Sadly, these blood-sucking creatures know no discrimination. They can attack just anyone, and they do not respect whether you are rich, poor, dirty, or the most hygienic person ever to exist.
Once you have fallen victim to bed bugs, they won't attack you in the day when you can see them; no, they are very clever. They wait till night when you are deep in your sleep, so they'll crawl out of their hiding place, which, by the way, is very close to your sleeping area, and slowly, they bite and draw blood out of you.
They are very skillful when feasting on you; they discharge a powerful painkiller into your body with every bite, and you might never actually feel a bed bug bite, but you will notice it when you wake up.
Bug infestations are challenging to exterminate, but luckily, we have gathered the most effective bed bug home treatments that can eliminate them in the simplest way possible.
How to Kill Bed Bugs (DIY)?
Hair Dryer
Once you inspect and spot the bug-hiding spot in your premises, please remove your hairdryer and set it to maximum heat. Blow the dryer across the infested place, and the high heat will force the bugs out and kill them.
Vacuum
Get your vacuum ready because it will have some sucking to do—the spot where the bugs have harbored and suck them up with a firm vacuum cleaner. Consider the corners, cracks, and crevices of your bed, mattress folds, bed clothing, furniture, and behind wall hangings. Consider vacuuming regularly to exterminate bugs completely.
Washing in a treated cleaner
Collect all bedding and any other fabrics that may have been exposed to bed bugs. Please place them in a plastic bag and tie them tightly. Do not place the bag anywhere else in the house lest you spread the bugs. Remove the clothes from the bag, immediately toss them into the treated machine, and use boiling water to wash them. You might consider freezing clothes that cannot tolerate hot water.
Rubbing Alcohol
Alcohol in the house can help you fight bed bugs. Alcohol kills them almost immediately upon contact. Put the alcohol in a spray bottle and generously spray the hiding spots.
Baking powder/soda
Baking soda is famous for its many DIY uses. Thankfully, you can use it to suck out all the moisture in bed bugs. Spread it generously in all the infested areas. Wait for it to suck out all the moisture from the bugs' bodies, and remember to clean the dead bed bug shells away.
Silica Gel
Now would be the best time to use those silica gel sachets with newly bought items. Spread the silica in the infested area and watch the stubborn bugs die. Though effective, this method may be dangerous for young children and pets. If children and pets frequent your house, avoid this method altogether.
Freezing
Collect all non-washable items, including clothes and other items that may be infested, into a plastic bag and tie them tightly. Toss them into a freezer and leave them for at least 24 hours before taking them out. Clean off the dead bug shells and eggs.
Steam Cleaning
Set your steamer at the highest steam degree and use it to steam clean your infested furniture, mattress, and bed. Pay attention to the bed bug hiding spots like cracks, crevices, and mattress folding.
Diatomaceous Earth (D.E)
It is a slow process, but it will eventually kill the bugs. Collect Diatomaceous Earth and spread it in areas where the bed bugs have infested, leave it on for a day or two, and come clean the dead bugs and eggs. Diatomaceous Earth is exceptionally rough, and when bugs crawl over it, their fragile exoskeleton is shredded to pieces. D.E. gets poisonous when ingested; therefore, ensure it's out of reach of children and animals.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon may not be as effective in killing bed bugs, but applying it in infested places will chase them away because they cannot tolerate that strong cinnamon smell.
Tea Tree 0il
It is a very healthy yet effective method. Empty the Tea Tree Oil into a bottle and spray generously on the affected area. Besides killing bugs upon contact, this spray's intolerable and very uncomfortable smell averts bed bugs. Undiluted tea tree oil works best, but people sensitive to the strong smell can dilute it.
Peppermint Oil and Lavender
Peppermint and Lavender spray helps chase and avert bugs. This spray emits a strong smell that bed bugs cannot tolerate, and it averts them from your premises. Add 20 drops each of lavender and Peppermint oil in a spray bottle and mix with 40 water drops to spray infested areas as generously as you can.
Vinegar
Another healthy yet very effective method that kills bed bugs is contact action. Use vinegar to treat infested carpets, wall hangings, furniture, and other bed bug spots. For the best results, use vinegar and any other treatment mentioned above because vinegar does not kill bug larvae.
Rigid Brush
This method should be combined with any other bed bug-killing remedy recommended above. It may not kill very many bugs, but it is an excellent way to dislodge and get the adherent bugs and eggs out of their hiding place. Force the rigid brush over the seams of an infested place and look closely to see the bugs.
Bean Leaves
Notice the small, tiny hairs on bean leaves. These little hairs are a very efficient bed bug trap that entangles their limbs. Put bean leaves in an infested area and watch the bed bugs get trapped.
Each method recommended above is a good and effective way to kill and keep off bed bugs for a long time. But if you genuinely want to exterminate and forever forget bed bug problems in your premises, consider Professional Bed Bug Control from Rafiki Pest control experts.