Bed Bug Predators Pharaoh Ants. American Cockroaches. Thanatus Flavidus Spiders. House Centipedes. The Masked Hunter also known as the Masked Bed Bug Hunter.
Mites. Common house mites, usually known as dust mites, are natural-born enemies to bed bugs.
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.
Ants: Some particular ant species like Pharaoh are fond of feeding on bed bugs, and are seen quite attracted by their presence. Spiders: Some spider species feed on bed bugs when they come across them, although spiders are not exclusive hunters of bed bugs.
Some of the most effective chemicals for killing bed bugs include insecticides such as pyrethroids (like deltamethrin or lambda-cyhalothrin), neonicotinoids (like imidacloprid), and desiccants (like silica gel or diatomaceous earth).
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.
Bed bugs are easy to kill using heat. Their thermal death point is reported to be 114-115° F. Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Heat can also be used to kill bed bugs and their eggs in furniture and carpeting.
Adult bed bugs have a life span of nearly one year depending on regular access to blood meals and favorable temperatures. Bed bugs have a cryptic lifestyle, meaning they spend the majority of their time hiding together in cracks and crevices where they will not be seen or dis- turbed.
Masked hunter (Reduvius personatus)
It was introduced into the U.S. from Europe before the beginning of the century. Both adults and nymphs are predators that feed on other insects including flies, carpet beetles, mealworms and bed bugs. The adult bug is dark brown or black and about 3/4 of inch long.
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.
Repellents Containing DEET.
DEET treated fabric is repellent to bed bugs (Wang et al. 2013). Commercial insect repellents containing DEET for repelling ticks and biting insects are also helpful for preventing bed bugs when applied to outer surface of clothing (Figure 8).
Bed bugs are averse to slick surfaces like glass, plastic, and polished metals and stone. They can, however, grasp and cling onto textiles and porous materials like wood.
Purchase protective covers that seal mattresses and box springs. With covers that seal, the bed bugs will get trapped inside and die. Vacuum after each use. Seal the bag as tightly as possible and immediately throw it out in an outdoor trash container.
Bed bugs ex- posed to 113°F will die if they receive constant exposure to that temperature for 90 minutes or more. However, they will die within 20 minutes if exposed to 118°F. Interestingly, bed bug eggs must be exposed to 118°F for 90 minutes to reach 100% mortality.
Around the bed, they can be found near the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and in cracks on the bed frame and headboard. If the room is heavily infested, you may find bed bugs: In the seams of chairs and couches, between cushions, in the folds of curtains.
Bed bug traps, also known as monitors, are small devices designed to catch or collect bed bugs. As professionals, we usually refer to them as monitors because they're useful diagnostic tools for (1) collecting evidence of bed bugs and (2) monitoring the severity of an infestation over time.
What do bed bug bites look like? Bed bugs bite each person differently, but the most common appearances of bed bug bites include: Raised bumps in a line, zigzag or random pattern. Pimple-like bump with a dark red center and skin tone lighter than normal surrounding it.
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.
Bed bugs are not known to spread pathogens through their bites. Bed bug bites can be itchy and stressful. Do not squish a bed bug as it will release the blood and any pathogens it may be carrying.
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.
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.
That means your home is unlikely to see temperatures low enough to send bed bugs into hibernation or kill them outright. Still, bed bugs can go months without eating. This means that you can't starve them out—say, by staying at a hotel for a few weeks if your home has bed bugs.