Pesticides and chemicals are dangerous and some bed bugs are resistant to them. Professional treatments are expensive. Natural bed bug repellent is an option on the table that can eliminate the pests with fewer unwanted effects. There are a few types to consider if you have a problem. In fact, some pesticides are more harmful to your health than the bed bugs themselves. That’s why you should seek out a natural remedy.
Lavender Oil
This oil has a smell and taste bed bugs are resistant to. All you need is a few drops of concentrated lavender oil on bed frame corners to keep them away. The scent lasts for many days. While it is appealing to most humans, it can actually kill and destroy bed bugs and any eggs they’ve left behind.
Tea Tree Oil
A fresh scent is not the only perk of this essential oil. There are also antibacterial properties that make it great for applying to clothing and bedding when you do a laundry. Just a few drops are enough. It can kill bed bugs very effectively. Even at 2% concentrations it works. You can even mix tea tree oil with water in a spray bottle and spray the solution onto beds, furniture, carpets, and elsewhere at home. Depending on the scope of the problem, this can be done weekly or twice a month.
Diatomaceous Earth
This is not a something bed bugs can become resistant to. It is rather a chemical-free powder that dehydrates insects by absorbing their fat and oils. Sprinkle the powder on their gathering places and the bugs and their eggs will be destroyed. Although potent, it cannot harm people or pets and is safe around children and food.
Sold in gardening stores, diatomaceous earth is a natural bed bug repellent you can put along molding, inside cracks and crevices, and in drawers. Also apply it anywhere bugs hide, such as behind appliances or along windowsills. You can even inject it behind electrical outlets and switches, and cover furniture and mattresses with it.
You don’t have to leave the substance forever. It can be vacuumed up but wait at least a week to ensure the bed bugs have been exposed. Also note small filtered vacuum motors can burn out if there are large treated areas. Cleaning up diatomaceous earth is possible with shop vacs, damp towels, sweeping, and carpet cleaners.
Kidney Bean Leaves
The leaves have hooked hairs that are microscopic. These are strong enough to impale bed bugs’ feet and the insects can struggle all they want, but not get free. A favorite remedy in Eastern Europe, the leaves can be spread on floors and destroyed once bed bugs are trapped.
High Temperatures
Treating and cleaning in high temperatures is a more effective solution than any chemical. Steam cleaning helps kill bed bugs and their eggs even if they lay deep inside fabric. Professional exterminators have portable steam cleaning systems while even handheld units can create enough vapor to be effective. The fog-like steam can penetrate hard-to-reach areas. It should be dry steam otherwise moisture can damage furniture and fabric.
Force
In some cases, you may not actually need a repellent per se. You can hurt them more than you can hurt them. Use a tissue or paper towel to crush bed bugs. A playing card or putty/hobby knife can be used to sweep ‘em out of small cracks and seams. Apply another natural bed bug repellent afterward to help stop them from coming back.
Fungus
Able to kill or disable many insects, a fungus called Beauveria bassiana kills bed bugs within three to five days of exposure. It first slows them down and affects their ability to feed and move. The fungus grows naturally in soil and is environmentally safe.
Trap Them
Bed bugs do not like sticky surfaces. Some people have tried sticking double side tape around the legs of beds, near other bug-prone furniture, and around mattress edges. They are physically unable to cross sticky adhesives.
Conclusion on Natural Bed Bug Repellent
Natural bed bug repellents range from destructive natural substances to oils, high temperatures and trapping. There are several natural remedies described here that can save you time and money. They also avoid harmful chemicals and messy cleanups.
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