{"id":2994,"date":"2019-01-21T09:43:44","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T09:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=2994"},"modified":"2021-03-23T17:12:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T17:12:52","slug":"%ef%bb%bf8-natural-repellents-for-getting-rid-of-bedbugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/%ef%bb%bf8-natural-repellents-for-getting-rid-of-bedbugs\/","title":{"rendered":"\ufeff8 Natural Repellents for Getting Rid of Bedbugs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you think you have had problems with bugs before, you may discover bedbugs represent a whole new world of pest control. Their bites are incredibly itchy and sometimes painful and bedbugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of once they have infested an area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These little creatures are a bit like vampires and scurry out from cracks in the wall in the middle of the night and suck their victims\u2019 blood. When they do this, they inject natural anesthesia in their victim so you can\u2019t feel what is happening until it is too late. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bedbugs can strike anywhere, even 5-star hotels and killing them all and preventing them from coming back can be a huge undertaking. The following are tips to kill and repel bedbugs so you can be rid of the problem for good. It may take a few tries, but it is worth the effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Clean Everything and Declutter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you think spring cleaning is rigorous, you will be taking it to a new level when you try to get rid of bedbugs<\/a>. You may not think of the infestation of these creatures as a golden opportunity, but it is a good reason to finally get rid of those old books and knick-knacks that you have been wanting to throw away for a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are going to put some things outside, especially an old mattress, be sure to mark the items to warn people against taking them. Launder every bit of cloth in your home or at least put it in a hot dryer for 15 minutes. You may need to use a steam cleaner for upholstery. You may have to take some things to the cleaners, but make sure they are aware that you are getting rid of bedbugs so they can wrap your items.
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2. Place clean things in Plastic Bins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you have cleaned all of your blankets, towels, stuffed animals, sheets and other items put them away in plastic bins that are carefully sealed. This may require a substantial investment in plastic bins of all sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply covering the clean items is not enough, since bedbugs have a special talent of getting through small openings in almost every surface. A plastic seal is the best bet for keeping any kind of infestation <\/a>out. If you find it too difficult to store all of these bins on one premise, you can put them in storage or a basement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, it is a good idea to keep the cleaned items far away from the infested area. However, you should warn friends before asking them to store your clean items. Although the items have been cleared of bedbugs, there is the possibility of error or of some eggs getting inside the container.
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3. Vacuum Frequently<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are locked in a battle against bedbugs, you may have to vacuum like you never have before and in places you hadn\u2019t thought of vacuuming before. If you don\u2019t have a versatile vacuum cleaner with a tube that stretches and a variety of heads and attachments, it is a good idea to invest in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to vacuum everything, including floors and walls–anything with an opening where bedbugs can hide and crawl out of. The combination of the suction power and the heat can kill bedbugs and rid areas of eggs. Use a vacuum that has the strongest suction you can find. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid pressing too hard on the fabric so you don\u2019t run the risk of scattering eggs <\/a>all over the fabric surface. Use care when removing the vacuum bag and make sure it is well sealed. If there is no bag, clean the area thoroughly with hot, soapy water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Use Steam<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bedbugs hate the heat and can be killed through steam cleaning. It may be worth renting one for the purpose of ridding your home of bedbugs. Make sure that your steam cleaner reached a heat level of at least 200 degrees F or 93.4 celsius. Make sure your steamer produces dry steam rather than wet steam so you don\u2019t soak everything in the apartment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should rent an industrial steamer or hire professionals to do the job since a typical clothing steamer <\/a>will not be powerful enough to kill bedbugs. Carpet cleaners also will not do the trick, because they do not reach high enough temperatures to deal with a bedbug infestation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steam can be quite effective and combating bedbugs and can reach down to 2 inches below the surface in nooks and crannies. Use special nozzles to get into areas below the surface where bedbugs may be living and breeding.
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5. Use Herbs and Essential Oils<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even if you think you have killed all the bedbugs using all of the above tips, it is a good idea to use herbs <\/a>and essential oils just in case to repel any bugs that might not have been killed. There are certain fragrances people tend to like, but bedbugs hate, including lavender, rosemary, mint, citronella, and tea tree oil and eucalyptus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use caution using tea tree oil if you have pets since this substance can be toxic to some animals. You can find this animal in flower or leaf form and can tie them up in bundles fresh or dried. Consider sewing some of the herbs into sachets and putting them in with your clothes or between your sheets. Use essential oils made of these herbs to repel bedbugs by rubbing these oils on your bedframe, on your clean laundry or spraying it on your carpet or linens.
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6. Try Diatomaceous Earth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Diatomaceous earth<\/a> can do wonders for killing bedbugs and preventing them from coming back. This substance is made from diatoms or fossilized remains of small sea creatures. This material is all-natural and non-toxic, although avoid using it on beds so you won\u2019t accidentally inhale it and it should be kept far away from food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diatomaceous earth is comprised of silicon dioxide and is a desiccant, which means that it dries up the actual bugs. This means it may take some time to work, in some cases, up to ten days, so it should be combined with vacuuming and steam treatment. Not only will this material dry up bedbugs and kill them, but lines of it can form a physical barrier that they will not crawl through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wear a mask when applying so the substance does not get in your lungs. Although diatoms are all-natural, the fine particles can be harmful to breathe.
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7. Cover your mattress with Dryer Sheets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are certain fragrances that bedbugs hate, and one of these is dryer sheets, especially if they contain lavender <\/a>scent. Line the area between your springboard and mattress with dryer sheets and create another layer between the top of the mattress and the fitted sheet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may also consider putting some dryer sheets between the pillow and the pillow cover. If you use dryer sheets to make sure that your fabrics remain soft and in good condition even though it dries at high temperatures, you probably have more than enough in one box for your laundry and to line your bed to protect against bedbugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the jury is out on whether dryer sheets can kill or get rid of bed bugs, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that the creatures dislike the scent and will stay away if there are already in the house.
