Monthly Archives: March 2017

Bed bugs arent your typical pest. Theyre not just parasites that constantly feed on our blood, giving us a god awful time when we need a good nights sleep. Theyre actually at the center of a social stigma people labeling you as dirty if you happen to have them.

Thats why we always look for ways to get rid of them. We fight the uphill battle of eradicating a growing population of these tiny blood suckers.

One way to do that is through home remedies. So before you call your local pest control, save money by trying out these home remedies for bed bugs. One of these may just be the solution that youre looking for.

Bed Bugs are parasitic insects that feed solely on blood. The most common type, and undoubtedly the most hated, is Cimex lectularius L.. This bed bug refers to suck on human blood.

You can find them in temperate climates all over the world, and theyre quite common in the US.

Bed bugs are insects that have a large abdomens and little heads. Their abdomens can expand after sucking blood. CC Image courtesy of gravyboats on Flickr

Bed bugs drastically change from birth to adulthood. They can even be mistaken for lice because of how they look. To help you spot a true bed bug in your home, the

gives us hints on how these insects can look at key parts of their life cycles:

Adult bed bugs

While young bed bugs or nymphs

And for bed bug eggs, theyre

Bed bugs are hematophagous. Meaning, their diet mainly consists of blood from other living things. And right now, a lot of species feed on us humans.

They can feed for 2-5 minutes every 5 to 10 days. And they do this mostly at night.

There are a lot of things that attract bed bugs. But theyre mostly drawn by our body heat and the carbon dioxide we produce in our breath. And once latched on to our bodies, they can pierce exposed skin and suck the blood right off it. This oftentimes leaves big and reddish swollen welts or small red bumps.

They do a peculiar bite series called breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to Terminix, these bugs feed in a series of several bites rather than a big long one. The breakfast is the first bite; the lunch is the second and so on. Thats why you often see clusters of these bites after theyre done with you.

These insects can also go on without food for a few months. They can even become dormant for a longer time, just waiting to come in contact with us. At that time, they get moisture from the air, getting water vapor that floats all around us just to survive.

Check out more info on a bed bugs diet here.

Bed bug behavior is simply based on mating, feeding and expanding their numbers. And they do these with as much stealth as possible.

According to National Pesticide Information Center, bed bugs hide during the day andcome out to feed at night. They hide in places where theres always constant contact with people. These can be beds, couches and even wheelchairs and recliners. They seek out the cracks and crevices inside these things and live there.

After feeding, theyll return to those cracks to digest the blood they ate. And when theyve fed enough, they mature and mate to produce more bed bugs.

According to Terminix, a female bed bug can lay 1 to 12 eggs every day and between 200 to 500 eggs in an entire lifetime. After a month or so, these eggs hatch, and theyll need blood right away.

As the nymphs grow, theyll experience several molting phases that slowly turn their color darker. Theyll mature, mate and eventually reach the end of their life cycles, with plenty of new nymphs produced thanks to them.

As mentioned, bed bugs are pretty stealthy. They hide in impossibly small spaces and only feed at night. But this doesnt mean that theyre impossible to find. In fact, you, yourself, can inspect your house to see youve got them. Check your furniture for a possible infestation without relying on pest control to do that for you.

Here are some tips from the United States Environmental Protection Agencythat can help you get started on your hunt:

For more info on how to know if you have bed bugs, check out this video from Howdini. You can also get more tips on dodging bed bugs here.

Not a lot can kill bed bugs. But before you tackle commercial bed bug treatments, give these home remedies a try. These are simple and common methods that you can apply on your own. Try them out before you spend a lot of money on pest control.

First, we have the remedies that put the power of nature into excellent use. These are home remedies for bed bugs that use herbs and other plants.

Bean leaves aren't just ordinary greens. You can use them to stop minor infestations.

According to Smithsonian.com, this remedy has existed for years. People from the Balkan regions of Eastern Europe have made natural traps from kidney bean leaves. They would even scatter the leaves on the floor to trap bed bugs at night.

In 1943, a study proved that the bean leaves success come from their microscopic plant hairs called trichromes. These latch on to the bed bugs limbs and entangle them.

If you want to give this treatment a try, stop sleeping in your infested bed for a while. Grab some bean leaves and lay them there for a couple of nights. Check them every morning if youve got some these insects trapped.

