How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Bed Bugs and Is It Effective …

One of the most popular home remedies for insects is tea tree oil. Used to both repel and kill bugs, it is likely the first solution you will hear. But how do you use tea trea oil for bed bugs and how efficient is it anyway?

Tea tree oil is a natural extract from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant, native to Australia.

Among the qualities of tea tree oil is its use as a combination insect repellent and natural insecticide against numerous pests. The list includes mosquitoes, ants, bed bugs, and other biting or stinging insects. It has also been used to effectively kill lice and other parasites.

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The recommended method of using tea tree oil to combat bed bugs is diluting 20 drops of oil in a spray bottle and spraying the bed sheets.

This simple approach is, unfortunately, ineffective.

Finally, bed bugs tend to hide in tiny cracks within the bed frame or nearby furniture, picture frames, and even electrical outlets. Spraying these may cause staining or create the risk of electric shock without any real chance of eliminating the infestation.

In conclusion, tea tree oil for bed bugs is a partial and temporary bed bug repellent, just like rubbing alcohol is.

Once nearly eradicated in developed countries, they have become more populous than ever and have a high resistance to insecticides.

Perhaps the first questions asked after discovering an infestation is what home remedies will work.

There are numerous reasons why you might choose to handle invading bugs on your own, such as cost or avoiding dangerous chemicals.

Unfortunately, bed bugs are a special case and cannot be completely eliminated by these treatments.

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There are a wide variety of do-it-yourself treatment methods available for repelling or eliminating insects. Of these, several have been suggested for bed bugs due to their effectiveness on other species.

For example, diatomaceous soil is a nontoxic remedy used against cockroaches and other insects.

While this does not sound like an effective solution, bed bugs do not live in colonies or hives like many other insect pests. Thus, eliminating many of the females and their eggs is sometimes as simple as sucking them up.

Note that these methods will not eliminate your infestation, they will merely reduce the severity.

Another method which has some minor effect on bed bug populations is to place all of your sheets and linen into the dryer on its highest setting for at least 30 minutes. In case you remember, this is one of the EPAs recommended solutions on how to get rid of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are a serious problem which spreads quickly if undetected. These pests have become highly resistant to insecticides and can hide in very small spaces due to their tiny, flat shape.

Just in some particular cases, when the infestation is not severe.

Remember: if you are dealing with bed bugs, theres a high risk of them hitching a ride to work, a gym, or any other place you frequent to spread to other homes.

Do not rely only on home remedies to completely eliminate the problem! Discuss matters with a professional exterminator and make sure you use a mix of bed bug repellents to be sure you eliminate them completely!

Tea tree oil can be a partial and temporary effective treatment for bed bugs but only if the infestation is limited. Also, you should use undiluted tea tree oil to achieve good results.

Undiluted tea tree oil is harmful to humans. Some people (in a small percent) also develop skin allergies in contact with tea tree oil.

A common belief is that besides tea tree oil, other oils prove to be effective bed bugs repellents: lavender oil, clove, peppermint, cinnamon, or thyme oil. Their efficiency is questionable, however.

Among the most effective solutions, we can count: steaming and cleaning the house, clothing, and bedding; using high heat drying of bedding and clothing; freezing items you cannot heat; using a mix of DIY methods (including rubbing alcohol, essential oils, vinegar, etc.); get professional exterminators help; use bed bug monitoring devices to make sure you dont have an infestation anymore.

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How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Bed Bugs and Is It Effective ...