A bed bug infestation is a homeowner’s worst nightmare. These tiny bugs wreak havoc as you sleep, leaving behind painful bed bug bites as they hide in hard to see corners and crevices in your home. Learning what kills bed bugs instantly is vital to eliminate these annoying insects as quickly as possible.
A common belief is that getting rid of bed bugs fast requires pest control services or an exterminator. However, there is a wide array of DIY home remedies that are great for killing bed bugs.
In this article, we prove that killing bed bugs instantly is easier than most people think. Everyday household products like essential oils, rubbing alcohol, and baking soda are great tools for bed bug treatment.
- The Importance of Identifying a Bed Bug Infestation
- Understanding Where Bed Bugs Prefer to Hide
- Signs You Have a Bed Bug Infestation
- Learning What Kills Bed Bugs Instantly
- Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Fast with Essential Oils
- Killing Bed Bugs Instantly with Silica
- Vacuuming Removes Dead Bed Bugs
- Hot Temperatures Kill Bed Bugs Immediately
- Use an Encasement to Suffocate Bed Bugs
- Handheld Steamers are Excellent for Eliminating Bed Bugs
- Trap Bed Bugs with Interceptors
- Baking Soda and Diatomaceous Earth Dry Out Bed Bugs
- Create a Vinegar Mixture to Kill Bed Bugs
The Importance of Identifying a Bed Bug Infestation
Not only do we demonstrate how to make your house bed bug proof, but we also supply information required to identify bed bugs.One of the most important things to know when eliminating bed bugs is to know popular hiding places and what the bite marks look like.
Killing bed bugs instantly is crucial so an infestation does not become a regular recurrence. If you do not effectively kill all the adult bed bugs and their nymphs, they will come back.
When a bed bug has lived under ideal conditions, it only takes two months for a nymph to become a fully grown bed bug.
Because bed bugs only feed once a week, some people believe an infestation is gone if there are no bite marks. Do not be fooled. The bed bugs are simply hiding until they need another meal.
Understanding Where Bed Bugs Prefer to Hide
Most assume that bed bugs are only found in your bed. However, bed bugs hide in your baseboards, box spring, bed frame, headboard, and other crevices. These flat red insects prefer to hide in dark covered areas where it is difficult to locate them.
An easy way to find bed bugs in your mattress or other locations is to use a flashlight and a credit card. Shine the flashlight at the area as you slide the credit card in the crack.
If you have bed bugs, they immediately appear. Since the bugs are so small, using a magnifying glass also helps you identify an infestation.
Signs You Have a Bed Bug Infestation
Before implementing a bed bug treatment, you must first know how to tell the signs that you have an infestation. There are obvious symptoms of bed bugs.
The best way to detect bed bugs is to look closely at your bed. Some of the standard identifiers of bed bugs include blood-stained sheets, rusty spots on your sheets, eggshells and shed skins, and a musty odor.
Another quick way to tell if you have bed bugs is to identify bite marks correctly. Bed bug bites are different from mosquito bites in many ways.
Bed bug bites leave a raised red welt that burns and itches. Bed bugs bite multiple times in a straight line, making it simple to know if you have to apply a bed bug treatment.
Learning What Kills Bed Bugs Instantly
Using rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, is a fantastic way to kill bed bugs fast. The alcohol dissolves the bed bug’s outer shell, effectively killing them upon contact. Rubbing alcohol also destroys bed bug eggs.
Rubbing alcohol is perfect for getting rid of bed bugs fast. In a spray bottle, pour equal parts rubbing alcohol and water. Spray the mixture on the top of your mattress and in the crevices of your box spring.
Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Fast with Essential Oils
Essential oils kill all kinds of bugs and are a great way to get rid of silverfish naturally. Additionally, there are several oils that kill bed bugs upon contact with the insect. Using one essential oil or a combination is a magnificent strategy to repel and eliminate bed bugs.
Choose one or more of your favorite essential oils to kill bed bugs and repel other bugs while leaving the room with a pleasant scent.
After selecting which essential oils you will use for getting rid of bed bugs fast, make a DIY bed bug spray by pouring ten to 20 drops of the oil into a spray bottle.
Add two cups of water and shake the solution gently. If you use lavender for bed bugs, it does not kill bed bugs but only repels them.
