Daily Archives: June 11, 2020

If you are one of the thousands of people who are unlucky enough to have to deal with an outbreak of bed bugs, dont be in despair. Although it may be difficult to eliminate bed bugs completely, it is not impossible. In fact, before reaching for strong chemical pesticides, try some home remedies to get rid of bed bugs.

In this article, we will explore:

Extermination of bed bugs requires comprehensive controls. Before starting the treatments, you need to prepare the area to make sure bed bugs dont have many places to hide.

Contrary to popular beliefs, bed bugs do not just hide in your bed, but also anywhere near your bed, including your clothes, cardboard boxes and cracks in the wall. If you have a lot of clutter in your home, it just means more places for bed bugs to hide. That means you will have a harder time locating the pests and killing them. Therefore, start by throwing all your dirty clothes in the laundry, taking out all clutter from beneath the bed and, if possible, patching up cracks in the walls and floors.

Throw your dirty clothes, bedding, mattress, pillowcases, stuffed toys and any other things that can be washed in hot water into the washer. Make the water very hot; bed bugs cannot survive in hot temperatures, and the water will also drown them. Colored fabrics that cannot be washed in hot temperatures should be tumble-dried on hot settings.

There are a lot of clothes and stuff that cannot be washed in hot temperatures. For those, you can use a steam cleaner. A steam cleaner on high heat is quite effective in getting rid of bed bugs as neither the biting insects nor their eggs can stand temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The great thing about steam cleaners is that the steam comes out with some pressure, allowing it to penetrate deep into the bedding, sofa cushions, and cracks and crevices. Make sure that you use dry steam rather than wet steam as the moisture may ruin the fabric and wooden surfaces.

Vacuuming, in and around the infested area, is extremely important. Take your vacuum cleaner up to your mattress and vacuum it to suck out the bed bugs and their eggs from their hiding places. Vacuum under and around the bed, on the walls, particularly the place where the wall meets the floor, over cracks and crevices, in your closet and on all upholstered surfaces. If your room has a carpet, vacuum it thoroughly as well, as bed bugs often lay their eggs on the edges. Once you are done vacuuming, through away the vacuum bag away from your home, as it may contain live bugs or their eggs.

Encase your mattress, pillows, box springs and comforters in tight encasements made of tough fabric, which do not allow bed bugs to get to your skin. Sealing up your bedding means any bed bugs left inside will not be able to get out and gain access to you. This means that they will eventually starve to death. Depending on the temperature, bed bugs can go without a bloodmeal for 20 to 400 days, so keep your bedding encased for at least a year.

A lot of bed bugs often make their homes in your bed. Therefore, move your bed away from the walls, bed stand, or other furniture that your bed may be touching so that the pests do not crawl onto them and start spreading. Do not let your blankets dangle on to the floor; otherwise, bed bugs will be able to climb up and down from it. For added protection, place bed bug interceptors underneath each foot of the bed so that they trap any bug trying to make its way into or out of the bed.

Before you start looking for a professional exterminator, here are a few natural bed bug home remedies that you should consider first.

The fossilized remains of microalgae, diatomaceous earth is proven to kill 90% of a bed bug infestation. The great thing about it is that it is chemical free. The substance is an abrasive potent desiccant and kills bed bugs by splitting their exoskeleton and dehydrating them from the inside.

To use, apply 100% diatomaceous earth on areas where you suspect bed bug activities. If you have pets and small children, opt for food-grade diatomaceous earth. Although the substance may take over a week to kill bed bugs, it has quite a hard mortality rate. Since its marketed as a fine powder, you can inject it inside cracks and crevices as well that are not easy to get into.

Even though food-grade diatomaceous earth is non-toxic and can even be eaten theoretically, we advise you not to do so. Do not inhale it, as it is extremely drying and is composed of tiny crystals that can damage your lungs.

After a few weeks, vacuum up the powder, reapply it and repeat for a few weeks until all the bed bugs are gone.

