Some of the most effective home remedies to prevent bed bugs include the use of rubbing alcohol, baking soda, cayenne pepper, talcum powder, caulk, tea tree oil, thyme, mint, lemongrass, clove, lavender oil, and steam cleaning.
Bed Bugs
One of the most disturbing things to think about is insects crawling on your skin when you sleep, but unfortunately, that is precisely what happens to people who suffer from a bed bug infestation. Common bed bugs that feed on human blood are scientifically known as Cimex lectularius, and they prefer to live in warm places, near bedding and sleep areas, as that is where their primary source of food (humans) spend a lot of their unconscious time. Bed bugs are largely nocturnal and can reproduce very quickly. They are approximately 4-5mm in size as an adult, and can largely go unrecognized. However, their bites appear as small red bites, and can also spread into a larger rash and general redness.
Following the bites, you can usually inspect the bedding closely to find the culprits. Fortunately, bed bugs are not known to carry pathogens or be more than a minor annoyance to humans, but they are still rather gross, and can spread so quickly to other fabrics and bedding that outbreaks are common. Some people choose to use pesticides to eliminate bed bugs, but part of the reason bed bugs have seen a resurgence in recent years is because of pesticide resistance. Therefore, many people have turned to more trusted strategies (that also have less side effects for animals, small children, and the environment). Now, let’s take a closer looks at these natural and home remedies to prevent bed bugs.
Home Remedies to Prevent Bed Bugs
Steam Cleaning: One of the best way to eliminate these irritating little parasites is with extreme heat. Therefore, steam cleaning your bedding or other fabrics that may be infested with bed bugs is a great strategy to kill the critters quickly. Any temperature above 150 degrees Fahrenheit makes it impossible for them to survive, which makes steam cleaning one of the most effective and surefire ways to clear up the issue.
Lavender Oil: Through endless trial and error and generations of trying to eliminate these pesky creatures, it has been found that bed bugs absolutely despite the smell and taste of lavender oil. The same is true of all other essential oils as well, but lavender oil is the most effective. Sprinkle some on your sheets and pillows, and the bed bugs will literally run the other way.
Caulk: While this isn’t a direct treatment for the bed bugs, it is a wonderful way to prevent the bugs from ever entering (or returning) to your home. You can put extra caulk on the door frames, cabinets, and any other entry points into your home. That way, bed bugs won’t be able to find their way in in the first place!
Mint: The smell of mint leaves is also a natural insect repellent, so many people have traditionally sprinkled crushed mint leaves around their sleeping area to ward off the bugs, or they store their bedding with mint leaves stored between the sheets and blankets.
Tea Tree Oil: As one of the strongest and most potent essential oils, tea tree oil has been turned to for many home remedies. For bed bugs, this natural antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal acts quickly to eliminate the infestation. It can be sprinkled on the sheets or mix it in with your cleaning products and use it throughout the house, to prevent them from ever entering.
Rubbing Alcohol: One of the best things about alcohol is that it is a drying agent. The alcohol quickly dehydrates the bed bugs and effectively kills them, ending the infestation. However, then your sheets have been sprayed with a mist of alcohol, so they should be cleaned immediately.
Baking Soda: Similar to rubbing alcohol, baking sodahas a remarkable ability to soak up any liquids near it, acting as one of the most effective drying agents on the market. Spreading this substance on the floor near cracks in the wall, or sprinkling some on your bed, can quickly eliminate the problem.
Lemongrass: This herb works in two ways to eliminate bed bugs. Not only do they seem to hate the smell and flee from it, but lemongrass also increases the acidity levels of the bugs, which they cannot tolerate. Either way, this home remedy is highly effective and widely used.
Clove: Just like lemongrass, the high acidity of clove essential oil makes it intolerable for bed bugs, who would much rather flee from the high pH then suffer, even at the loss of a good meal. Sprinkling clove oil on your bedding and pillows should do the trick.
Cayenne Pepper: By combining ginger and cayenne pepper, you can create a solution that is extremely potent and unpleasant for bed bugs, so they will not be able to stand being in its presence. Problem solved!
Talcum Powder: Talcum powder, a particularly powerful drying agent, acts to suffocate the bed bugs right between the sheets, so an easy sprinkle should clear up your problem quickly. At that point, you can wash the sheets or steam clean them to eliminate the bodies and get your sleeping back to normal.
Thyme: This herb has a very powerful smell, particularly when burned, and is capable of clearing out an infestation of bed bugs in no time. Also, thyme can be spread or disseminated near the borders of the home or the door frames, to prevent the bed bugs from entering.
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