The Essential Guide to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally
Bed bugs are a huge problem in the U.S., with recent studies showing that over 30% of Americans have experienced them at some point. The good news is that there are natural ways to kill bed bugs, so it’s not impossible to get rid of these pesky creatures! I’m going to go over what works, as well as list home remedies and natural ways to kill bed bugs. You may need to use a combination of the methods below to fully eliminate bed bugs.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs that Work
- Bed Bug Heat Treatment
- Neem Oil
- Borax
- Vacuum and Freeze
- Launder
- HEPA Vacuum
1. Bed Bug Heat Treatment
Bed bug heat treatments is an effective and natural way to make your home free from these pests for good. The process will kill off any current bedbugs and prevent new ones from being created, making it one of the most eco-friendly methods in existence!
The heat treatment can be completed at home with a dryer or steam machine that reaches high temperatures. This ensures that all existing bed bugs are eliminated as well as keeping future generations out. Lastly, this method won’t leave behind any harmful residue on surfaces like pesticides do which makes it safe for kids and pets too! With so many benefits offered by this type of pest control solution why would anyone leave their home at the mercy of bed bugs?
What is a bed bug heat treatment?
A bed bug heat treatment is the process of eliminating bed bugs from homes and common household items with heat. The process is used to penetrate possibly infested and inhabited areas that are too small to inspect visually or with tools. The heat kills the bed bugs as they cannot survive a temperature over 118° Fahrenheit for over 20 minutes.
Heat treatment is simpler than it sounds. The tried-and-true method has been proven to be effective in the eradication of bed bugs when performed by a pest control professional. If heat treatment is a service you are considering for your home, there are a variety of factors to consider and ways to prepare your home and its contents to set your exterminator up for success.
Because bed bugs are so tiny, they effortlessly hide in microscopic areas. A trained exterminator will be able to locate the bed bugs. Chances are that if you have bed bugs in your home, they are hiding in places you are not even aware of. This could be holes in walls, baseboards, inside stuffed animals and clothing, and inside of your mattress. It can be hard to comprehend the tiny living spaces that bed bugs are capable of locating and inhabiting.
This is where the bed bug heat treatment comes into play. Because the homes that these bugs choose are so tiny, common extermination practices are tossed out the window due to their ineffectiveness in this application. Bed bugs are pretty sensitive to heat. If their environmental temperatures reach a range of 117° F – 122° F for an extended period of time, the bugs cannot survive.
For this reason, bed bug heat treatment is a highly effective means of bed bug extermination. The method uses heat generated in a variety of different ways to penetrate impossible-to-reach areas and scorch out the bed bugs that are hiding within. Not only is this approach extremely effective, but it is also all-natural and completely safe for humans and pets.
Prepping the Home for Bed Bug Heat Treatment
When getting a bed bug heat treatment done in your home, there are many precautionary steps to take in order to be set up for success. Make sure to wash and dry clothing and bedding according to specific instructions or bagging up pre-inspected items that cannot handle the heat.
DIY Bed Bug Heat Treatment Options
There are a variety of DIY ways as well as multiple products on the market that you can use to perform a bed bug heat treatment on items in your home and some can be effective. However, if you want guaranteed results, it typically makes more sense to hire a pest control professional. This person will not only have the tools needed, but the knowhow required to completely eliminate the bed bugs in your home and belongings.
2. Neem Oil
The first step in getting rid of bed bugs is to kill their eggs and larvae. This can be done using neem oil, which has natural hours few a for sit it let and – bites or spots as such – activity bug bed of signs are there where areas any onto directly oil the apply Simply. contact on insects kill that properties .