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8. Cover your mattress and pillows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since only bedbugs have an annoying tendency of coming back since they hide very well and they are hard to kill, it is a good idea to take precautionary measures in case there may be some bedbugs present in the house. You may want to put special covers over the mattress that can keep bedbugs from penetrating the surface of the mattress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look for the non-permeable mattress and pillow covers that can zip up and be sealed completely. You can find covers that are specially designed to repel bedbugs long-term. Some have a 3 layer microporous barrier for extra protection. Make sure the covers fit your bedding precisely. Some covers are also waterproof and stain-resistant. Many of these covers can be easy to clean and maintain through regular washing. Covers can also protect from mites <\/a>and mold as well as bedbugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Peppermint<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using peppermint <\/a>can help to eliminate bedbugs from your clothing and bedding. Washing your bedsheets with the essential oil and then leaving them to dry helps to prevent bedbugs from crawling onto your skin. Bedbugs have a natural aversion to peppermint, and they steer clear of any sources of the herb.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peppermint has natural antioxidant polyphenols that have properties beneficial to repelling insects. The camphor found in peppermint acts as a natural bug spray as well. Blend 20-drops of peppermint essential oil with 8-oz of purified water and store it in a spray bottle. An hour before you go to bed, spray your body with the peppermint water and spray it around the edges of your bed as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your skin tastes like peppermint, then the bedbugs won\u2019t think of you as a tasty meal, and they\u2019ll leave you alone at night. After washing your bedding, soak it in another solution of peppermint oil and water before letting it dry outside on the washing line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Black Walnut Tea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Black walnut tea <\/a>is a natural preparation made with the bark of the black walnut tree. Contrary to its title, there are no walnuts in this remedy. The drink comes available in ready-made sachets, or as a dried powder. The tea has a long history as a traditional remedy, but there is little scientific evidence to prove the claims of its benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some homeopathic practitioners suggest sprinkling the tea under and around the mattress, as well as around the foot of the bed. This strategy helps to drive off bed bugs, and prevent them from invading your bed as you sleep. Some homeopaths also suggest drinking tea as well. After drinking, the tannins found in the black walnut bark start to emanate through your skin, making you seem unappetizing to the bugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While homeopaths swear by this natural remedy, there is nothing but anecdotal evidence to support the claims that it can effectively curb bedbug infestations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Petroleum Jelly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the earliest remedies to stop bedbugs infesting your mattress and bedding is petroleum jelly<\/a>. Back in the early 1900s, people would smear the jelly around the bed frame and the bedposts. The idea of this practice was to prevent bedbugs from crawling onto the mattress. As the bugs climb up the bedposts toward the bed frame, they become stuck in the thick petroleum jelly. As a result of being trapped, the insects starve and die off.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this age-old remedy does not help you much if the blood-sucking parasites are already infesting your mattress. If the mattress is already experiencing bedbugs nesting in the fibers of the material, then they will begin to spread at a rapid pace, causing more severe bites as the colonies grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t recommend that you use petroleum jelly as a natural repellant for bedbugs. Instead, rely on a proven method that has its findings in modern science than old wives\u2019 tales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Rubbing Alcohol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another age-old bedbug remedy is rubbing alcohol. When bedbugs become saturated in rubbing alcohol<\/a>, it causes a toxic shock that kills the parasite. Before the invention of modern medicine and synthetic bedbug pesticides, people had very few options one product to use in stopping bedbug infestations. It was for this reason that a bedbug outbreak in your home was such a huge problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bedbug infestation could cause a dramatic drop in your property value in the early 1900s, and no-one would want to rent it from you unless they were desperate. In a feeble attempt to curb the problem, many homeowners would resort to spraying rubbing alcohol on the floor and walls around their beds, as well as throughout their home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this does little to stop the infestation, and it also makes your home a considerable fire hazard as well. Rather avoid home remedies that don\u2019t work, and go with a chemical solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Baby Powder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most people don’t have diatomaceous earth lying around the house, but they do often have some baby powder<\/a>. Back in the 80s, there was a rumor that baby powder could stave off a bedbug infestation in the home. The idea was to powder the bedclothes before bed. The baby powder would have a similar effect to diatomaceous earth and cause suffocation in the bedbugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While diatomaceous earth has the physical properties to penetrate the skin of the bedbugs, and the baby powder does not. Therefore, it’s not very suitable as a bedbug repellant, and the only place baby powder should go, is on the baby’s cheeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age-old remedies pale in the face of modern science. When it comes to a severe infestation like bedbugs, it’s best to rely on professional advice instead of what your grandma says. When it comes to eliminating bed bugs from your home, trust the proven strategies that work instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Replace Everything and Call the Professionals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While there are plenty of home remedies for managing bedbug infestations in this article, you should take all of them with a pinch of salt<\/a>. Home remedies can get you in a lot of trouble if you wait too long to call the professional exterminators.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bedbugs colonize quickly, and in a few weeks, they will get out of control. It\u2019s best to adopt the strategy of calling a professional fumigation team instead of using home remedies. Bedbugs can cause severe skin issues, and the bites are painful to endure. Bedbugs can also spread disease, so it\u2019s best to kill them off as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove your mattress and bedding from your home and burn it to get rid of the bugs. Call the fumigators and have them gas your house to kill off any remaining adult bugs or eggs. You can always replace your mattress and bedding, but living with bedbugs is out of the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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