So, remember that

This remedy from 1800 Remedies calls for blended black walnut tea to eradicate bed bugs. It has iodine and antifungal and antibacterial properties that can work against these insects.

All you have to do is combine 1 cup of black walnut tea leaves, 1/2 cup dried eucalyptus leaves, 1/2 cup dried lavender buds, 1/2 cup dried thyme and 2 bay leaves. Put all of these inside a bag, and sprinkle them in infected areas of the house.

Ants can't stand a Cayenne pepper's spicy strong smell. That's why it's a popular repellent.

This spice is one of the most powerful home remedies for bed bugs. Just like how regular pepper repels ants, cayenne peppers long lasting odor can be very annoying for bed begs. It also has antibacterial properties that can assist other treatments in killing them.

Sprinkle powdered cayenne pepper on areas where you want the bugs out. You can also combine water and the powder in a spray bottle, and use that instead.

So, remember that

Using tea tree oil is another natural treatment you can try. Its an oil made from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia plant.

Dilute 20 drops of the oil inside a spray bottle, and direct the solution to your bed and other furniture.

A more potent version of this method is to use 100% pure tea tree oil. However, its been deemed toxic to humans as it can irritate the skin, give you a terrible burning sensation and even cause swelling.

So, remember that

No access to the herbs on our list? How about a few items already found in your house? Here are a few tricks, a few practical home remedies for bed bugsthat can do wonders to your house.

Vacuums are handy when it comes to getting rid of bed bugs.

Vacuums can help you get rid of bed bugs without making you use harmful chemicals and pesticides.This is also an effective method to remove bed bugs on the surface of your floor.

Vacuum your entire house, making sure to get around bed posts and other discrete areas.

Make sure that the suction power is as strong as possible to catch all of the bugs. You also have to go back and forth a few times in certain areas sothat none of those insects escape.

So, remember that

Seal any cracks throughout your house by using rubber caulking. This may not seem helpful, but bedbugs are very small and can easily crawl through small openings.

So, remember that

When it comes to bed bugs, having bed posts is more convenient than you think. CC Image courtesy of Aaron Weber on Flickr

Bed posts work like interceptors. Thus theyre very helpful in stopping a bed bug infestation. They create a barrier between the floor and the bed, therefore making it impossible for the bed bugs to reach the bed.

So, remember that

Anything with a high temperature will be generally effective in killing bugs. Bed bugs, in particular, die at temperatures above 113F, so use the hottest setting when washing and drying any contaminated materials. Not only does this remove any bloodstains or dead skin from the material, but it ensures that any live bed bugs are killed.

You can also use a Hot Box. Place all youre the infested items inside the hot box, and turn it up from 113 F to 122F (anything highercan cause fires).

Other methods can include using a heat gun, raising indoor temperature, using hot water, carefully ironing your bedsheets and using a portable heating device.

Speaking of heat, steam treatments and dry heat are known to be one of the most effective home remedies for bed bugs.

You can use a hand-held steamer for this method or just your washer or dryer. Simply go over your bed with the hand-held streamer to kill the bed bugs. For washers/ dryers, dry heat is a good method to treat cloth or any type of bedding. When a dryer is run for five minutes, the temperature reaches at least 130 F (depending on the heat setting of your dryer) which is higher than the required temperature to kill any living bed bugs. Anything with a high temperature will be generally effective in killing the bugs.

So, remember that

Some homeowners use bleach as an alternative to treatments like baking soda. But you dont want something that strong soaking your things. Thats when baking soda enters the picture. According to Home Remedy Hacks, baking soda sucks the moisture out of bed bugs, destroying them in the process.

Just spread baking soda in crevices and cracks in beds and other furniture to repel and kill them. You can also use a paintbrush to apply a layer of the powder.

So, remember that

They say that prevention is better than a cure. In this case, it may not be such a bad idea.

Now that you have a clear idea on manyhome remedies for bed bugs, try out this short list in keeping them away. We also have a longer and more comprehensive list here.

Bed bugs are one of the most widespread pests in the US. Although theydont carry diseases, its a cause for concern for people who have allergies and for those who just want to get a good nights sleep. Whatever the case, these home remedies for bed bugs and other practical tips are just what you need to keep your house bed bugs free.

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Home Remedies for Bed Bugs How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast