Do you suffer from bed bugs? We will talk about bed bug home treatment, mention the disadvantages if present and the bed bug home treatment effectiveness.
Instead of very high-cost remedies and having appointments with insect experts who will use very toxic chemicals, we will give you a solution to utilize things you’ve already got in the house or purchase something which should be relatively inexpensive. So you can choose the best bed bug home treatment and then say goodbye to bed bugs.
Types of bed bug home treatment
1.Vacuum
It's the first step of bed bug home treatment. Before using any remedies below, you should remove clutter and vacuum the entire house completely to make sure that you remove bed bugs and their eggs.
You should vacuum upholstered furniture, mattresses, curtains, boxes, shelves, and carpets very well.
To increase the effectiveness of vacuuming:
-You can use the hose to reach the obscure nooks and crannies where bed bugs like to live.
- You should vacuum every few days at least
- You should begin from an elevated surface and go downward slowly.
- Fans, computers, and even your laptop must be checked for signs of infection.
On finishing the vacuuming, you must discard the vacuum bag outside as far as you can.
2. Use Extreme Heat or Extreme Cold:
1-Heat treatment:
If bed bugs made a home in bedding, clothes, and blanket, you can wash them in the washing machine with the hottest water setting possible (above 140° Fahrenheit).
You can give an additional dose of heat by placing clothes and linens in the dryer. If you don't have a washing machine, you can put things in black plastic bags in a hot, closed car in the sun, but this depends on the hot climate to success
Effectiveness:
It's effective bed bug home treatment as it causes dehydration to these creatures and leaves no residue.
Disadvantage:
This method may allow bed bugs to hide in isolated areas such as the walls or deep inside a piece of furniture where heat can't travel. In addition, effective heat treatment requires expensive equipment
2-Cold treatment:
You can freeze non-washable things by putting them in plastic bags in the freezer (0o F) for 24 hours at least and then remove them and shake them out to get rid of dead bed bugs and eggs. You should always check the temperature with the thermometer.
3- Steam clean
It's used for large things like beds or furniture. It's a good option for killing bugs at places that can't be reached by vacuum. So it's good bed bug home treatment.
Adjust steam cleaner to a high degree of temperature (above 140° Fahrenheit).
You should give more attention to nooks and crannies where bed bugs love to hide.
The steam cleaner’s instructions:
-Don't use forceful airflow, or it may cause scattering of bed bugs.
-You can use a diffuser to prevent bed bugs.
Disadvantage:
To kill bed bugs, steam must be in direct contact with bugs So it may cause bed bugs to escape if you miss the place.
3. Diatomaceous Earth:
It's natural sand that is used for killing bed bugs by shredding them to pieces because it is rough and sharp to bed bugs which have weak exoskeletons.
Advantage:
It's the most effective natural bed bug home treatment as it kills more than 90% of bed bugs. It's cheap and not complicated to use as it can be sprinkled into affected areas for a few days at least for (24-48) hours.
After dying of bed bugs, you can vacuum away
To more efficacy repeat the process several time.
Disadvantage:
-Slow as it requires several days to work
-If you buy diatomaceous earth which is not a registered pesticide product, it may hurt you while breathing it.
-If you buy food-grade D.E, it may be not effective as it doesn't contain enough arsenic.
4. Borax:
It considers natural household cleaning which is used for killing bed bugs by suffocation.
It's used by sprinkling a generous amount of borax into an infected area or mattress for at least 24 hours.
You can add borax to your clothes in the washing.
Advantage:
It is a quick and easy method to treat bedbugs.
5. Rubbing Alcohol:
Alcohol is a strong bed bug home treatment because it kills almost anything and also kills bed bugs and their larvae and eggs.
You can kill bed bugs on contact with using 90%alcohol dilution.
You can put it in a spray bottle and spray hiding places, such as nooks and crannies where they lay their eggs.
Disadvantage:
Alcohol is toxic at inhalation and highly flammable and vaporizes quickly. So you must be cautious when using it.
6. Bed Bug Herbal Remedies:
1-Tea Tree:
It's an essential oil that has fresh-smelling and antimicrobial properties (kills fungi and bacteria and neutralizes viruses on contact).
You can use it as a purifying agent in your home.
It kills insects by suffocating them as it affects their system so it's considered bed bug home treatment.
Its undiluted form is most effective but it's not safe for humans.
Its use gives the home a pleasant-smelling. To produce the diluted formula, put about 20 drops of oil in a spray bottle filled with water.
2-Lavender
Bed bugs become nauseous when smelling lavender and may die.
You can increase the effectiveness of the solution by triple with using lavender soap, spraying diluted essential oils, and spreading leaves over affected areas.
3-Peppermint Leaves
It has the same effect as lavender oil and Leaves.
4-Black Walnut Tea
It's natural insect repellent.
Its strategy: Put used tea bags in the infested area and every nook, cranny, and corner.
5-Sweet Flag
It's natural insect repellent.
You can use it by mixing a packet of herbs with a solution and spray all over the home.
6-Indian Lilac Leaves
They have similar effects to other herbal remedies.
You can use it by spreading the crushed leaves or by boiling leaves then spreading them.
7-Mint Leaves
They have preventive properties, when you place crushed leaves at entry points, it prevents bed bugs infestation.
You can put them directly on your mattress as they are safe.
8-Beauveria Bassiana
It's one of the bed bug home treatments.
It's a parasitic fungus that feeds on insects.
It attacks bed bugs causing them to infertile, immobile, and unable to feed.
9-Lemongrass
It's not only insect repellent but also kills bed bugs.
It contains a good level of acid which kills the bugs and their eggs. And in addition, they hate the smell.
10-Clove
It's similar to lemongrass in the way of action. To ward these critters off, you can place clove oil in mattresses and pillows.
11-Pyrethrum
It is a plant extract derived from chrysanthemums which are also called a mum.
You can use it to kill bed bugs as it attacks the bugs ' nervous system.
12-Cayenne Pepper
It's used to kill bed bugs on contact when mixed with other natural items like ginger and oregano.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide
It's used to kill bed bugs on contact but it's not as deadly as isopropyl alcohol. It's a bleaching agent so it may stain.
Summary
You must vacuum all the house before beginning any of these bed bug home treatments. You must check second-hand furniture. You should take precautions at laundering.
By: Dr. Alaa Diaa
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