5 Home Remedies For Bed Bugs

by Daniel Lamb | July 24, 2020 | Blog

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that live off human and animal blood. They have only one mission in life and that is to eat, process their food and propagate. Because of this, they like to live as close to their human meals as possible and are typically found in bedrooms, on mattresses, in bedroom furniture, in the cracks where the carpet meets the floorboard and behind wallpaper and other wall hangings. Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and are very adept at hiding due to their flat bodies which are able to slide into the smallest of cracks.  

• Treating bed bugs on your own is complicated and your chance for success depends on several factors including the severity of your infestation, how cluttered your home is, whether or not you share walls with neighbors and if they have bed bugs and if so, whether all those living in your home will participate in vigilantly fighting them off. 

Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

Signs of a bed bug infestation include black dots or rusty-colored smears on your bedsheets or mattress. You may even find bed bugs themselves, but because they are very small and only come out at night, a bed bug sighting can be rare.   

Make sure to clean all the rooms of your home so they are free of clutter which will reduce the number of places that bed bugs can hide. Though it is important to note that bed bug infestations can occur no matter how clean your home is and are not a sign of a dirty home.

Read on to learn about the 5 best home remedies for bed bugs. None of these remedies will eliminate bed bugs completely on their own and don’t work well to kill bed bugs, but may help lessen your infestation and help your psychological well-being.

1. Vacuum

Taking a vacuum to your entire home is the first step in reducing the bed bug infestation in your home. Remove all the clutter and vacuum carefully. Make sure to take the pillows, sheets and mattress cover off your bed and throughly vacuum your mattress to get as many bugs, bed bug exoskeletons and droppings they may have left behind. Vacuum the box spring, couch and any other upholstered furniture in your home. When you are done, seal the vacuum bag and its contents before disposing of it and wash your vacuum completely. 

2. Heat Treatment

Put all of your sheets, mattress cover, bedding, blankets and clothes through hot water washes. Heat will kill bed bugs, but make sure to put all of your bedding and clothes through the dryer on a hot setting to be sure. 

Steam cleaning your apartment is another way to put the heat on those bed bugs. Make sure to clean your box spring, mattress, any upholstered furniture as well as your carpet. 

3. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a natural remedy for getting rid of bed bugs. It is a chemical-free powder that is thought to dehydrate bed bugs. Sprinkle the dust in places where insecticidal dust is ineffective, like carpeting, cracks crevices and bed frames. While diatomaceous earth is chemical-free you should still wear a face mask and gloves while applying it. It can take a few days for the treatment to work. 

4. Essential Oils

Another potential treatment for the reduction of bed bugs in your home is to apply a few different essential oils to your mattress and bedding. Tea tree oil is thought to have anti-parasitic properties but the undiluted version can be very irritating to humans. Diluted tea tree in a bottle with water to spray around your bed or in a carrier oil to put on yourself to protect from bed bug bites. Other oils that might offer possible relief are lavender, peppermint, thyme and oregano oils. Essential oils are unproven in killing bed bugs but may lessen the amount of bites you get and will certainly make your home smell nice.

5. Call A Pest Control Specialist

Taking control of a bed bug problem is tricky and complex. It can take weeks to months of attentive care and vigilant cleaning to properly eliminate bed bugs, and even then they can hide in your furniture and walls for up to a year without a blood meal. The most effective way to completely remove and eliminate bed bugs from your home is to call a pest control professional to set up a comprehensive treatment. Call Pest Control Experts to set up an initial visit today.