Neem Oil has been used for hundreds of years by many cultures around the world to treat not only bed bug bites but also insect pests found inside homes such as ants or cockroaches. It’s a plant extract derived from neem seeds (also known as Margosa), which contain natural insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Simply contact the oil to where bed bugs bites or spots may be, then let it sit for a few hours before cleaning up in the morning. Neem Oil is safe on pets and humans as well as healthy insects (including bees), so you don’t have to worry about spraying too much into your home- that said, neem oil can take up to 24 hours of soaking time for any eggs which are laid after treatment!
3. Borax
Another natural way to kill bed bugs is by using borax. Borax has been used as a home remedy for over 100 years, and there have been no reported cases of toxicity from it. This can be sprinkled in the bed or all around the room, then left overnight before cleaning up in the morning. The point here is to kill the bed bugs, but also to kill their eggs and larvae. therefore, it’s important that you do this on all surfaces as well as any clutter or fabric items. Borax will release toxic fumes during its process which can be harmful to breathe in for long periods of time- so use caution!
4. Vacuuming and Freezing
You can get rid of bed bugs in your mattress by vacuuming up all the crumbs or dust mites from pillows and mattresses. This will make it easier for you to spot any living organisms that might be there underneath the surface. Once vacuumed, kill any bed bugs that are in the vacuum by putting them into a freezer bag and letting them die inside.
5. Launder
Keep all of your clothes, linens, and other items outside the bedroom until they can be washed on hot (120 degrees Fahrenheit). Any living organisms will not survive at this temperature! This is also true for electronics such as laptops.
6. HEPA Vacuum Cleaner
A final natural way to kill bed bugs is by using a vacuum cleaner with an HEPA filter on it. This will kill any living organisms that are in the machine and sucking up all of your debris without releasing them back into the room again!
Bed Bugs and The Problems They Pose
Bed bugs are stubborn pests. They make their way into your home in a variety of ways and, once they set up shop, getting rid of them can be a significant challenge. Because there is no guaranteed way of predicting where bed bugs might be hiding, it is important to be diligent to clean items while traveling, in order to avoid moving the bugs from place to place. Locations such as hotels, vacation homes, hospitals, and other high-turnover overnight destinations pose significantly higher threats, as there is a greater chance that bed bugs could enter and exit the space at any point.
Bed bugs pose a substantial threat once residing in your home and should be taken seriously if suspected. These microscopic monsters feed on the blood of sleeping animals and humans, earning them their alliterative moniker. While disease spreading is not a common concern with bed bugs, it is certainly not something that should be ruled out.
Issues Caused By Bed Bugs
The general issues associated with bed bugs involve skin irritations caused by the bites of the bugs. In some people, this can go as far as an allergic reaction that leads to blistering, hives, and insatiable itching. Generally, skin reactions to bed bugs are less severe, resulting in irritated, itchy, skin with a bruised appearance.
Once bed bugs are in your home, the likelihood of you seeing them is not incredibly high. However, if you know the right place to look, adult varieties can be located with the naked eye. Bed bugs tend to hide close to their food source. This could be in a headboard, baseboard, nightstand, or any other good hiding place situated close to a bed
If you suspect bed bugs, start by checking around the bed and in any crack, crevice, and nook and cranny you can find. Visual searching can be effective; however, the presence of bed bugs is more often noticed by bodily symptoms associated with a bed bug infestation.
Is Bed Bug Heat Treatment Expensive? It is difficult to put a blanket price on bed bug heat treatment. Generally, the service will be quoted according to the square footage of the affected area, as well as the extent of the bed bug infestation. Because the necessary equipment is so expensive, the service tends to be on the pricey side, yet is highly effective when performed by a pest control professional.
Will Bed Bug Heat Treatment Kill Other Types of Bugs? In short, yes, but not all bugs. While bed bug heat treatment is highly effective in killing bed bugs as well as other common household pests. It can be helpful in killing termites and stinkbugs, it can also have an adverse effect with bugs such as flies and yellowjackets. The extensive higher temperatures have been shown to advance these pest’s lifecycles and even make them more aggressive.
You can learn more expert pest control and home maintenance tips here.