White vinegar is the best and most affordable treatment for bed bugs. Although vinegar may kill bed bugs immediately upon touch, it might not be the best method for eradicating an
How long does vinegar take to kill bed bugs? Vinegar kills bed bugs on contact, so you'll notice them dying almost immediately after being sprayed.
How it works: Rubbing alcohol can kill bed bugs on contact and may help in killing eggs. Application: Mix equal parts of rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on bed bugs and their eggs. However, be cautious as alcohol is flammable. Certain essential oils have insecticidal properties.
Effectiveness: Vinegar has some insecticidal properties and can kill bed bugs on contact, but it is generally less effective than alcohol. Application: Like alcohol, it needs to be sprayed directly on the bugs. Limitations: It also does not have residual effects and may not penetrate into hiding spots.
Isopropyl Alcohol over 70% strength, and any spray insecticide that specifically mentions bed bugs on the label (by US law) will kill any bed bug it strikes directly. Spraying either on surfaces will not kill anything, and is a fire hazard in the case of the alcohol.
Blood Orange Oil
This essential oil is proven to be one of the most effective solutions when bed bugs are the matter as it can kill the pest successfully.
The answer is yes – Lysol can help get rid of bed bugs. In fact, it's one of the most effective products for killing bed bugs and other types of insects. Lysol is a disinfectant that contains active ingredients such as ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol, both of which are proven to be toxic to bed bugs.
Diatomaceous Earth. DE or Diatomaceous Earth made using fossilized algae is found effective in repelling not just bed bugs, but cockroaches, and ants too. Its odor is something that all these pests hate and so you can easily repel them using this powder.
Diatomaceous earth is a great chemical-free option for getting rid of a number of pests, including bed bugs. This natural powder contains properties that can dehydrate bed bugs, absorbing their fat and oil, and killing them dead as a doornail. Spray or sprinkle in infected areas and allow it to sit for at least a week.
Another easy way to keep bugs away when you are outdoors is to spray the outside of your tent or lodging with vinegar. Many insects find this smell overpowering.
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.
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).
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.
Dryer sheets
However, little scientific evidence supports their effectiveness in repelling or eliminating bed bugs. Relying solely on this method is unlikely to fully address an active bed bug problem.
Killing bed bugs with vinegar
Get white distilled vinegar with at least 5% acidity. Add 1 part vinegar and 1 part water into a spray bottle. If you can tolerate the smell, skip the water and use only vinegar. Spray the mixture onto the infested items and around the infested areas.
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.
Courtesy of its insecticidal properties, tea tree oil is an effective natural remedy to kill bed bugs instantly.
So, what is the main cause of bed bugs? Travel is widely recognized as the most common source of bed bug infestations. Often unbeknownst to the traveler, bed bugs will hitchhike on people, clothing, luggage, or other personal belongings and be accidentally transported to other properties.
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.
While some people believe that the strong smell of VapoRub might repel bed bugs, there is no reliable data to support this claim.
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.
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.
In terms of bug control, Pine Sol is not specifically designed to repel or kill insects. While pine oil is known to have some insecticidal properties, Pine Sol's primary function is to clean and disinfect surfaces.
When it comes to using bleach to kill bed bugs, or any insect for that matter, there is not a specific brand that stands out as being more effective than another. All brands of bleach can kill bed bugs. Generic brands such as Great Value Bleach and Up & Up Bleach will work just as well as Clorox.