Pest prevention: how to properly dilute for spraying, reviews from gardeners

Pests are a problem that all gardeners face in their personal plots. If you don't fight them, you can lose most or all of your harvest. However, there are preparations that allow you to protect “cultivated” plants from attack by pests for the entire season after a single spring treatment. These include Profilaktin for the garden. Of course, it will benefit the garden only if you strictly follow the instructions given in the manufacturer’s instructions, especially regarding the dosage of the insecticide and the rate of its consumption.

Description of the drug Profilaktin

Prophylactic is a broad-spectrum insectoacaricide with an ovicidal effect. The chemical destroys not only adult insects, but also insects at earlier stages of development, including their eggs.

Profilaktin is produced by the Russian company “August”, officially approved for treating plantings on personal plots

The drug is used primarily for spraying pome and stone fruit trees and berry bushes. A single treatment allows you to protect the plantings for the entire season.

Important! As the name suggests, the drug is not intended to combat pests already present on plants, but to prevent their attacks.

What pests does Prophylactic help with?

Treatment allows you to protect plants from most of the most common pests:

  • herbivorous mites (spider mites, kidney mites, felt mites);
  • scale insects and false scale insects;
  • leaf rollers;
  • all types of aphids;
  • butterfly caterpillars (white moths, cutworms);
  • copperheads;
  • thrips.

Insectoacaricide Profilaktin is widely used for treatments not only by amateur gardeners, but also by professional farmers

Composition and release form of the drug Profilaktin

The basis of the drug is mineral vaseline oil (658 g/l). The only active ingredient is malathion (aka Karbofos) at a concentration of 13 g/l. This substance is from the class of organophosphorus (OP) and has been widely used in the production of insecticides for plant treatments since the 50s of the 20th century.

The manufacturer produces insectoacaricide in plastic bottles of 500 ml or 1 liter. The letters MKE present in the name stand for “oil emulsion concentrate”.

For insecticides and insectoacaricides, this is a relatively new form of release.The active ingredient of the drug Profilaktin is “encapsulated” in tiny drops of mineral oil with a diameter of no more than 200 nm.

Thanks to this, its ability to be “absorbed” into tissue after treatment increases dramatically. Insecticides in the form of an emulsion microconcentrate provide the longest protective effect and powerful action, and they are not affected in any way by precipitation or other weather factors.

Until recently, the drug was produced in two versions - as an aqueous and oil emulsion, but now the first one has been discontinued

How does Profilaktin work?

Prophylactic is an insectoacaricide with intestinal contact action. After processing, it enters the body of pests through direct contact, “absorbing” through chitinous and other protective shells, or through the digestive tract during feeding.

Like any organophosphorus compound, malathion for insects and ticks is a neurotoxin that “blocks” the transmission of “commands” from nerve cells to all organs and systems. First, the pest poisoned by the drug is affected by convulsions, then complete paralysis and death follow.

Important! According to some data, after treatment with Prophylactic, a thin oil film remains on the surface of leaves and shoots, which does not interfere with air exchange, photosynthesis and other vital processes.

Advantages and disadvantages

The popularity of the insectoacaricide Profilaktin among gardeners is due to its undoubted advantages:

  1. Providing protection from wintering pests, which allows you to initially significantly reduce their numbers and prevent massive development of the population after treatment, even if the weather and other factors are favorable for this.
  2. A combination of insecticidal, acaricidal and ovicidal properties.
  3. Effective against many pests, most of which have long been well known to Russian gardeners and are distinguished by their “omnivorous” nature.
  4. Long-lasting protective effect of the drug.
  5. An improved form of release that ensures the rapid action of the drug, high “migration” ability and its “independence” from the vagaries of the weather. However, treatment with Prophylactic immediately before rain is not recommended; the desired interval between spraying and rainfall is 2-3 hours.
  6. Plant protection after treatment for at least 30 days. This is just enough for the period of mass spring summer of pests after winter “hibernation”. Their activity peaks in May. Depending on the climate in the region, it may “shift” to the second half of April or early June.
  7. Wide application temperature range. Prophylactic begins to act already at 4 °C. As the weather warms, its effectiveness increases along with the activation of pests.
  8. No phytotoxicity. Treatment with the drug does not in any way affect the growth and development of fruit trees and berry bushes, the volume and quality of the harvest. The collected fruits and berries can be eaten without fear. The drug breaks down into “neutral” compounds and is completely eliminated from plant tissues in two months.