Like diatomaceous earth, silica gel is also made of silicon and is a dehydrating agent. However, it is not abrasive but has an amorphous and porous form. You may have noticed tiny packets marked as desiccant inside shoe boxes and some food products that contain silica gel. To use them to treat bed bugs, grind the silica gel beads into a fine powder and spread them around areas which have bed bugs. However, like diatomaceous earth, you need to be careful, as inhalation of silica gel can be harmful.

Soda bicarbonate is used to rise or cakes at home, but it also has another great use: eradicating bed bugs. Baking soda works by sucking out the moisture and oil shield from the insects chitin and ultimately killing the bed bugs. Sprinkle a light layer of baking soda in affected areas. After one week has passed, vacuum the area and re-sprinkle it. It may take you weeks to eliminate bed bugs with baking soda, and you will need large quantities of it as the remedy will need to be repeated, so the cost may be slightly prohibitive. Still, it is a very safe and fairly effective way to get rid of these pests.

A salt of boric acid, this substance is a very effective cleaner due to its antibacterial properties. Borax is also used to clean out eyes as well as get rid of bed bugs. The substance works by destroying the bed bugs digestive system after they eat it. However, since bed bugs prefer bloodmeal over any other type of food, it is almost impossible for them to eat it. However, it can be used as a deterrent. Apply a liberal amount of Borax on the seams and the bed of the legs. You can also dissolve it in water and spray the solution on these places. Even if it doesnt kill the bed bugs, it will prevent them from going where the powder is.

Similar to bed bug interceptors, double-sided tapes can trap bed bugs making their way to and from the bed. Apply the tapes around or beneath the legs of your bed and other furniture so that any crawling insect ends up getting stuck on the adhesive. Keep your sheet, blankets, and bedding from touching the ground as a few bed bugs may crawl over to reach your bedding.

Another popular bed bug home remedy option is to use rubbing alcohol. Pour some alcohol into a spray bottle and spray it all around the affected area. Rubbing alcohol is a solvent and can dissolve the protective layer of chitin on bed bug shells, effectively drying them out on contact.

There are several home remedies for bed bugs with vinegar. Vinegar is a strong-smelling acid and can be used to kill and repel bed bugs. It is also used in cooking, so most of us usually have a bottle of it in our home, make it one of the most convenient bed bug killing home remedy. Vinegar kills these pests by damaging their nervous system; however, it cannot destroy the eggs.

To treat bed bugs with vinegar, saturate the edges of your bedding and furniture with the distilled white vinegar and spray directly on bed bugs. That way, if the pests try to flee, they will be met with a parameter of vinegar, which wont let them cross.

Tea tree oil is a potent antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and antiviral essential oil. Tea tree oil not just prevents and treats pathogen-related infections but is also a great remedy for destroying small infestations of bed bugs and preventing re-infestation. It also works as a wonderful cleaning agent and helps in masking human smells that attract bed bugs. It is also quite inexpensive.

To eliminate a minor outbreak, dilute about 20 drops of pure tea tree oil into 200ml of water and spray onto places where you have observed bed bug activity, including your bedding, sofas, furniture, curtains, and cabinets. The oil works by suffocating the bed bugs. In its undiluted form, it is naturally more effective; however, it may then not be safe to use around pets and children as it is quite potent.

You can use a blend of cayenne pepper, ginger, and oregano to create a bed bug fighting spray right at home. The hot spiciness of the ginger and pepper, as well as the potent smell of oregano oil, are an effective repellant against bed bugs.

To make it, take one part cayenne pepper, one part ginger, one part oregano essential oil and one part water and bring the mixture to boil for about 7 minutes. Strain the solution, put it in a spray bottle and spritz it around areas with bug activities. You may need to repeat the process a few times until all bed bugs are gone.

The oils in peppermint leaves serve as an effective bed bug repellant. Crush a cup of dry mint leaves and then sprinkle the shreds into corners where bed bugs have been seen. If the infestation is wide-spread, you may need more than one cup. You may have to repeat the process. To do that, simply vacuum up the old peppermint leaves and replace them with new ones, until all the bed bugs have disappeared.

Using lavender oil is one of the best home remedies for bed bug sprays. Although lavender instills calmness and relaxation, it is also a great way to repel and kill bed bugs. In fact, lavender oil has been reported to be sued for centuries to protect clothes and linens from insects like moths and silverfish.

