The trap becomes even more effective when it is baited with a cocktail consisting of nonanal and 1-octen-3-ol (two substances found in human body odor), spearmint oil, and coriander Egyptian oil. As in a previous experiment, the team found that these four chemicals are good at attracting bedbugs.
Introduction: Easiest Bed Bug Trap
Mix 2 cups of pure cain granulated sugar to 2 liters warm water. Use bottle or filtered water so to not have chlorine. Add a little yeast. If you buy a packet then use about 25% of it.
ABSTRACT Carbon dioxide (CO2), heat, and chemical lure (1-octen-3-ol and L-lactic acid) were tested as attractants for bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Heteroptera: Cimicidae), by using pitfall traps. Both CO2 and heat were attractive to bed bugs. CO2 was significantly more attractive to bed bugs than heat.
Use a hair dryer to flush bed bugs out of their hiding places with heat. Or, turn off the lights and use a credit card or piece of cardboard to scrape bed bugs out of cracks and crevices. Set up bed bug traps to monitor an active infestation. Use indoor pesticides to kill bed bugs when they come into contact with them.
Bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide (CO2), heat, and chemical lure emitted from the host (Wang et al. 2009b). CO2 is the primary attractant to bed bugs, and when a CO2 source is added to a trap, the trap can be very effective for detecting bed bugs.
Bed bugs are attracted to the scent of human sweat and body odors. Piles of dirty laundry, especially in bedrooms, can serve as attractive hiding spots and potential breeding grounds for bed bugs. Regularly washing and drying bedding, curtains, and clothing can help eliminate odors that may attract these pests.
DISPOSAL OF SEALED ITEMS
➢ SMALLER ITEMS • Place small items such as clothes, bed linens, toys, throw rugs, shoes and other personal belongings in a heavy-duty trash bag and use tape to seal the bag so that bedbugs can't escape.
Inspect the bed in detail including the headboard, frame, and box springs. If you have a metal bed frame using a flashlight to illuminate the interior of the metal tubing. Closely inspect the grooves in hardwood flooring, especially beneath or around the bed. Look along the bottom and top of the baseboards.
Dryer Sheets and Plant Oil-based Repellents.
Some consumers place dryer sheets on furniture in an attempt to repel bed bugs (Figure 10). Others use insect repellents containing pyrethroids or plant oils.
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.
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.
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.
Place a source of heat in the room. Since body heat attracts bed bugs, it would be a nice trick to lure them out with a device set at the same temperature. Release some carbon dioxide near their hiding spots. Bed bugs find this gas irresistible, as it signifies that a person is sleeping nearby.
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.
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 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.
Pyrethroid products are often mixed with other types of insecticides; some of these mixtures can be effective against bed bugs. Look for products containing pyrethroids plus piperonyl butoxide, imidicloprid, acetamiprid, or dinetofuran.
Study: Bed bug 'bombs' don't work. Do-it-yourself “bombs” or “foggers” that target bugs by filling entire rooms with aerosol insecticide are billed as an easy, cost-effective alternative to pricey pro exterminators.
The high temperature of steam 212°F (100°C) immediately kills bed bugs. Apply steam slowly to the folds and tufts of mattresses, along with sofa seams, bed frames, and corners or edges where bed bugs may be hiding. Be careful though, steam may damage some finishes and keep steam away from electricity.
Answer: “Hitchhiking” from an infested location or item to a previously non-infested location or item are the main causes of bed bugs.
Apply a fine amount of diatomaceous earth along the seams of your mattress, bed frames, and furniture. This home remedy for bed bugs is believed to work by causing the bed bugs to die of dehydration.
Investing in mattress and box spring encasements, high-quality bed linens, and protective covers for pillows can create barriers against bed bugs. Hard flooring choices and furniture made from metal, leather, or vinyl also discourage these pests.