without causing any harm to it. This was attributed to the merits of the product. Further study of the drug revealed that the components of the drug remain active for a long time, causing great harm to the entire environment.

Nevertheless, dichlorvos is successfully used to destroy:

• Insects in the house (cockroaches, flies, bedbugs);
• Garden pests (whiteflies, caterpillars, spider mites, thrips and other pests);
• Parasites. When treating wheat grains with the product, their sterility is achieved; Fleas, ticks and other external parasitic insects in dogs, cattle and humans.
• Vernal insects in dogs, cats, livestock and people.

The components of the substance are able to penetrate the outer cover of insects, and also have a deadly effect when they enter the digestive system of parasites. Less effective exposure occurs when toxic fumes are inhaled.

The best results are observed when affecting crawling insects such as cockroaches and bedbugs. Spraying the substance on the surfaces on which parasites move ensures the penetration of the poisonous product through the outer shell of the pest and its neutralization.

Dichlorvos is produced in various variations:

1. Aerosol;
2. Concentrated;
3. As an impregnation.

In our country, spray cans with a poisonous component are most often used - for home use and impregnation - in veterinary medicine. Typically, collars for dogs and cats intended to kill fleas are impregnated with the composition.

It is not so often that the component is added to special drops for application to the withers of the animal. Recently, in stores you can find special plastic strips impregnated with a poisonous composition. They are laid out indoors to repel or destroy parasites. Crawling through such barriers, cockroaches or bedbugs die within 24 hours.

Getting on the outer shell, the poison completely destroys the nervous system of the insect, which is why it immediately dies.

Basic rules for using the product

The most harmless are specially treated plastic strips with dichlorvos. They are not often found on store shelves, so the population prefers to use spray cans.

A concentrated substance is more suitable for industrial use, since the product is very toxic and must be diluted and stored in a safe place.

The manufacturer recommends spraying the toxin in the intended habitats of insects or where they like to crawl at night. If we are talking about cockroaches, these are kitchen tables; if we are talking about bedbugs, these are dark, dirty places or crevices. During the day, the parasites are not very active, so finding their “rookery” will not be difficult.

No matter how they say that poison does not have a negative effect on humans, this is not so. Dichlorvos is a poison that can poison not only unwanted insects, but humans and domestic animals.

Therefore, when using the drug, it is necessary to take certain safety measures:

1. Remove dishes, clothing, personal hygiene items and food from the area being treated;
2. Children, pets and unauthorized persons should not be in the treatment area;
3. The person spraying the drug must wear closed clothing, cover his hair, protect his face with a mask or respirator, and his hands with gloves;
4. You cannot enter the premises for several hours;
5. After the waiting time has ended, the room must be well ventilated for at least one hour. Only after this can people and animals return to it;
6. Before coming into contact with any surfaces, they must be thoroughly wiped with soapy water.

It is unacceptable for the poison to come into contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes. If this happens, they should be rinsed thoroughly with water.During treatment, you should absolutely not drink, smoke or eat. After the procedure is completed, outer clothing is removed and cleaned. Exposed areas of the body and hands are thoroughly washed. It is advisable to rinse your mouth with water.

When purchasing a drug, you should pay attention to its composition, expiration date and the parasite it is intended to destroy. Recently, manufacturers have been producing dichlorvos not only with a wide spectrum of action, but also for the destruction of a specific insect.

The danger of dichlorvos

The composition of the aerosol can may vary depending on the manufacturer, but the main toxic component is always present. Therefore, the substance belongs to the third level of toxicity in relation to humans.

If a substance is low toxic, this does not mean that it cannot be poisoned. This happens in cases of violation of safety measures or use of the toxin for other purposes. If you stay indoors after spraying the composition, you can get seriously poisoned.

Toxins will enter the bloodstream, and swelling of the nasopharynx and respiratory tract is possible. If a person is prone to allergic reactions, an attack of suffocation is possible.

Dichlorvos is especially dangerous for cats. They do not have a large body weight, so the concentration of the toxic substance in their blood can be very high. As a result, the animal dies or gets serious liver disease.

In case of poisoning by vapors of the substance or its accidental entry into the esophagus, severe headache, dizziness and fever up to 39 degrees are possible. In addition, signs of an allergic reaction may occur:

• Runny nose;
• Dry cough;
• Swelling of the larynx and nose;
• Skin rashes accompanied by itching and burning.

With a small concentration of poison in the blood, the symptoms go away on their own within a few days.

Dichlorvos is an old and proven remedy for killing unwanted insects. If used correctly, it will not harm either humans or pets. And harmful insects will leave the house for a long period.