5 Natural Bed Bug Repellents

What are some natural bed bug repellents?

1. Rubbing Alcohol
2. Essential Oils
3. Diatomaceous Earth
4. Powdered Pepper
5. Lemon

 

If you’ve ever woken up to itchy marks on your skin for seemingly no reason, you may have been bitten by bed bugs. Bed bugs are insects that bite humans and feed on our blood. Infestations will cause uncomfortable itches on the human’s skin. They can be present anywhere, and it is very easy to get an infestation. A solution could be by using natural bed bug repellents.

Getting rid of these pests is likely to be a pain. Pests often have the quality of being annoying, so make sure to try as many of these methods as possible to see which works best for you. Keep reading to learn more!

 

Rubbing Alcohol

The smell of rubbing alcohol is one that bed bugs can’t stand. This substance can also dry out bed bug bodies, making it potentially deadly to them. Some even claim that direct contact with alcohol will kill the bed bugs right away. If you have rubbing alcohol, try applying it in places where you suspect bed bugs to be. Hopefully, it will repel them and make them look for a different place to creed.

Be careful though, alcohol is very flammable. Just make sure to keep any sparks or open flames away from it!

 

Essential Oils

Some essential oils have been known to have some pest repellent (and even insecticidal) properties. For example, the scent of tea tree oil can repel bed bugs from an area. If you have tea tree oil for your skin, you can also spray it around your bed. It will then have a pleasant smell and it will be free of bed bugs. Lavender oil is another scent that we love but bed bugs can’t stand. If you’re looking for something more natural, then maybe orange oil will help. Peppermint oil has shown repellent properties against mosquitoes, and some people claim that they work against bed bugs as well. It would hurt to give it a try.

In any case, spraying these essential oils to affected areas should keep bed bugs away for a time.

 

Diatomaceous Earth

If you don’t know it yet, diatomaceous earth is one of the most effective alternative pesticides. It is an abrasive powder that will dry out an insect’s exoskeleton. It absorbs the protective oils that cover the insects’ bodies. If they come into contact with it, they can easily dehydrate. It’s best to spread the powder into cracks and crevices on the floor or anywhere else you think bed bugs might be hiding. But you should avoid putting it on your mattress because it can hurt your lungs.

This powder can easily be spotted and avoided by bed bugs. At first, they might fall victim to it and some might get killed, but once they learn about it, they will stay away. It then becomes a good repellent as well.

 

Powdered Pepper

Powdered pepper is something that can be found in any household’s kitchen. Aside from adding flavor to your food, it can also be used to keep away bed bugs. Pepper is another addition to the lift of scents that bed bugs don’t like and would actively avoid. Its availability and convenience make powdered pepper a good natural bed bug repellent.

 

Lemon

Citrus scents like that of lemon will help drive bed bugs away. By using fresh lemon juice, your room and mattress will smell fruity fresh and become bed bug-free. Some even claim that the acidity of the lemon juice is enough to kill bed bugs.

A study has shown that citronellic acid has some potential to repel bed bugs, but they don’t hate the scent enough to stop from feeding on a blood meal. If you want to use lemon, you might want to use it when you’re not in the room.

 

Key Takeaway

Bed bug infestations can be nasty, uncomfortable, painful, and unhealthy at the same time. Once you notice itches, or once you confirm that you have bed bugs, it is important to get rid of them as fast as you can. For temporary, at-home measures, try the bed bug repellents that we mentioned in the article above.

Natural and temporary repellents are still not enough to completely eradicate an infestation. For that, professional intervention is needed. Topbest handles pest control for termites, cockroaches, mosquitoes, other pests, and of course, bed bugs. To end all your pest problems, just contact us here for a free consultation!