Black walnut tea is a natural bed bug home remedy. Like tea tree oil, it has antifungal, antibacterial and insecticidal properties. It is also a great herbal tree. All you need to do is to take used black walnut tea bags and place them in affected areas, in cracks and crevices, mattresses, beddings and furniture, to get rid of the insects and their eggs.

You can also sprinkle the dried tea leaves in infested areas rather than use tea bags. Alternatively, you can make a herbal sachet by mixing three parts black walnut tea, 3 parts thyme, 2 parts sweet flag, 1 part lavender, and 1 part mint. The aroma of the mixture will help in repelling bed bugs.

This tall plant grows on the edges of rivers, lake, marshes, and wetlands. You can also find a herbal mixture in packets from the market. This herb has microbial properties and an aroma, combined which can be effective repealing bed bugs and other insects. You can make a solution of the sweet flag and spray it on affected area as a natural remedy for bed bugs.

This is a traditional Balkan method to trap insects. Take some bean leaves and spread them on the surfaces where there is bed bug activity. The leaves have microscopic hooked hair which can entangle bed bug legs and impale them. Create a barrier with these bean leaves; bed bugs will either be repelled or those foolish enough to walk into the trap, will be killed.

The leaves of the Indian lilac have a repelling effect like other plant-based remedies. Crush the leaves and spread them around the affected area. Alternatively, you can boil the leaves and put the strained solution in your bath water to prevent bed bugs from snacking on you. You can also spray Indian lilac oil around your bedding and furniture to get rid of bed bugs.

Burning thyme near the infested areas can help get rid of bed bugs, though it may take a few days. Thyme has insecticidal properties and can be used in a variety of ways to fight off bed bugs. You can also take fresh thyme leaves and place them around your bed and furniture in net bags to keep away insects. Replace with fresh thyme every three days.

Lemongrass essential oil actually kills bed bugs rather than just repelling them. The high acidity in lemongrass can kill the bed bugs and their eggs and also serve as a repellant. It doubles as a room freshener because of its tangy, citrusy smell.

Beauveria Bassiana is a parasitic fungus which likes to feed on insects like bed bugs. When the microscopic seeds come in contact with insects bodies, they penetrate the cuticle and grow inside the shell. The insect soon becomes immobile, unable to feed and infertile. It also dies within three to five days.

A derivative of the brightly-colored chrysanthemum flower, this substance produces refined pyrethrins, a natural insect killer that throws bed bugs nervous system into overdrive, paralyzes them and kills them. This substance is extremely effective against bed bugs; however, some strains have developed resistant to pyrethrins. To circumvent this issue, it is suggested that pyrethrums and pyrethrins be used in conjunction with other natural products like silica gel and diatomaceous earth, which enhances effectiveness.

Although bed bugs are not known to spread any fatal diseases, their bites can be very irritating and may lead to secondary infections. If you have itchy and red bites on your body, wash the area with soap and water and use the following home remedies:

Applying an ice pack to a bed bug bite can help relieve swelling and itchiness. Apply some ice cubes wrapped in a thin towel to the bite for 10 minutes. You can reapply the ice pack throughout the day.

Since baking soda is alkaline, it can help neutralize the acid in bed bug bites. Make a thick paste of baking soda by adding water to it and apply on the affected area to reduce swelling and pain.

Cinnamon has analgesic, antibacterial and inflammatory properties that make it a great natural remedy for bed bug bites. Ground the spice with some water and apply it to the bite; this will seal the area, preventing infection and healing the inflammation. Repeat throughout the day.

Using calamine lotion is one of the best home remedies for bed bug bites. The lotion has a cooling effect on the bite, acts as a skin protector, reduces inflammation and alleviates pain. The main active ingredient is zinc oxide which is used to treat several types of rashes, including mosquito bites and chicken pox.

Raw apple cider vinegar is a potent antimicrobial, which you can apply to bed bug bites. This will prevent infection, get rid of redness and pain and promote healing.

