Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Cleaning up and containment of infection
• Part 2 of 2: Using Natural Remedies
• Expert advice
• Tips
• Warnings

Getting rid of bed bugs is not easy. The easiest way to do this is with chemicals. Unfortunately, this option is not always suitable due to allergies, pregnancy, small children or pets. However, you can get rid of bedbugs using more natural and harmless methods. These include thorough cleaning and containment of contamination, as well as the use of natural products such as essential oils.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Cleaning up and containment of infection

1. 1 Clean up the room. Get rid of everything unnecessary. Place any unnecessary items in plastic bags and discard them. After that, it will be easier for you to deal with bed bugs.
   • If you need to temporarily remove an item from an infected room, first place it in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.
2. 2 Wash all bedding and clothing in hot water, then place in plastic bags or buckets to keep bugs out of the way. If something can't be washed, consider whether it can be dry-cleaned. You can also disinfect it in a tumble dryer for 15 minutes at a high temperature.
   • If the infestation is severe, it may be necessary to rewash everything once or twice a week for several months and even after the bugs have disappeared.
   • Be sure to also clean the area where the garments and bedding have been with a disinfectant.
   • This also applies to soft toys. Place them in a pillowcase before washing to avoid damaging the fur.
3. 3 Immediately after removing the laundry from the tumble dryer, place it in a tight-fitting plastic container. You can also use plastic bags or zip bags. Whichever you choose, you need to securely close the clean items so that the bugs do not climb into them again. Keep buckets or bags with them in another room that is bug-free.
4. 4 Vacuum everywhere several times a week. This applies to fabric items such as sofas, carpets, curtains, mattresses and upholstery, as well as hard surfaces such as furniture, parquet floors, baseboards and the like.
5. 5 Dispose of the used dust bag properly. Take it out of the vacuum cleaner and put it in a plastic bag. Tie the plastic bag tightly and discard it immediately. street trash can. Do not leave the bag in the house, or bedbugs can get out of it.
6. 6 Consider using a steam cleaner. In this case, the steam cleaner must create dry steam with a temperature of at least 95 ° C. It is precisely "dry steam" that is needed, otherwise everything will be saturated with moisture, which can lead to the growth of mold.
7. 7 Do not store items that cannot be restored. If something cannot be restored, discard it. Remove damaged covers from upholstered furniture.Clearly write “bedbug infested” or “bedbugs” on the bags containing such items and try to get rid of them as soon as possible (you may need to look for designated areas for this). This will prevent other people from rummaging through your trash, which will help them avoid bedbug infestation.

Part 2 of 2: Using Natural Remedies

1. 1 Place fresh or dried eucalyptus, lavender, mint, or rosemary in your home. Most insects, including bedbugs, cannot stand the smell of these plants. They can be used both fresh and dried. Here are a couple of ways you can use eucalyptus, lavender, mint and rosemary to fight bed bugs:
   • tie bunches of these plants and hang them in the wardrobe;
   • put the bags of these plants in the wardrobe and dresser.
2. 2 Try essential oils. For bed bugs, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, mint and rosemary essential oils are best. However, if you have pets, use tea tree oil with caution as it is toxic to them. Here are some ways you can use essential oils to fight bed bugs:
   • apply some essential oil to the bed frame;
   • add a few drops of essential oil to bedding before washing;
   • Pour a few drops of essential oil and ½ cup (120 ml) water into a spray bottle and spray the mixture on the bed, bedding, and carpets.
3. 3 Scatter some insect repellent diatomaceous earth around the room, doorways, and windowsills. Kieselguhr, or diatomaceous earth, is obtained from diatoms. It looks like a powder, but diatomaceous earth from bedbugs looks more like glass chips. Kieselguhr kills bedbugs and prevents them from entering the house. Although diatomaceous earth is considered safe for humans and pets, do not swallow or inhale it.
   • Do not use diatomaceous earth made for swimming pools or food purposes. It is a small grain and may be harmful to you.
4. 4 Place tumble dryers on the mattress. Find 8-10 antistatic tumble dryers and place them between the mattress and the bed frame. Place another 8-10 napkins on the mattress under the sheets. The strong smell of anti-static wipes will keep bed bugs away.
   • Consider putting 1-2 anti-static wipes in your pillowcase, wardrobe drawers, and dresser drawers.
   • Bedbugs seem to dislike the smell of lavender especially. Try lavender-scented anti-static wipes.
5. 5 Use impervious pillowcases and a mattress cover. They are made from special materials and do not have seams or other hidden places in which bed bugs can hide. Plus, they are easy to wash and help keep bed bugs out of your pillows and mattress.
6. 6 Purchase some bug traps and place them under each leg of your bed. This will prevent bedbugs from moving from the floor to the bed. If you don't find these traps, take plastic bowls or cups and place them under the legs of your bed. Pour some soap and water into each bowl - if the bugs try to climb onto the bed, they will drown in this water.

Expert advice

• Once you spot bed bugs, act immediately. If you can find bed bugs at a fairly early stage of infection, before they have spread throughout the house, you can get rid of them yourself. This will take diligence and perseverance. First of all, you should inspect the whole house. Start in the bed and carefully examine every crevice and crease with a powerful flashlight.
• Vacuum the bugs, or kill them with rubbing alcohol or by hand. You can easily kill bed bugs once you find them. For example, you can vacuum up the bugs (throw away the dust bag immediately after that) or wipe the contaminated surface with at least 80% isopropyl alcohol.
• Consider hiring a specialist if you are having trouble figuring out exactly where the bugs are hiding. For example, our company carries out comprehensive pest and parasite control, that is, we try to use as little insecticides as possible. We use specially trained dogs to detect odors, which allows us to obtain fairly accurate information about where the bugs are concentrated. This helps to select the appropriate parasite control methods.

Tips

• Do not move things from infected areas to rooms where bedbugs are not present. Otherwise, the infection will spread to new areas.
• If you need to remove anything from a contaminated room, first place it in a tight-fitting plastic bucket. This will prevent the spread of bedbugs.
• Do not quit all measures immediately after the bugs disappear. Continue to fight them for another 1-2 months. Eggs laid by bedbugs may remain in the house. New parasites often hatch even after the adults have disappeared.
• Place a baby powder trap under each bed leg. The powder will strangle the bugs that get caught in it, which will allow you to protect yourself from their bites. Instead of baby powder, you can also use diatomaceous earth, which effectively kills bedbugs.
• Wrap the legs of the bed from the floor to a height of 8-10 centimeters with double-sided tape. Then, depending on the thickness of the legs, place them in suitable, smooth, unlabeled tins.

Warnings

• Tea tree oil is effective in repelling bed bugs, but it is toxic to cats and dogs. Do not use it where your pets are often.