
Bed bugs are becoming more common as the years go by, and not just in dirty homes or low-income areas. You can find them anywhere and everywhere nowadays. That is why it is so important to know ways to help fight the bed bug bite. No one wants these awful pests crawling about their bedrooms at night!
Applying Essential Oils to Skin
You can use a variety of essential oils as a bed bug repellant. Some ways to help fight the bed bug bite with these items are:
- Tea tree oil
- Lavender oil
- Cedarwood oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Clove oil
- Oregano oil (not for ingestion)
Get yourself some cotton balls and wet them slightly with your favorite essential oil. Rub them on exposed skin such as wrists, ankles, neck, and face to keep the annoying bugs away! They will stay away from you because they do not like the smell. Use daily and add into regular hygiene routines to prevent getting bit and spreading any infestation that may already become present.
Please note that essential oils such as clove, cinnamon bark, lemongrass, and thyme are not for ingestion. They can cause adverse effects and damage your digestive system. These oils are harmful and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, stomach irritation, and more when consumed.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from fossilized remains of tiny and aquatic organisms. They are ground to a fine powder and used as an insecticide, pesticide, fungicide, herbicide, and animal feed additive. You can purchase this substance at your local garden or farm supply shop.
Know it as being one of the safest ways to keep bugs away from you! It harms them but not you. The diatomaceous powder will stick to their hard exoskeleton and the little bugs cannot digest it.
Diatomaceous earth is also very affordable compared to other common bug repellants on the market today. Look out for products that have been FDA certified for safety purposes.
It is a type of powder made from the sediment of fossilized algae that lived in ancient bodies of water. The excessive amounts of silica these cells contained gave them an advantage over other types. Greeks used them as more durable building materials like bricks and blocks for construction projects throughout Europe during medieval times.
Crushed Peppermint Leaves and Oil in Infested Areas
This is one of the ways to help fight the bed bug bite that not as many people think about. You can use peppermint oil or crushed mint leaves as a method to ward off those annoying little creatures.
They do not like the strong scent of peppermint and will try their best to stay away from it! It is also extremely affordable. Go ahead and apply them directly to any infested areas around your home and bedroom when you have some on hand. The only issue with this remedy, though, is that it can leave behind stains when you accidentally wet them before they dry completely.
Peppermint is the only natural way to keep you free from bed bugs! It is time for some fresh air! Get rid of all those annoying insects with this easy tip. Just grab a handful of crushed peppermints and spread them around on flooring. This is near where you think they may hide. Examples are bed frames and a nearby dresser. After about three days, vacuum up any lingering leaves.
Black Walnut Tea (Placing Tea Bags at Home)
Use black walnut tea as a way to help fight the bed bug bite. It is a type of tea that has been known to keep those bad bugs away from you and your home!
What does it contain? Black walnut tea contains juglone, which is a natural pesticidal compound found in these nuts. This substance provides excellent control over the bed bug! Juglone is an allelopathic agent, which means it is toxic to most living things and will reduce the number of insects and plant growth around the area.
You need:
- a cup of hot water
- 2 tablespoons black walnut hulls (not leaves or green fruit)
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 tablespoon natural liquid soap
Wash the black walnut hulls in hot water to remove dirt, debris, and bugs. Put the hulls into a blender or grinder for a few seconds to break them up into smaller pieces.
Use of Petroleum Jelly
Another quite easy and affordable solution to your bed bug problem is petroleum jelly. It will not only help you to avoid the itch of bites. But it can also preoccupy these insects from laying eggs in certain areas.
There was a study that showed Vaseline repelled 100% of bed bugs! It makes petroleum jelly an effective way to fight them off! Keep them out of your home as a way to help fight the bed bug bite.
Apply petroleum jelly around doorways, cracks, crevices, windowsills, baseboards, or any other entry points where you notice they like to enter your home. Bed bugs cannot get past this thick barrier. As an added benefit, they will not get back into your home.
Applying Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is also a fantastic way to help fight the bed bug bite! It works by drying out their exoskeleton and dissolving it away.
Make sure you apply rubbing alcohol especially in places where you have noticed them being active before they crawl onto your body or clothes. This will become effective in killing as well as repelling them from wanting to come back! It is one of the ways to help fight the bed bug bite that you may not have considered.
All you need to do is fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and apply it all over your home. Make sure the areas where you think they may hide, like bed frames or dressers, are getting plenty of attention! Close off any infested rooms before spraying the mixture inside them.
Applying Baby Powder
This is also one of the ways to help fight the bed bug bite that you may not have thought about. Baby powder will clog up their pores and inhibit them from breathing.
