Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells.
Carvacrol, derived from oregano and thyme; thymol (thyme); citronellic acid (lemongrass); and eugenol (clove) were most effective. When tested as fumigants, thymol, carvacrol, linalool (common in basil) and camphor (camphor tree) were most effective. Four of the compounds did not kill bed bugs over a 24-hour period.
Essential Oils May Work Better as a Bed Bug Repellent
Some also recommend spraying the perimeter of your bed, headboards and footboards, and legs of the bed. Others have tried spraying essential oil solutions on fabric and wrapping the fabric around the legs of the bed, so bed bugs are deterred from climbing up.
Some popular options include tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lavender oil, which you can also put around your home as bed bugs hate these scents, especially when applied directly to the skin.
Lavender oil is used to address many pest problems, and bed bugs don't like them either. You can use it as a deterrent by spritzing it on your mattress. And if you find a bed bug or eggs, a direct spray will kill them. However, it is not a thorough treatment.
Get a mattress and box spring cover
An effective way to keep bedbugs that are hiding inside your bed from biting you is to invest in a good-quality covering for your mattress and box spring. The best option is to use a cover with a good seal that zips around your mattress and box spring.
Essential oils are used by homeowners around the world to fight bedbugs. Cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, thyme oil, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil. These are said to be effective when mixed with an atomizer and used in a spray bottle to repel bed bugs.
Lavender or peppermint oil spray
Just like in the case of tea tree oil, lavender oil can be used to spray on possible hiding places of bed bugs. You don't even have to worry about any side effects because lavender essential oil is safe for you and your pets even.
Apart from a variety of health benefits, these natural oils are more than potent enough to deliver a death blow on bed bugs. Tea tree oil has been long used as a powerful insecticide and repellent. As a contact insecticide, the oil penetrates into the exoskeleton of the bed bug and suffocates it.
When used on bed bugs, peppermint oil can kill and repel the said insects. Its strong scent because of its high menthol content effectively repels bed bugs. When applied directly, a burning sensation on human skin is equivalent to a painful death on bed bugs.
Peppermint. Peppermint essential oil might just be the holy grail of natural pest repellents to leave around your home's entry points, as it can help keep away ticks, spiders, roaches, moths, flies, fleas, beetles, and ants. Use sachets of this oil near your doors and windows or try making a diffuser or spray.
Steam Clean Often
The heat of the steam can kill bed bugs and their eggs. Take your steamer and slowly spray each room with it. Pay extra attention to the baseboards, closet shelves, window trim, and even the carpet. Make sure the steamer is set to at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and use a low setting for the airflow.
Lemongrass is an effective home remedy used for keeping bed bugs at bay. The compounds in lemongrass will not only repel bed bugs, but also kills them off by increasing the acidic condition inside the insects. Spray lemongrass in affected areas until your bed bug problem is no more.
Bed bugs don't like lavender and other essential oils because they're toxic. Lavender contains compounds that can kill bed bugs and their eggs. Lavender has a pleasant scent that comes from the essential oils in the plant's leaves, but the bugs hate it.
DIY treatments include high heat, bleach, alcohol, and diatomaceous earth. Rubbing alcohol, salt, baking soda, and boric acid are not effective. Certain essential oils repel bed bugs but won't kill them. Diatomaceous earth is an effective passive method of bed bug treatment.
Insects absolutely hate the aroma lemon juice gives off and its astringent properties are harmful to most types of bed bugs. Create a mixture of a small concentration of lemon juice and water and spray it in multiple locations in your home.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins.
You can kill bed bugs with it one at a time but it is not capable of repeling the pests out of your property. Besides, overdoing the vinegar spray option will mean soaking your entire bedroom with the liquid's pungent corrosive smell. You can however, use vinegar as a supplement to other bed bug treatment solutions.
Eucalyptus has a strong scent that impedes many insects' sense of smell which makes it difficult for them to locate their target and drives them away from the area. This is especially helpful when it comes to mosquitoes as eucalyptus has similar effects as citronella which also deters mosquitoes.
Apply TerraShield® Repellent Blend to the skin before spending time outdoors. Diffuse Cedarwood and Lemongrass indoors or outdoors to keep bugs away. Dilute Clove with a carrier oil and apply generously to the skin when outdoors.
There are some natural scents that don't smell bad to humans, like lavender and lemon, that can keep bed bugs from exploring your luggage and clothing.