Their presence in a home may reduce the number of pests, but it' s not enough to eliminate all parasites, especially given bedbugs' rapid reproductive cycle. Good to know: there are other potential natural predators of bed bugs. These include spiders, cockroaches, myths and pharaoh ants.
Bed bugs have many natural predators like pharaoh ants, American cockroaches and cone nosed insects. Certain spiders also kill bed bugs. Cockroaches are wonderful natural predators of bed bugs as they eat bed bugs and can eliminate infestations before they escalate.
Bed bugs hate certain components, such as allicin and sulfur. These ingredients don't kill bed bugs, but they can help you drive them away. Foods like garlic, onion, banana, and lemongrass are rich in these components and will help you to repel bed bugs.
Peppermint
One of the most researched solutions for keeping bed bugs away is peppermint. This plant can provide a smell which bed bugs and other pests hate. The scent will drive any pest which will keep your home pest-free and fresh at the same time.
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.
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).
You can't starve them out, they're resistant to many pesticides, and they're adept at hiding. The DIY methods you can find online won't make a dent in a bed bug infestation. Getting rid of a bed bug infestation is a nightmare for the average homeowner! Fortunately, that's where ScherZinger Pest Control comes in.
While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim.
Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. 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.
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.
Heat is non-toxic, and can kill all bed bug life stages including bed bug eggs.
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.
Courtesy of its insecticidal properties, tea tree oil is an effective natural remedy to kill bed bugs instantly. You can spray the tea tree oil on furniture joints, headboards, cracks, and corners.
Lower your risk of getting bedbug bites by wearing long-sleeved pajamas with pants while sleeping. But be mindful that bedbugs can find their way to your skin under loose clothing. So wear pajamas that are more fitted around your ankles and wrists to give you the best protection.
Common hiding spots include: Furniture: Bed bugs often reside in furniture where humans spend significant time. Places like beds, couches, and chairs are common because bed bugs can find hosts that remain inactive for short periods. Even in an empty house, any remaining furniture is a potential hiding place.
Studies have shown that CO2 traps catch significantly more bed bugs than traps without carbon dioxide. Some also combine carbon dioxide with other lures, such as heat or pheromones, to mimic a sleeping person.
Don't sleep on another bed or the sofa. Bed bugs may follow making it much more difficult to get rid of them. Don't try to kill bed bugs by using agricultural or garden pesticides or other unregistered products. Using pesticide products to kill bed bugs that are labeled for outdoor use can make humans very sick.
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.
Bedbugs die at 120 degrees, so one of the steps I took to fight bedbugs was laundry control. Keep clothes/fabrics off the floor, when washing use hottest water (with Borax) and then dry in dryer, being sure to dry extra 20 minutes to kill all bugs/eggs/nymphs.
Does White Vinegar Kill Bed Bugs? White vinegar, specifically its acetic acid content, can kill bed bugs on direct contact. However, it doesn't kill the eggs, meaning it's not a complete eradication solution.
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.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.
Although it sounds like a grim choice, it is best to continue sleeping in the infested area using the population reduction methods described above, until the bed bugs are eliminated.