Heat attracts them! But when they come in contact with baby powder, it causes them suffocation. This means you can get rid of them without having to resort to dangerous pesticides or chemicals. You can use your hands or any other methods like a duster while applying this insecticide.
Baby powder is the key to trapping and killing bed bugs! It is non-toxic but can make your trap more difficult for them to escape! Make sure they stay in their place of imprisonment. Though this might help you capture some pests on occasion, having an infestation is not a scenario that you could just fix with baby powder alone. Though it certainly provides temporary relief from annoying biting insects like bed bugs.
Laundering Linens in Hot Water
Another way to help fight the bed bug bite is by doing some laundry. It may seem simple, but it will have permanent damage to their existence.
Chilly water causes them to go dormant but hot water takes away their lives! Make sure you are washing all of your linens in extremely hot water. Get rid of any unwanted intruders or eggs that they may have laid there. This is while visiting your bedroom for the night.
Put everything into the washer and turn on high heat for at least 30 minutes. Bed bugs need only 5 to 10 minutes of exposure to kill them off completely! This will keep them from laying eggs or go unnoticed for a while.
Reduce Clutter
Cluttered areas in your home will attract the bed bugs more to that area! So clean any that you may have around your house.
Make sure not to stack them on top of one another with no room in between them. This is no matter what types of furniture or decoration you have. Place everything in an orderly fashion. So it is easier for you to see where they are nesting and hiding. Bed bugs cannot survive with harsh sunlight or when there is little humidity or moisture in the air.
Keeping your stuff off the floor will also help prevent them from coming into contact with anything that can harbor their infestation! This way you can remove all ways they can get into your space with no hassle.
Using Vacuum Machine
Using a vacuum machine is another way to help fight the bed bug bite. Use it to suck up any eggs that they may have left behind or any hiding bugs in small cracks and crevices.
Make sure you clean the bin compartment after every use for this purpose. There are no ways for them to escape! They will not come back. This will help kill off any hidden infestations that you had been unable to detect before.
Notice any signs of an infestation after using a vacuum cleaner. Make sure you put everything into tight-sealed plastic bags afterward. This is so when there were any leftovers from their dead bodies. They cannot get out of the vacuum bag. It will not open because of this reason.
Placement of Traps
Using lures for bed bugs is another way to help fight the bed bug bite. For example, get double-sided sticky tape. It will attract them when they come in contact with it!
Place these traps near your bed where you know some areas they are hiding. Use the adhesive side against the wall or any furniture in your bedroom. You can place them in between cushions or along baseboards. Do not keep trapping efforts for too long though. You may end up having an excessive amount of them.
Put a trap over your mattress to effectively catch bed bugs! Their favorite hiding places are in corners and around the headboard of a queen-size bed. Make sure you check both spots before filling with Encherez. A snug-fitting cover will keep them trapped inside where they cannot get out.
Disposal of Unnecessary Furniture
Do not get rid of your bed, but any unnecessary furniture will help. Bed bugs are similar to parasites in their ways of infestation. They lay eggs on anything that can provide them with a good hiding spot or an object they could live on.
A space where you previously had furniture will become beneficial for you. The lighter the color tone is for your walls, the easier it is to detect the hidden ones. Use white or light-colored sheets for this purpose. It will allow you to see them clearly when they come crawling onto the bed frame.
Get rid of that unnecessary furniture. Make sure not to expose them to any hazardous chemicals. It may repel the bed bugs even more and will prevent them from infesting your home.
Repellents Containing DEET
Repellents containing DEET are one of the ways to help fight the bed bug bite. Use them for preventing and killing any existing infestations.
You must get the right concentration when using this product though. To effectively kill off bed bugs, use 20% or more DEET liquids or aerosols. However, having less than 10% will only act as your repellent instead.
Ensure that you do not apply it directly onto your skin without diluting it with water first. The chemical may lead to allergies and irritable reactions in your body. You may even develop rashes all over. Neglect this step in applying them to your clothes especially around the areas where they often bite you.
Apply Steam to Furniture
Applying steam to furniture is another way to help fight the bed bug bite. It can kill them during their first stage of life before they reach adulthood. Do not try using pressurized water though.
It will do more damage than benefits. You may accidentally break or crack your belongings instead. Use hot steam only and at a safe distance away from any material that may become sensitive in its handling.
Iron Furniture First Before Deciding on Whether Applying Steam is Beneficial
Ironing all surfaces is one of the ways to help fight the bed bug bite. It also helps in killing off eggs and insects in any cracks and crevices that you cannot see through.
Try to use any of these ways in fighting off bed bug bites! Keep practicing the most effective ones. You must prevent these pests from touching your body.