A Lifesaver for Bed Bug Infestations: My Honest Review of Gektor
Hey there!
I've got a story to share about a super frustrating experience dealing with bed bugs, where a product called Gektor, produced by OOO Geoalser, literally saved the day.
This stuff didn't just help us, it actually rescued us from that surprise bed bug invasion last spring.
The problem with bed bugs showed up out of nowhere, in the room where my elderly relatives live, near the sofa. I mean, we were not expecting it at all. For some reason, they were dead set against calling in a pest control service. First things first, we chucked the old mattress and pillows from the sofa, but replacing the mattress didn't make a difference. The problem just kept dragging on, and every morning we'd find these critters in the bed, almost under the pillow, and people would complain about new bites every day.
We tried spraying the trim and walls with Diflox, and even spraying it inside the sofa frame, but nothing worked. Sometimes the stench was so bad that it seemed like people were going to be poisoned before these blood-sucking pests. We even tried taking apart the sofa frame, but we couldn't find the source of the problem.
In my search for a solution, I stumbled upon information about bed bug traps online and bought a set, but it didn't yield any results. I even started to think that we were using the traps wrong (although the design seemed foolproof), so I went back to the internet to learn more about them.
I was browsing through the reviews on Yandex Market and stumbled upon a post that mentioned using 'Hector' powder in insect traps to get rid of cockroaches. I decided to give it a try and ordered it from Ozona, and it actually worked like a charm!
Design:
This product comes in a white plastic bottle with a built-in dispenser.
On top, it's covered with a black cap that has a small cone-shaped 'nose.' The cap is removable, and it fits snugly but comes off easily if needed. Attached to the cap is a small, flexible plastic 'wrist' with a tiny tip that fits onto the 'nose' above, ensuring the powder doesn't spill even if the bottle falls or tips over.
The product name is printed right on the bottle under the cap.
On the bottle, there's a black-and-white label. On the dark side, next to an image of the parasite, it lists the product's full name and some of its features.
There, the manufacturer promotes their 'unique formula of super-light powder,' promises instant action, and long-lasting protection for your home and not just eliminates insects but also their larvae and eggs.
They claim:
"Safe for people and animals.
No smell. Non-toxic.
Long-lasting effect."
I'm not sure if the product starts working right away after contact, like the label says, but from my observation, it takes some time to see results, which I'll get into later.
The white part of the label has a pretty detailed description of the product. It includes instructions for use and a diagram with a breakdown, telling you where to sprinkle the powder best in the room.
Also, there are the manufacturer's contact details, product parameters, and the date of manufacture listed.
It's also mentioned that this product is suitable for both non-residential and residential spaces. And that's an important clarification because that was exactly our situation.
A bit below, the storage conditions for the product and precautions to take are listed – the powder does indeed get quite dusty when sprayed, and if you're not careful, it might end up where it shouldn't.
The bottle capacity is 500ml, and the weight is 100g.
At first glance, the bottle might seem a bit small, but in reality, it was enough to sprinkle all the vulnerable spots in a small room with a slope, and there was still about a third left over.
According to the manufacturer, the product's shelf life is not limited.
Properties:
The composition listed on the packaging by the manufacturer:
Silicon dioxide (SiO2) - 98%
Inside the bottle, there's a fine, powdery substance of white color. Just like the manufacturer says, it has no smell at all.
I've gotta say, the manufacturer claims there's no harsh chemicals in this stuff, but I couldn't verify that one way or the other. At least, none of us had any allergic reactions or anything while it was lying around, and we didn't have to evacuate the room.
We just left it be and went about our business – people even slept in the room the whole time it was there.
I found it pretty easy to sprinkle from the bottle, just give it a shake and press down a bit.
It does create a bit of a cloud, though, so I'd recommend using a respirator or covering your mouth and nose when applying it.
But once it settles, it's pretty calm, even if you do accidentally stir it up a bit. We left it to settle, and after that, there were no signs of dust in the air, and people continued sleeping in the room.
Of course, that's with healthy lungs – if you have any respiratory issues, it's probably best to be extra cautious and avoid the area until it's thoroughly cleaned.
Result:
We basically just sprinkled the powder along the baseboards, under the furniture, and around the doorways.
I have to admit, it took a little while to see any results. But then, one day, we spotted a mosquito in broad daylight, which was weird because they usually don't come out during the day. What was even weirder was that the mosquito was just chillin' on the ceiling, completely still. When we gave it a little tap, it turned out to be super dry and we realized that the stuff was actually working.
About 10 days later, the bites stopped and we didn't see any mosquitoes anymore.
To be extra sure, we sprinkled more powder under the furniture and baseboards and left it alone for a month. No mosquitoes showed up after that. When we finally cleaned the room thoroughly a month later, we found a bunch of these critters in a dried-up state under the furniture.
From what we can tell, this «Hector» stuff really does dehydrate the mosquitoes.
Since then, we've been keeping an eye out to make sure they don't come back, but luckily, even though we haven't used the powder in a while, we haven't had any problems for a long time.
The verdict: in our case, the product delivered where the other methods failed. But you should definitely use it with a mask or respirator, and don't expect instant results. This stuff takes its time to work.