20 Most Effective Home Remedies For Bed Bugs

All bed bugs belong to the Cimicidae insect family and are more common in warmer climates. The two species of bedbugs that feed on human blood are scientifically known as:

• Cimex lectularius
• Cimex hemipterus

• Small nocturnal insects that multiply very quickly
• Narely visible to the human eye when they are born – tiny hatchlings the size of a poppy seed
• About 0.25 inches long the when they become adult
• Able to double their size after feeding
• Ahanging their oval and flat shape to a plumper one – almost a football shape, after they eat

As they usually choose dark places and soft furniture such as beds or sofas they earned themselves the name bed bugs. In reality, they often dwell anywhere they can hide themselves well (as they are as thin as a sheet of paper that is almost anywhere!).

The bed bugs can be found:

• In electric appliances, computers, printers
• Behind pictures,
• In books,
• In cracks and crevices in the wall, pipes, electric outlets, wiring,
• In drapery, linens, and even your clothing.

Besides inhabiting private homes, they can represent a serious problem in:

• Army barracks
• Student dormitories
• Hotels (here is how to check that)
• Cruise ships
• Homeless shelters etc.

As they usually choose dark places and soft furniture such as beds or sofas they earned themselves the name bed bugs. In reality, they often dwell anywhere they can hide themselves well (as they are as thin as a sheet of paper that is almost anywhere!).

If you observe them up close, you will notice the way they look in more detail.

When the bug pierces the victim’s skin, it starts to draw blood via two hollow tubes, but at the same time releases a strong analgesic so that person does not even know he or she is being bitten. When the bedbug is full, it will leave and hide somewhere until it digests the blood. The bug can swell to six times its normal size after a single meal! 

The victim is left with a bite, and when the analgesic wears off, suffers from itchy red skin welts that can be further infected and cause endless anguish for that person. It is especially annoying if someone is allergic to the bites, which is quite common too!

There have been asthmatic reactions connected to the bedbug infestations due to their shedding skin as they grow or die, but severe anaphylactic reactions were reported too.

In most cases, you get an itchy welt that you must not scratch as to avoid secondary infections. The good news is that these bugs do not transmit diseases!

I have already told you that they could hide anywhere and are really hard to get rid of! These roost-inhabiting insects can hide and survive for several months without the fresh blood meal. This is why this text is so important, and you have to read on and find out the best home remedies for bed bugs!

Diatomaceous earth is a chemical free powder that you use in the following manner:

• Spread it all over your house, fill any cracks in the wall you might have, and distribute it under your bed.
• Leave it for several days. This powder will take ten days to dehydrate almost 90% of the bugs.
• Vacuum the powder and throw the vacuum bag out.
• You can re-apply the powder until you are sure all the bed bugs are gone!

Baking soda will also work in a similar way as the diatomaceous earth- it will absorb all the water from the bed bug bodies and literally dry them out. Thanks to the antimicrobial properties these annoying pests will soon be dead:

• Distribute it around the crevices and cracks.
• Leave it for at least 24h
• Vacuum the soda
• Re-apply if needed after a couple of days!

• Mix one tablespoon each of cayenne powder, grated ginger, and oregano in a glass of water.
• Boil the mixture, strain it and pour it into a spraying bottle.
• Spray this solution throughout your home, concentrating on tight spaces and area around your bed.
• The smell will repel the bugs and prevent them from further spreading.

• Bed bugs cannot survive the high temperatures. It is important to know that the temperatures will have to be at least 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Steam the mattress, carpets, sofas and any other surface you suspect to be infested (except the electric outlets and appliances).
• The steam will penetrate inside almost any material and kill the bugs as well as destroy their eggs.

• The double-sided tape cannot resolve the already existing infestation but can help you diagnose one or prevent it.
• The trick is in attaching the double-sided tape around your bed or sofa. If any bed bugs come that way they will be glued to the tape and unable to bother you.

As I have already mentioned, bed bugs cannot stand the high temperatures, so if you do not own a steamer, a hair drier can come in handy too.

1. Set the hairdryer to the highest mode
2. Turn it on
3. Position it around the bed (not to close!)
4. Allow it to work for about twenty minutes
5. Let it cool off
6. Repeat the process at least two more times as it takes about an hour to get the desired results.
7. After you are done, vacuum the area you have heated and threw out the vacuum bag outside.
8. Clean the vacuum filter if necessary too.

Bed bugs cannot withstand cold temperature as well. So, if the heat fails, try with cold!
If you can do it, place the items infested with these annoying creatures into the freezer. If you leave them at 0o F temperature or lower for four days – the bed bugs will die.
You can use the winter season, and place the infested mattresses out in the cold too.