Profilaktin is suitable for treating most pome and stone fruit trees, gooseberries, currants

The insectoacaricide Profilaktin also has some disadvantages:

  1. The property of resistance is common to all malathion-based drugs. It is because of this that repeated treatments of plantings with the insectoacaricide Profilaktin are not allowed.Although some gardeners, on the contrary, consider this feature an advantage - the property of resistance allows them to limit themselves to a single spraying during the season.
  2. The impossibility of processing fruit and berry and fruit and vegetable crops with thin and delicate skin of the fruit. The maximum permissible concentration of the active ingredient in them will exceed the norm safe for human health and will not decrease even with a very long waiting period. Therefore, you cannot treat, for example, strawberries with Prophylactic in early spring.
  3. The drug is unsuitable for preparing tank mixtures.
  4. Possibility of storage only in undamaged original packaging. An opened bottle must be used at a time.
Important! Regular “overdoses” and frequent treatments with Prophylactic lead to the emergence of entire populations of pests that have developed immunity to insecticides based on malathion and other FOS.

When to spray trees with Prophylactic in spring

The lower temperature limit at which the insectoacaricide Profilaktin begins to act distinguishes it favorably from other drugs with a similar effect. Pests are destroyed while they are still in a state of hibernation, and trees and shrubs are just “waking up.”

Treatment of plantings is carried out from the moment of final snow melting until the “green cone” stage of the buds. If leaves have already begun to bloom on trees and bushes, you need to look for other preparations to protect against insects.

How to prepare Prophylactic solution for the garden

Prophylactic for spraying trees and shrubs should be diluted in a concentration of 0.5 liters per 10 liters of water. The solution is prepared extremely simply and quickly.First, about a third of the volume of water is poured into the container from which the gardener will spray the plantings, and the emulsion is added there. Both ingredients are intensively mixed until smooth and the remaining water is poured into the solution.

The solution must be used as quickly as possible; after 5-6 hours the liquid loses its protective properties

Important! To prepare a working solution of the insectoacaricide Profilaktin, use only water heated to room temperature and left for about a day or softened in another way.

Instructions for use of the drug Profilaktin for the garden

To treat trees and shrubs in the garden with Prophylactic, choose early morning or late evening on a dry, windless day. Direct sunlight and gusts of wind quickly “dry out” Vaseline oil, reducing the penetrating ability of the drug.

Trees and shrubs should be sprayed with the working solution as evenly as possible. They first carry out sanitary pruning, stripping of exfoliated bark, and treating the “wounds” with garden varnish.

Any other agrochemicals are used after treatment with Prophylactic

Important! The approximate consumption rate of the drug per tree is 2-5 liters, per bush – 1-1.5 liters. You need to focus on the age of the plant, its height, and crown diameter.

Compatibility with other drugs

The manufacturer's instructions specifically emphasize that mixing Profilaktin with other agrochemicals (pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, biostimulants) is strongly not recommended. Even in a slightly acidic and slightly alkaline environment, not to mention a more “aggressive” environment, the nanostructure of the emulsion is destroyed, its effectiveness is practically reduced to zero.

Analogues of Profilaktina

There are quite a lot of insecticides, the main active component of which, like Profilaktin, is malathion. The following drugs are popular among Russian gardeners:

  • Alatar;
  • Iskra-M;
  • Fufanon;
  • Foscon;
  • Alioth.

The mechanism of action of these insecticides is the same. The basis of the drug, the concentration of the active substance and the presence of “auxiliary” ingredients differ.

Profilaktin is one of the modern alternatives to Karbofos, which is banned for use in many countries due to environmental hazards

Security measures

Insectoacaricide Prophylactic MKE belongs to hazard class III, that is, it is considered moderately dangerous to humans. However, basic precautions must be taken when working with it:

  1. Use respiratory protection and mucous membrane protection (goggles, respirators).
  2. Wear tight clothing with long sleeves and trousers that minimizes the risk of the drug and its solution getting on bare skin, closed shoes, and waterproof, durable gloves.
  3. Avoid eating, drinking, and smoking during treatment.
  4. Prepare the solution only in containers not intended for storing food, feed, or drinking water.
  5. Try not to excessively delay the process of working with the drug. Ideally, you need to do it in 1-1.5 hours.
  6. Upon completion of spraying, take a warm shower and wash clothes as quickly as possible.
  7. Take into account the “safety zones”: 150 m to children’s, medical, and recreational institutions, 15 m for residential buildings and premises where livestock are kept, 5 m for buildings and structures for utility purposes, and other plantings that are not subject to treatment with Profilaktikom.

