If you have a bed bug infestation, there are various home remedies to help get rid of them; some of which haven’t been scientifically tested and may even cause harm to yourself and/or family members.
One of the more effective home remedies for bed bug problems is spraying a few drops of rubbing alcohol onto your mattress as a contact pesticide, which will kill most of them while still possibly keeping some in the home.
Mint Leaves
Mint leaves offer many health advantages, making them a versatile source of nutrition that supports immune health and cell protection. Their beneficial ingredients include phosphorus, calcium and vitamins C, E and A that strengthen your body against damage to cells.
Mint leaves have antibacterial and antifungal properties that make them an excellent natural treatment option to combat bed bugs. You could try creating a spray from freshly chopped mint leaves mixed with water to discourage bedbugs from coming inside your home.
Peppermint oil from mint plants contains menthol, which disrupts bed bugs’ nervous systems and ultimately leads to their deaths. Furthermore, its larvicidal action on mosquito larvae kills them within 24 hours after coming in contact with it.
Ginger, cayenne pepper and oregano oil make an effective bed bug repellent mixture that you can boil together before pouring it into a spray bottle to fill the room with their powerful scent.
Beauveria Bassiana
Beauveria bassiana fungus offers a natural remedy to combating bed bugs, with evidence proving its efficacy against many pests including bed bugs while remaining safe for both humans and animals.
Researchers from Penn State University conducted tests with a biopesticide made up of fungus to control bed bugs. It proved to significantly decrease survival of bed bugs, making it ideal for transport to hidden locations to target individuals hiding from detection.
Spores can penetrate the body wall of bed bugs, multiply inside their bodies, and absorb nutrition and moisture before killing them.
Fungus can be utilized as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) plan, though this method does not kill all bed bugs; rather it requires special equipment and knowledge of their unique lifestyle to be effective.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass can be one of the best natural solutions for bed bug infestation. As an insecticide and fungicide, it has long been proven to effectively rid oneself of bed bugs.
Antimicrobial properties of tea tree oil allow it to effectively kill bacteria and fungi in your home environment, making it ideal for disinfection purposes. Furthermore, tea tree oil serves as a powerful mosquito and ant repellent, helping keep mosquitoes and ants at bay.
As part of your kitchen arsenal, fresh citrusy flavoring can add zesty zestiness to soups, stews, sauces, roasted meats, salads or marinades.
Aromatic ginger root is an increasingly popular ingredient in herbal tea blends and spirits cocktails, thanks to its fragrant, refreshing aroma.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is an effective natural remedy against bed bugs that’s easy to use – simply mix some tea tree oil with water in a spray bottle, spray it onto any bed bugs you find and apply.
However, sprays won’t do much until multiple applications are made; therefore it should be combined with other effective strategies for ridding yourself of pests and keeping your house tidy.
Tea tree oil does not kill bed bugs on contact; rather, it must penetrate their system and suffocate them – this is due to their many air duct-like canals in their bodies and sole reliance on these passages for breathing.
Make sure that your tea tree oil spray kills every bed bug by creating a concentrated solution with 7 to 10 drops per liter of water, along with some dishwashing soap or ethanol to aid in mixing.