Killing Bed Bugs Instantly with Silica
Silica gel is often used to prevent moisture buildup in foods and other commercial products like shoes. That is not the only use for silica gel. Bed bug control is straightforward with silica gel, which kills almost every bed bug within 24 hours.
Spread a generous amount of silica gel around popular areas for bed bugs. Let the silica gel sit for a day before vacuuming up the contents. Learning what kills bed bugs instantly is simple with silica gel.
Vacuuming Removes Dead Bed Bugs
The right kind of vacuum collects adult bed bugs and nymphs. We recommend using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. A HEPA vacuum cleaner traps more contents and does not release excess dust back into the air.
Use the vacuum hose in between cracks and crevices without pushing too hard on the area. As soon as you are done vacuuming, tape the vacuum bag closed and empty it.
Some bed bugs survive a vacuum cleaner, so the contents must be completely sealed. Bed bug control is almost effortless with the correct vacuum cleaner.
Hot Temperatures Kill Bed Bugs Immediately
Washing and drying your bedding and mattress cover at the correct temperature is the simplest way for getting rid of bed bugs fast. Bed bugs cannot survive a heat treatment over 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since bed bugs are commonly found on your sheets and covers, washing them after a bed bug infestation is crucial and one of the best ways to eradicate bed bugs quickly.
Remove all washable items that have been infested with bed bugs. Place the contents in the washer and use a high heat cycle to clean your bedding. Then, dry your sheets with high heat to guarantee all the bed bugs are dead.
Use an Encasement to Suffocate Bed Bugs
A common way to avoid using pesticides and insecticides on your bed is to purchase an encasement. Encasements are like plastic bags and trap and suffocate the bed bugs on your mattress.
This easy pest management technique is a fantastic alternative to hiring pest control. When looking for an encasement, make sure it’s labeled as bite proof and escape-proof.
Cover your mattress with the encasement and leave it on for at least two days, so all the bed bugs are dead. Remove the covering and vacuum all the dead bed bugs and their eggs.
Handheld Steamers are Excellent for Eliminating Bed Bugs
An effective tool to use to kill bed bugs on couches is a handheld steamer. Bed bugs cannot survive the high temperatures that the steamer releases.
Set the temperature range between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit and press the steamer on areas bed bugs like to hide.
Another tool that works as well as a handheld steamer is a fogger. Foggers distribute a light mist of pesticides onto the surface.
The EPA lists nearly 300 different pesticides, like pyrethroid, that they suggest using for killing bed bugs instantly… Whether you use a handheld steamer or a fogger, both methods are great for getting rid of bed bugs fast.
Trap Bed Bugs with Interceptors
One of the easiest bed bug prevention tips is to use interceptors. Interceptors are excellent tools to capture and retain bed bugs that attempt to crawl up your bed frame or couch legs.
These plastic tools contain a moat that traps the bed bugs and makes it impossible to escape. We suggest filling the moat with a solution that kills the insects.
Mix the ingredients in a big container before placing a smaller amount in each of the bed bug traps. Set the traps under bedposts or couch posts and make sure the trap does not touch the wall or any nearby furniture.
Baking Soda and Diatomaceous Earth Dry Out Bed Bugs
The ingredients in baking soda and diatomaceous earth both dry out the oils in the bug, killing them immediately.
The best way to apply diatomaceous earth for bed bugs is to sprinkle a light amount on and around popular hiding places for bed bugs. If you plan on using baking soda, follow the same instructions. Let the powder sit for a few days before vacuuming the area.
Create a Vinegar Mixture to Kill Bed Bugs
Vinegar is a very acidic liquid that kills bed bugs. Acetic acid disrupts a bed bugs nervous system. We suggest using a vinegar solution in combination with another method to make sure all the bugs die.
Pour two cups of diluted vinegar and one cup of water into a spray bottle. To add a pleasant smell to the solution, add ten drops of lavender essential oil to the bottle. Spray the solvent in the cracks where bed bugs hide.
Living with a bed bug infestation is not something you have to endure. Killing bed bugs instantly is simple with everyday household products like baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and the right vacuum cleaner.
Eliminating these annoying insects is a feasible task that does not require pest control services.
If you learned what kills bed bugs instantly, share this article with tips for killing bed bugs with your roommates and family on Pinterest or Facebook.