Fill an old coffee cup with ten tablespoons (150 grams) of sugar, two tablespoons (30 grams) of yeast, and one and a half quarts (one and a half liters) of water, and put it in the middle of an upturned dog bowl. Voila! You have just made a bedbug detector that beats others on the market and is much cheaper.
Place masking tape around the outside of the larger container so the bed bugs can easily climb up into the container. Glue or tape the two containers together, the small one sitting in the larger one. Sprinkle a little talcum powder into the bottom of both containers.
Essential oils. While essential oils like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint are popularly recommended for DIY bed bug treatments due to their strong scents and supposed insect-repellent properties, there is not much scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in eradicating bed bug infestations.
How it works: Rubbing alcohol can kill bed bugs on contact and may help in killing eggs. Application: Mix equal parts of rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on bed bugs and their eggs. However, be cautious as alcohol is flammable. Certain essential oils have insecticidal properties.
Packing Tape + Vaseline: Vaseline/petroleum jelly acts as a physical blocker to bedbugs, they have difficulty crossing it. Put 1-2 rings of packing tape around your bed posts, then lather on petroleum jelly (1/8th+ inch thick coating, 1inch+ wide). You'll want ideally 10oz+.
Bed bugs do not like to climb or stay on smooth plastic materials. Placing small items in plastic containers or in sealed heavy-duty plastic bags will prevent bed bugs from infesting the items. In an infested home, placing clutter in plastic containers will make bed bug elimination efforts easier.
Encase mattresses and box springs in protective plastic covers. Vacuum frequently, especially in areas near where you sleep. Cut down on clutter in your home, which will eliminate some hiding places for bed bugs. If you live in an apartment or other shared housing, try to close off your unit.
Blood Orange Oil
This essential oil is proven to be one of the most effective solutions when bed bugs are the matter as it can kill the pest successfully.
No scientific evidence suggests that VapoRub (Vicks VapoRub) can keep bed bugs away. While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim.
While it hasn't been scientifically proven, Irish Spring soap could be an effective DIY pest-repellent hack." The most recommended and popular way of using soap for insect repellent is by grating a bar and scattering the shavings in any area where the bugs tend to swarm.
Beans and Legumes. Beans and lentils are rich in vitamin B1, commonly known as thiamine. Thiamine has a distinctive yeast-like smell that insects supposedly hate, so eating dishes consisting of lentils, beans and other thiamine-rich foods is believed to turn your skin into a no-biting zone for bugs.
Currently there are no insect repellents registered for use against bed bugs that can be applied to human skin. The Pesticide Specialist also explained that using outdoor products indoors is not only against the law, it may cause the bed bugs to spread out from one or two hiding places to several.
Get a mattress and box spring cover
An effective way to keep bedbugs that are hiding inside your bed from biting you is to invest in a good-quality covering for your mattress and box spring. The best option is to use a cover with a good seal that zips around your mattress and box spring.
The insects climb up the course outer sides of the interceptor and fall into the pitfall between the double walls. Since the inner sides of the pitfall is made of slick plastic (and in some cases made extra slippery with a coating of talcum powder) any bed bugs that crawl inside inside are unable to crawl back out.
Simple bottle trap uses a straight side jar or one with a shoulder. Lightly vaseline the inside 1-2" using real Vaseline which is very slippery and wipe it off making the glass inside neck and lip un walkable by any insect. Put some food/banana or water source in the bottom. Many insects are seeking moisture.
Unfortunately, virtually all DIY bed bug trapping methods are no match for the insidious pests.
Bed bugs are sensitive to strong smells and certain scents can help keep them away. Essential oils like lavender, tea tree and peppermint are popular choices. These oils not only smell good but also act as natural repellents.
Using Vaseline For Bed Bugs
While this could stop the bed bugs from traveling up the bed, it won't kill them. Bed bugs will find another way to a food source. They have been known to climb up walls and drop from the ceiling, and they can also jump, so they can probably jump right past the vaseline.
Lemon juice is high in citric acid, a natural insecticide. This acid can disrupt the nervous system of bed bugs, leading to their eventual death. Yet, it's important to consider that the concentration and application method can significantly impact its effectiveness.
Tea tree oil, renowned for its antibacterial properties, is like a natural bug repellent that bed bugs can't stand. Peppermint oil, with its invigorating minty freshness, overwhelms their acute senses. And eucalyptus oil, known for its refreshing aroma, is a formidable deterrent against these tiny intruders.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins.
If bed bugs have one weakness, it's that they're intolerant of extremely high or low temperatures. Washing clothes and bedding at the highest possible setting followed by drying for at least 30 minutes at high heat should do the trick. You can also freeze clothing or other objects you suspect of being infested.
In 2009, EPA and CDC collaborated on a joint statement to highlight the public health impacts of bed bugs . Myth: Bed bugs won't come out if the room is brightly lit. Reality: While bed bugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won't deter these pests from biting you.
Pyrethrum extract is both a repellent and an insecticide.
This natural solution has been around for decades. Pyrethrum powder is effective on cold-blooded animals, and therefore on many insects such as bedbugs. It attacks their nervous system, paralysing them immediately.
Answer: “Hitchhiking” from an infested location or item to a previously non-infested location or item are the main causes of bed bugs.