Sweet flag, also known as Calamus, is one of the herbal remedies you can use to get rid of the bed bugs effectively. This herb has strong anti-microbial properties as well as aromatic ones – the combination of the two will repel the bed bugs. You can actually buy a sweet flag or Calamus packet and apply it:

1. Follow the instructions to make a solution
2. Pour the solution into a spraying bottle
3. Spray the infested rooms to get rid of the bed bugs but some other insects as well.

• It might sound silly, but the researchers at the University of California and the University of Kentucky confirmed that placing bean leaves in the infested room actually works.
• The bean leaves trap the bed bugs with the help of trachoma (microscopic hooked hairs). These microscopic hairs pierce the bedbug’s feet and prevent them from moving, eventually killing them.

Indian lilac can be very helpful in dealing with the bed bugs infestation. The combination of this herb’s smell and antimicrobial properties will help exterminate bed bugs effectively. Apply the Lilac by:

• Crashing a handful of Indian lilac leaves
• Distributing that around your house, especially in those places where you think the critters are hiding at

Or:

• Boiling the leaves in some water for a couple of minutes
• Strain that solution
• Use it to spray your home or take baths in it
• The solution will both keep the bed bugs away and help treat the bites that have already occurred preventing further infection.
• There is Indian Lilac oil that can be purchased too.

I like to call tea tree oil a “miracle oil” as you can use it for so many things. It is famous for its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It can actually help you get rid of bacteria, viruses, and fungi at the same time.

Use it to clean your home, mix it with some warm water to make a spray for your mattress, walls, drapery, carpets, furniture, etc. You can add the tea tree oil when washing clothes too, or even sprinkle a few drops directly on your bags and suitcases. The bed bugs, as well as any other microbes, will stay away from you!

Thyme also has an antimicrobial effect and thus repels the bed bugs. You can:

• Make small packages of thyme by packing its leaves in net bags
• Distribute the packages around the house, but most importantly under your mattress, in your cupboards, drawers, dark corners
• Change these packages every three to four days, and after some time there will be no bed bug left in your home.

Some essential oils can help you win the war with bed bugs.These oils are:

• Lavender essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Cedar essential oil
• Oregano essential oil

Add a few drops of any of the essential oils I have listed here into a cup of water, and add a few drops and spray the mixture on the infested areas and things. It will repel them or kill them. The essential oils mentioned here block these small pests and choke them.

• Mint leaves will keep the bugs away from your home.
• Crash some dried mint leaves.
• Sprinkle them around the base of your bed.
• You can make mint packages (or use tea bags) in-between your mattress and linen and under your pillow.

Black Walnut tea is another herbal, all-natural insecticide which repels bed bugs quite efficiently. You can place black walnut tea bags all around the infested area. Due to the antibacterial and antifungal effect, the bugs will either run away or be killed by insecticidal properties of this tea. Black walnut tea can also be combined with other herbs for better results. For example, take:

• 3 Teaspoons of the black walnut
• 1 Teaspoon of lavender
• 1 Teaspoon of the mint
• 2 Teaspoons of the sweet flag
• 3 Teaspoons of thyme

Method:

1. Mix the ingredients.
2. Put this mixture in small cotton bags and
3. Distribute the bags around the infested bed- the strong aroma will keep the bed bugs away for sure.

Beauveria Bassiana is not an herb but a fungus – it is a parasite which disables insects, and therefore people use it as a natural insecticide. It will take 3-5 days to kill the bed bugs as well by reducing their mobility, fecundity, and feeding ability. It might be difficult to acquire though.

Lemongrass has a strong odor which is sure to repel the bed bugs, but it is also able to kill both adult bugs and their eggs by increasing the acidic condition inside of them. You can simply distribute it around your home, and wait for the positive results.

Bed bugs cannot stand the overpowering, sharp smell of clove, nor its acidic pH. In acidic conditions, the bed bugs die. For this reason, you can get rid of the small vampire bugs with only a few drops of clove oil cleverly distributed on your mattress, pillow and other infested areas or things.

• The pyrethrum is an extract we obtain from the dried flower heads of C, Coccineum, and Chrysanthemum. The combination of the two herbs acts as the natural insecticide which can be used to kill the bed bugs too.
• The pyrethrum works by attacking the nervous system of the bed bugs poisoning them to death, while it is not harmful to humans or pets. You can mix canola oil and pyrethrum too.

• The lavender scent is not only pleasant and soothing but can also help you repel the bed bugs; great isn’t it? The smell will actually nauseate the critters and, in time, kill them.
• You can use lavender oil, soap or powder, but also spread some fresh lavender around your home- it will be very decorative as well as effective against the bed bugs!