The best natural bed bug killers:
Effectively repellent essential oils include cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, thyme oil, tea tree oil, and, finally, eucalyptus oil. In my experience, all or any of these oils have laid claim to both killing as well as repelling bed bugs.
1. Tea Tree Oil. Tea tree oil gives off a sharp, medicinal scent that bed bugs can't stand, and science backs that up. A study testing tea tree oil against common flies showed that a 5% concentration could kill houseflies with 100% effectiveness in just 12 hours, and had strong repellent effects for at least 24 hours.
Permethrin is an insecticide which kills insects nearly instantly and lasts for up to a month on surfaces. This means you can spray it on the seams of your mattress and the frame, your furniture, carpet, baseboards, and even your luggage and clothes to stop an outbreak and prevent picking up bed bugs from traveling.
Natural oils like peppermint, tea tree, citronella, and lavender may help deter bed bugs when applied to the skin. Over-the-counter repellents containing ingredients such as DEET or picaridin can also provide some protection.
Key takeaways:
Cleaning your bedding, vacuuming, and protecting your mattress with a cover are important steps to take to prevent bedbug bites. If you're not able to avoid bites or have trouble controlling bedbugs, it may be time to hire a qualified pest control professional.
No scientific evidence suggests that VapoRub (Vicks VapoRub) can keep bed bugs away. While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim. Simple home remedies like VapoRub are unlikely to control an infestation effectively.
Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Heat can also be used to kill bed bugs and their eggs in furniture and carpeting. The most common method of killing bed bugs with heat is by using a steamer.
Their flat shape enables them to readily hide in cracks and crevices. Bed bugs cannot fly. Bed bugs hide during the day in dark, protected sites. They seem to prefer fabric, wood, and paper surfaces.
Many people cannot feel bed bugs crawling due to their quiet, swift movement and small size. Skin sensitivity varies; some individuals might notice a slight tickling or itching, while others may feel nothing. Bed bugs are nocturnal, often hiding during the day, making detection by crawling sensation less likely.
Bed bugs are averse to slick surfaces like glass, plastic, and polished metals and stone.
Simply mix a few drops of your chosen essential oil with water in a spray bottle and lightly mist your bedroom before bedtime. This method allows for a quick reset of your sleep environment without the need for additional equipment.
Do essential oils repel bed bugs? Yes. Peppermint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus may repel for a short time, but the effect fades and won't give long-term control.
Here is an anti-bedbug formula based on clove essential oil:
A handy guideline for blending essential oils is the 30-50-20 rule. This means your blend will consist of 30% top notes, 50% middle notes, and 20% base notes. For a soothing 10-drop blend, you might use 3 drops of lavender (top note), 5 drops of chamomile (middle note), and 2 drops of sandalwood (base note).
Bed bugs can reproduce rapidly. Females will lay one to five eggs per day, and one female can lay between 200-300 eggs over her lifetime. The eggs are white, about 1/32-inch long, and are covered with sticky glue that keeps them attached to the surface where they are laid.
Do not squish a bed bug as it will release the blood and any pathogens it may be carrying. Resist the urge to scratch the bites. your agency's policy in regards to whether a doctor's order is required.)
➡️ Bed bugs mainly hide in mattresses, bed bases, cracks, skirting boards and furniture near the bed. ➡️ To find a nest, inspect bedding, furniture and dark corners with a torch and magnifying glass, ideally at night when they are active.
Because bed bugs are attracted to warmth where they're most likely to find their food source, using various methods to heat the suspected infected areas could be helpful. Try heating your bed (or any infected area) with a steamer, blow dryer, or heater to bring bugs out of hiding.
Low toxicity contact sprays like SteriFab™ or Bedlam® are likely to kill bed bugs only on contact. Alcohol- and soap-based sprays, are only partly effective. All of these products, once dry, are likely to provide no further control.
However, they become active at night, between midnight and 5:00 am. It is during this time, when the human host is typically in their deepest sleep, that bed bugs like to feed. Bed bugs are known to travel many yards to reach their human host.
Households had their own methods of controlling bedbugs. Wicker traps were in common use. They were placed behind the headboard and tempted bedbugs with what seemed to be a perfect hiding place. Each morning, the trap would be emptied into boiling water, killing adult bedbugs and nymphs.
No, bed bugs do not stay on your skin after a shower. They do not cling to skin or live on humans like other parasites. Bed bugs feed on your blood and then retreat to hiding spots in furniture, cracks, or seams.
Bite Symptoms
Exhaled carbon dioxide, body heat and other chemical cues attract bed bugs to their hosts. Bed bugs inject saliva containing an anticoagulant and an anesthetic when they bite, and this causes the bite area to become irritated. Bed bugs feed mainly on exposed skin of the face, neck and arms.