Toothpaste contains menthol which is an astringent and cooling agent. Placing some toothpaste on bed bug bites can almost instantaneously relive you of itchiness and bring down redness and swelling. In fact, it is used to soothe burns in Asian countries.

Witch hazel also has anti-inflammatory and astringent properties which can soothe irritated skin caused by bed bug bites. It is also believed to treat varicose veins without surgery.

If your bites turn into blisters, feel tender, ooze discharge or exhibit symptoms of an allergic reaction, you should see a dermatologist for treatment.

Aloe vera gel has medicinal soothing and antiseptic properties that make it one of the best natural home remedies for bed bug bites. Take an aloe vera leaf, remove the spines on its side and split it down length-wise to take the top and bottom layer apart. Scoop out the aloe vera gel and place it on the bite.

A: Bed bug bites are red and inflamed in the form of welts. You may see a darker spot in the middle from where the bed bug has fed. The welts are usually in a straight or zigzag line, often on the parts of the body which makes contact with the bed.

A: Severe allergic reactions, like anaphylactic shock, from bed bug bites are extremely rare, although people who have been bitten by the bug often report of hives, itchy welts and itchy bumps which may increase risks of infection when scratched. These welts may persist for weeks, but this is quite common.

A: Yes, they all work, though some may perform better than the others. Some bed bugs home remedies are effective in killing these insects while others just repel them. The effectiveness of home remedies also depends on the size of the infestation.

A: Although all bed bug home remedies are fairly effective, they work best when combined with each other. For example, you can sprinkle diatomaceous earth or Borax on affected areas to kill biting adults. You can soak yourself in an Indian lilac bath to prevent the remaining bugs from biting you. To prevent re-infestation, you can place thyme, sweet flag and black walnut tea sachets around your bed and cracks and crevices.

A: One of the best home remedies to get rid of bed bugs is to use heat, either by laundering fabric in hot water or using a steamer or blow-dryer. You can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth or silica gel on the mattress that can dry out the eggs. You can then vacuum them up and throw the vacuum bag away from the house.

A: Unfortunately, no. Bed bugs are very resilient and can come back any time they sense your sleeping place is not well-protected. To be on the safe side, repeat the application of home remedies every few weeks. Also keep your furniture, bed, floors, and walls well-vacuumed and place natural repellants in these areas to keep these pests away.

Visit link:
19 Best Home Remedies For Getting Rid of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are parasites that belong to the cimicid family. They are small, oval, brownish insects that feed exclusively on blood. While there are quite a few parasites of the cimicid family that feeds on animal blood, the cimex lectularius, the common bedbug, is the famous one as it prefers feeding on human blood. While an adult bed bug has a flat body, and looks pretty much like an apple seed, after feeding, its body swells and also turns a reddish color. Bed bugs usually feed on their hosts quite unnoticed.

Though bed bugs are believed to be more active during the night, they are not nocturnal creatures. A female bedbug can lay hundreds of eggs in its lifetime. These eggs are usually the size of a speck of dust and can be brought into your house along with adults, via luggage, used furniture, used beds, clothing, etc. Bed bugs cannot fly. However, they can move quite quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings.

While some adverse health conditions may be caused as a result of bed bug bites, like skin rashes, allergic symptoms, and even psychological problems, bed bugs are unknown to transmit any disease pathogens.

One of the most evident signs of bed bug infestation is finding itchy areas on your body when you wake up after a sleep. These itchy areas may also present as small red bumps. Small blood stains on your sheets or pillow cases, bed bug excrement on the bed and bed linen or walls, egg shells or shed skins in areas where bed bugs usually hide, and sometimes even a musty odor from the bugs scent glands are some other giveaways to a bed bug infestation.

Since bed bugs have flattened bodies, it makes it easy for them to hide in the tiniest of spaces, like mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards. Though bed bugs do not have nests, they tend to live in groups. Over time, they tend to scatter through the bedroom, moving into any crevice or protected location, and even to adjoining rooms.

If you suspect that you may have a bed bug infestation, remove all bedding and dust covers and blankets, box springs etc. and check it carefully for signs of the bugs or their excrement. You must also check the area around the bed, including inside books, telephones, radios, carpet edges, and even electrical outlets.