Even if security measures seem like excessive reinsurance, they cannot be taken lightly

Important! The hazard class of the insectoacaricide Prophylactic for bees is II (medium hazardous). Its use in water protection zones and by aerial spraying is prohibited.

If Profilaktin gets on the skin or mucous membranes, wash it off with running cool water. Do not rub the “affected” area too hard. If the chemical causes an allergic reaction, as evidenced by swelling, redness, burning, itching, or rash, you must take any antihistamine and consult a doctor.

Accidental ingestion of the drug in pure form or its solution requires immediate gastric lavage. You need to drink several glasses of a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate and induce vomiting. Then take activated carbon or any other enterosorbent. When this does not help and symptoms indicating poisoning appear, immediate contact with a toxicologist is required.

Important! The “quarantine” period between treating trees and shrubs with Prophylaxis and harvesting is 60 days.

Storage conditions and expiration date Prophylactic

The shelf life of the insectoacaricide Profilaktin in unopened packaging is two years. Mandatory requirements for the storage location are protection from direct sunlight and low humidity. It is advisable that it be cool, but the drug does not lose effectiveness at a temperature of -20-30 °C.

The expiration date indicated on the packaging of Prophylaxis is “relevant” only for unopened bottles

Like any other agrochemicals, this drug must be kept in a place that prevents accidental access to it by children and pets. Containers are placed separately from food, feed, medicines, and household chemicals.

FAQ

On the packaging of the drug, the manufacturer gives detailed instructions for its use.However, some questions remain unanswered.

Is Profilaktin dangerous for animals?

For any warm-blooded animals, as well as for humans, Profilaktin belongs to hazard class III, that is, it is moderately dangerous. However, in order to avoid poisoning, pets must be “isolated” in advance, excluding their access to the treatment area during the spraying process and at least for a day after it.

Is it possible to treat conifers with Prophylactic?

The insectoacaricide Profilaktin cannot be used for evergreen coniferous plants. Its base – petroleum jelly – “clogs” the stomata on the needles, preventing normal air exchange. The decorative quality and endurance of the processed specimens suffer greatly. You should not experiment and use Profilaktin to treat pine needles even once.

Coniferous plants are treated with insecticides and other water-based agrochemicals

Is it possible to use Profilaktin if it’s minus temperature at night?

The lower limit at which the effectiveness of the drug remains is 4 °C. This applies to both daytime and nighttime temperatures.

What can be added to Prophylactic

The manufacturer directly warns in the instructions about the inadmissibility of “experiments” in mixing Profilaktin with other agrochemicals. Otherwise, the “structure” of the drug is disrupted, its effectiveness drops significantly or is completely eliminated. A chemical reaction is also quite likely, which an amateur gardener is not able to predict.

The manufacturer does not recommend mixing Profilaktin with other chemicals even for professional agronomists, not to mention amateur gardeners.

Conclusion

Preventive for the garden is a broad-spectrum insectoacaricide that affects not only adult pests, but also their larvae and eggs.A single application in the spring is enough to provide “cultivated” plants with protection from insect attacks for the entire season. Prophylactic is officially recognized as moderately dangerous for humans, however, when working with it, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment and follow the instructions for the drug.

Reviews of the drug Profilaktin against a complex of pests

Elizaveta Khrustaleva, Saratov
We have been spraying the entire garden with the insecticide Profilaktin at the beginning of spring for three seasons in a row. I am completely satisfied with the drug - simple and reliable. They have completely forgotten about what pests are on fruit trees and berry bushes.
Marina Guseva, Sochi
This year, all neighbors in the country were left without cherries due to a “massive” weevil invasion. I alone reaped a good harvest, thanks to the fact that in early spring I sprayed all the trees with the insecticide Profilaktin. A very convenient product - just a single treatment is enough.
Stanislav Mikhailichenko, Vladivostok
Profilaktin first treated the plantings with insecticide five years ago. I am completely satisfied with the result, now I use it every spring. I really like that the emulsion is oily and does not wash off with water. Of course, before the first use I carefully studied the instructions, I never forget about glasses, gloves, and a respirator.

Comments
  1. Please tell me, if one treatment of the garden is enough, that is, 0.5 liters of the drug, then the remaining 0.5 will no longer be effective next year?

    04/02/2023 at 02:04
    Galina
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