Purchase Quality Oil: Opt for 100% pure peppermint oil for the best results. Dilute: Mix 20 drops of oil with 200ml of water in a spray bottle. Spray Strategically: Apply the mixture to areas where bed bugs are commonly found. Reapply: Continue to spray every 2-3 days for ongoing repellency.
Peppermint oil is a natural and effective way to repel wasps from your home. It is important to note that peppermint oil is not a permanent solution and will need to be reapplied regularly to maintain its effectiveness. Generally, peppermint oil will keep wasps away for up to two weeks.
Peppermint oil contains compounds like menthol and limonene that are toxic to bed bugs. Its strong scent disrupts their ability to locate hosts and can act as a deterrent against infestation.
Combine water and peppermint oil in a spray bottle. Shake bottle before use and spray the solution around entry spots such as windowsills and door frames, or places where insects may hide. The strong odor acts as a repellent.
To lure bed bugs out of their hiding spots, you can use a steamer or a hairdryer to heat areas such as mattresses. Neither of these is hot enough to kill the bed bugs, but it can trick them into thinking a human host is near. You can also keep an eye out at night to locate their nests when they are most active.
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.
Make a dish soap solution: Dilute the peppermint oil in water and a bit of dish soap to spray down larger areas like carpets, walls, and floors. Keep treating: Reapply the treatment every 5–7 days for one month. This can kill newly-hatched bed bugs from eggs that survived the initial application.
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.
Peppermint is another scent that is believed to repel bed bugs. Its strong aroma is thought to mask the scent of carbon dioxide and other chemicals that bed bugs use to locate their hosts.
Peppermint oil should not be applied to the face of infants or young children because serious side effects may occur if they inhale the menthol in the oil. Little is known about whether it's safe to use peppermint oil during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins. Both compounds are lethal to bed bugs and can flush bed bugs out of their hiding places and kill them.
Grab a spray bottle and get ready for action. Mix 10-15 drops of a refreshing peppermint essential oil with water, creating a formidable ant-repellent spray. Add some dish soap for a little kick!
Does peppermint oil repel bed bugs? Peppermint oil can repel and may also kill bed bugs if the oil is sprayed directly on the bugs. In other words, peppermint oil is a natural bed bug contact insecticide, but as time goes by items previously sprayed with peppermint oil do not impact the bed bugs.
The biggest issue with using essential oils is they evaporate quickly. They are not as effective as DEET or picaridin. Repellents are meant to block an insect's receptors related to the scent but with essential oils, only a few receptors are blocked. Therefore it is possible it may work on some insects but not all.
DIY spray: Regularly apply the peppermint oil solution around ant entry points, trails and food storage areas. Reapply weekly or after cleaning for ongoing prevention.
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.
While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim.
Rubbing Alcohol
Bed bugs are hard to deal with, but you can repel them by using rubbing alcohol. They hate the smell of alcohol and using it is an effective solution to your problem. The rubbing alcohol can dry out bed bugs bodies, which can eventually lead to their death.
Heat is non-toxic, and can kill all bed bug life stages including bed bug eggs. However, heat treatment of any kind (except your home clothes dryer) is still relatively expensive and has no residual (long lasting) activity. The lack of residual activity means that bed bugs can re-infest again the day after treatment.
As it starts to fade, so will its effectiveness at repelling insects. “For ongoing effectiveness,” Carpenter recommends “reapplying peppermint oil every 2 to 3 weeks or more frequently if the scent appears to dissipate quicker, especially in outdoor areas or in environments with high air circulation.”
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.
Just like mosquitos hate the smell of citronella, bed bugs do too. A citronella-scented candle is recommended to keep bed bugs at bay, as they hate the smell of it burning, but you can also use citronella essential oil more directly on your bed - plus you shouldn't leave a candle burning while you're asleep.
Wash and dry all sheets, blankets, and pillow cases at least once or twice a week. Place bed legs in ClimbUp® Interceptors to prevent bed bugs from climbing up bed legs. These can be purchased on the internet. Placing bed legs in plastic containers filled with water with a drop of dish detergent or oil may also work.
They often attack in the nighttime while human hosts are sleeping, producing warm carbon dioxide with their breaths, attracting bed bugs right to them. To create a similar environment, you can use a hairdryer to heat your bed and trick bed bugs out of hiding for a meal.