Once you have identified a bed bug infestation in your house, it is understandable that you want to jump right in and eliminate them. But this will be a long, drawn-out battle, and there is nothing like patience and preparation to win it.

Getting rid of bedbugs begins with cleaning up the places where bedbugs live. Now, this is not an easy task as it includes washing and drying bedding, linens, curtains, clothing, etc. in hot water and then meticulously checking that it is indeed bed-bug free. The cleaning up process also calls for some heavy-duty vacuuming. The entire house, furniture, linens, furnishings etc. need to be regularly vacuumed. After each vacuuming session, ensure you remove the vacuum cleaner bag into another plastic bag and place it in the garbage bin outside the house.

Another way to get rid of these bugs is to freeze them. Although bed bugs can live for up to a year in a cool room, they cannot withstand freezing temperatures. Freezing infested items for at least two hours at -17C should kill them off.

Like cold, steam too can help get rid of bed bugs. Steam can penetrate mattress linings, crevices and cracks effectively and efficiently. Steam cleaning infested items and rooms at about 140F (60C) can destroy bugs as well as their eggs without damaging the surroundings.

You can also try out some natural insecticides to get rid of the bed bugs and their eggs. In this regard, plant essential oils have gained importance as a significant natural source of pesticides. They represent a market estimated at $700 million. The total production of essential oils in the world is estimated to be around 45000 tons. Most essential oils affect the inner cell membranes of insects, causing cytotoxic effects. It is this property that proves beneficial when tackling any kind of bug or insect infestation. And while the essential oils are toxic to the bugs, they are safe for humans. Here we look at some essential oil based natural insecticides as well as some other less harmful repellents to help get rid of bed bugs.

Studies show that tea tree oil is an effective insecticidal. The essential oil of tea tree effectively disrupts the permeability barrier of cell membrane structures, thus resulting in the loss of chemiosmotic control and fatality. It is this membrane-damaging property of tea tree oil that makes it an effective natural insecticide in fighting bed bugs. You can use the homemade spray in hard-to-reach places, like cracks, crevices, and furniture joints.

To Use: To make a natural insecticide with tea tree oil, mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil with 50 ml of water. Pour it into a spray bottle and shake well. Spray liberal amounts of the natural insecticide in all areas where you think bed bugs are living. Use this application daily until all the signs of bed bugs have disappeared. Remember to shake well before each application.

Like tea tree oil, lavender essential oil can also be used as an effective natural insecticide to kill bed bugs. Lavender oil is also believed to destroy bed bug eggs as well. It is also said that it is the smell of lavender that kills the bugs. However, the oil probably acts as a cytotoxin and thus kills the bed bugs.

To Use: To make a spray, mix 1015 drops of lavender oil with 50 ml water. Shake well, pour into a spray bottle and use in areas where the infestation is seen. You can also use lavender soap or powder as a spray. Another method is to place fresh lavender leaves or flowers in and around the infested areas to get rid of the bed bugs.

A combination of lavender oil and peppermint oil was also found to be highly beneficial in exterminating bed bugs.

To Use: Add 1015 drops of lavender essential oil and 1015 drops of peppermint oil into a spray bottle. Fill it with water. Then shake well and spray in affected areas.

Citronella, or lemongrass as it is more commonly known, is another essential oil that can repel and kill bed bugs as well as its eggs. Citronella oil is believed to increase the acidic condition within the bugs, thus effectively eliminating it. Like lavender, the smell of citronella is also believed to help get rid of bed bugs.

To Use: Add 10 drops of citronella oil to a small bowl of water. Pour it into a spray bottle, shake thoroughly, and spray in affected areas to get best results.

The evergreen, mighty trees of the eucalyptus can be seen in most places across the world. The essential oil found in its foliage is widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, etc. It is also used extensively as an insect repellent. Eucalyptus is believed to exhibit ovicidal activity, as well as insect repellency against bacteria, fungi, insects, weeds, nematodes, and mites.

