What odor keeps bed bugs away?

Author: Mrs. Liza Walker  |  Last update: Wednesday, April 2, 2025

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.

How do you keep bed bugs off you while sleeping?

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.

What smell do bugs hate the most?

Peppermint and marigold are good repellents and can work safely inside. Also orange, lemon, lime and other strong citrus fragrances will drive a way pests while freshening a room.

What is bed bug weakness?

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.

What can I put on my body to prevent bed bug bites?

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.

Top 7 Scents That Keep Bed Bugs Away

What do bed bugs hate the most?

  • Tea Tree Oil. ...
  • Lavender Oil. ...
  • Neem Oil. ...
  • Clove Oil. ...
  • Lemon. ...
  • Rubbing Alcohol. ...
  • Cinnamon. The strong smell of cinnamon is another smell that bed bugs can not handle. ...
  • Diatomaceous Earth. DE or Diatomaceous Earth made using fossilized algae is found effective in repelling not just bed bugs, but cockroaches, and ants too.

What can I eat so bed bugs don't bite me?

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.

Is there a scent that bed bugs don't like?

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.

Why should you not squish bed bugs?

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.

What brings bed bugs out of hiding?

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.

What is the best homemade bed bug killer?

9 Home Remedies for Bed bugs Worth Trying
  • Vacuum. ...
  • Steam cleaner. ...
  • Diatomaceous earth. ...
  • Baking soda. ...
  • Black walnut tea. ...
  • Tea tree oil. ...
  • Cayenne pepper. ...
  • Lavender or peppermint oil spray. Lavender is commonly associated with rest and relaxation, so it may come as a surprise that it can be used to combat bed bugs.

Does Vicks rubbing stop bed bug bites?

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.

Does Irish Spring Soap repel bed bugs?

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.

What can I spray on my bed for bed bugs?

There is only one insect growth regulator that is labeled for bed bug control; hydroprene, which is available as a liquid or an aerosol. This product is designed to be sprayed into cracks and crevices where young bed bug nymphs will come in contact with the dried residues.

What is the number one cause of bed bugs?

Answer: “Hitchhiking” from an infested location or item to a previously non-infested location or item are the main causes of bed bugs.

Is it OK to sleep in a bed with bed bugs?

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.

Do bed bugs ever go away?

"If you think you're ever going to get rid of them the answer is no," says Booth. "Unfortunately, bed bugs are with us until we disappear from this planet."

What surfaces can bed bugs not climb?

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.

What are the first signs of bedbugs?

The first clue suggesting that you may have a bed bug infestation is often the presence of itching bites. However, bites reactions are quite variable and may not be due to bed bugs at all. Be aware of the other signs that bed bugs leave behind: fecal spots, molted skins, and aggregations.

Can you put anything on your skin to repel bed 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.

Can I spray peppermint oil on my bed?

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.

What scent kills bed bugs instantly homemade?

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.

How do you starve bed bugs?

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.

Can bed bugs go in your private parts?

No. Bedbugs do not typically hide on your body and prefer to stay on places like mattresses and clothing.

What smell do bed bugs hate?

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.

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