To Use: To make the spray, take two ounces of water, 1.5 ounces of witch hazel or vodka and 30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Pour all this into a spray bottle and shake well to mix it. Then spray the solution on the affected areas. Repeat the spraying every two hours of so.

Orange oil contains d-limonene which is classified as an insecticide. This is a nerve toxin which kills the bugs and insects within minutes of contact.

To Use: Make a spray solution by mixing 1 cup of compost tea, 1 ounce of blackstrap molasses and 2 ounces of orange essential oil in 4 liters of water. Mix all this together well and spray in the affected areas.

For generations, neem oil has been used for various medicinal and insecticidal properties. The tree, the leaf, the seeds are all used for medicinal purposes with beneficial results. Studies show that neem oil, especially cold pressed neem oil, has high toxicity, and antifeedancy and can repel a number of pests. It was also shown to have high larval growth inhibition properties.

To Use: To make a spray solution, add 1 ounce of concentrated neem essential oil to 4 ounces of water. Add teaspoon of soap in order to emulsify the solution. Mix it well. Then spray and wipe down beds, sheets, walls, crevices and all other potential bed bug hiding places. Do this three times a day for the first three days. Then shift to treating your home every alternate day for a total of 18 days.

Sweet flag or acorus calamus, is an uncommon, semi-aquatic, perennial plant found in Eurasia and the Americas. Valued for its rhizome and fragrant oils, this plant has been used medicinally as well as for its insecticidal properties, since time immemorial. Recent studies have also revealed that the sweet plant possesses antifungal and antibacterial properties. The antimicrobial property makes the sweet flag effective against bed bugs.

To Use: To make a spray, boil 100 grams of sweet flag and 50 grams of turmeric powder in one liter of water. Boil this for an hour. Then keep the solution in a closed container for 24 hours. The next day, filter and dilute the solution in 10 times the water. Transfer to a spray bottle and spray lavishly in affected areas and its surroundings.

Did you just think folk lore when you read the word kidney beans? Well, push that thought aside. Studies have shown that the leaves have microscopic hairs called trichomes on its surface that entangle the bugs onto it, literally stopping them in their tracks. Unlike a Velcro effect, the trichomes actually get hooked onto bugs legs, trapping them.

To Use: Scatter kidney bean leaves all over the house, especially in infested areas. You can also place the leaves under mattresses. You can either wait for a couple of days before getting rid of these leaves or opt to use fresh leaves every day for a few days. Since the bugs are stuck on the leaves, getting rid of the leaves will ensure the bugs never return.

Thyme oil or thymol concentrate are effective bed bug repellents. They are also shown to be effective deterrents for egg laying by mites.

To Use: You can tie a thyme stick with a cotton cloth and burn it near the infested area, or in the infested room. Alternatively, place thyme leaves in net bags and place them in and around the infested areas. Remember to replace these bags with fresh leaves every third day. Continue the process for up to a month to ensure all bed bugs have been killed.

Like most other essential oils, clove oil too possesses insecticidal and insect repellent properties. It is believed that the acidic pH of cloves, as well as its pungent smell, disturbs the survival of the bugs, thus destroying them.

To Use: Mix 1 teaspoon clove essential oil with 1 cup water. Pour into a spray bottle, shake well, and spray in affected areas.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a non-toxic insecticide that is used for the protection of stored products and to control pests in the home and garden. It is a natural product that harms neither the earth nor people. It can be conveniently used in any space, even crevices on walls and other inaccessible regions. DE comes as a fine crystalline powder. Fine for the human eye, but the crystals trap and tear up the bed bugs.

To Use: Spray or sprinkle food grade DE on the bed, the floor, the crevices, and other areas where bugs are likely to hide. Let it stay for up to three days. After three days, vacuum or broom up the entire house. Some other products that work effectively against bed bugs are baking powder and boric powder. While boric powder is toxic, baking powder is harmless for humans.

Also, remember that most essential oils should be effective in getting rid of bed bugs. This is because, as mentioned, the oils function as cytotoxins, destroying the membranes of the bugs. So, go ahead, get started on ridding your home and hearth of those pesky blood suckers.

Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.

Read the rest here:
11 Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Naturally