By Kate Halim It is a nightmare to realise that your house has been infested by bed bugs. The thought of them feeding on your blood while you try to get a good night’s sleep can be upsetting and scary at the same time, especially if you have little children at home....CONTINUE READING
Bedbugs are small, oval, brown insects that feed on the blood of animals and humans. They have flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. But after feeding on human blood, they swell and turn a reddish colour.
Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces. This means they can get just about anywhere as long as there’s blood to feed on. Bedbugs live in groups in hiding places. They hide in furniture and small openings and they can move quickly over floors, walls, and ceilings.
Although bed bugs are usually more active during the night time, they aren’t nocturnal in nature. The eggs of bed bugs are so small that they can come along with visitors, luggage, used clothing, used furniture, etc.
Bed bug bites can cause harmful effects on your health such as allergic symptoms, skin rashes, itching, pain, skin discolouration, and hives. The bites can also cause anxiety, skin irritation and even an allergic reaction.
Early signs of bedbugs infestation
The first sign of bedbugs may be small, itchy bites on your skin, often on your arms or shoulders. Bedbugs tend to leave clusters of bites rather than single bites here and there. But for some people, bedbug bites don’t cause any marks or itching.
You might also notice blood spots on your sheets or mattress, bedbug poop which are little black dots, the bedbugs’ shed skin, which looks a lot like the bugs themselves, white, oval eggs that are about as big as an apple seed, a musty odour around your bed or furniture as well as actual bedbugs on your bed.
Mr George Uba, Managing Director, Nourish Clean Company based in Lagos told Saturday Sun that the first step to getting rid of bed bugs in your home is by cultivating a regular cleaning habit because bed bugs love untidy places.
Uba said it is important to get rid of things one is not using anymore at home by either throwing them away or packing them inside a container.
“Wash your bedsheets and clothes at high temperatures especially those that came in contact with the infested area; this will keep the bugs away from them. It is important to also examine the corners of your mattresses regularly for signs of bugs.”
Uba noted that one of the ways to prevent bed bugs from infesting your home is by not buying second-hand furniture and mattresses as they are more prone to be infested. He added that deep cleaning is important to keeping bed bugs away and that carpets, curtains, mattresses and upholstered items should be vacuumed regularly.
According to him, there are some homemade natural repellents to control bed bug infestation in homes and offices. Uba outlined 12 homemade remedies people can use to eradicate bed bugs from their homes.
One: Industrial Chemicals
Potent industrial chemicals kill insects they come in contact with, including bed bugs. These chemicals should be used to fumigate the house. One should spray these chemicals in crevices and corners of their rooms as well as on wooden furniture with cracks because bed bugs hide in these cracks and attack people at night.
These chemicals also kill their eggs. If you use an industrial chemical to get rid of bed bugs, you are not supposed to stay in the same room you fumigated until after 24 -48 hours to avoid organophosphate poisoning.
Two: Eucalyptus Oil
This is an excellent repellent for bed bugs. The oil of eucalyptus shows ovicidal activity and also has insecticidal properties which help to repel weeds, fungi, mites, bacteria and insects.
Take 2 drops of vodka, one litre of water and about 30-35 drops of eucalyptus oil. Transfer all these to a spray bottle and shake it nicely, then spray this solution on the bug-infested zones. Spray after every two hours to get the desired result.
Three: Camphor oil
Camphor oil can be used for repelling bed bugs. However, you must not apply camphor oil to the skin. Camphor oil can be absorbed by the skin and it can cause an allergic reaction as well as blood toxicity, especially in children.
Overdosing on camphor oil can cause nausea, vomiting, and even convulsions and palpitations. In order to use the camphor oil to repel bed bugs, you can add it to some rubbing alcohol or water and spray it around the bed.
However, this is not an efficient way of getting rid of bed bugs using camphor. You must use an integrated pest management programme, especially when you are battling a large infestation.
Four: Clove oil
Clove oil has powerful properties which can repel bed bugs and also kill them. Cloves contain an acidic pH and it also has a pungent smell, which doesn’t allow bed bugs to survive and therefore kills them.
Take about one teaspoon of clove oil and mix it in a cup of water. Transfer this solution to a spray bottle and sprinkle it on the bug-affected zones.
Five: Orange Oil
The d-limonene present in the orange oil is believed to be an insecticide. This substance is actually a nerve toxin that destroys the bed bugs within a few seconds. Take about two drops of orange oil and add to about one litre of water. Mix all the content nicely, shake well before use and spray it onto the bug-infested zones.
Six: Neem Oil
Neem oil is famous for its insecticidal and therapeutic properties. The cold-pressed oil of neem leaves is highly toxic in nature and it can be harmful to different insects. Take about some drops of neem essential oil (in concentrated form) and mix it in 2 litres of water.
Thereafter, add half a teaspoon of soap to blend it nicely. Once you are done with the solution, spray it on your sheets, beds, walls and all the possible places and corners where bed bugs can hide. For quick results, repeat this process thrice a day. Later, you can do it on alternate days for about 18-20 days in total.
Seven: Lavender Oil
This is also a very effective insecticide for bed bugs. Lavender oil kills the eggs of the bed bugs as well. Take 50 ml of water and add about 10 to 15 drops of lavender oil and mix it well by shaking, transfer the solution to a spray bottle and spray it on the affected areas.
Eight: Thyme oil
Thyme oil has insecticidal properties that can repel bed bugs easily. Take some thyme leaves and put them in net bags and place them in the affected areas. Every three days, discard the old leaves and fill the bags with fresh thyme leaves. Go on with this procedure for about one month to get a bug-free house.
Nine: Vinegar
Apart from its use in the kitchen, vinegar can also be used to kill bedbugs. However, it is important to remember that although vinegar can kill bedbugs by destroying their nervous system, it cannot kill their eggs.
Apply white distilled vinegar on the edges of the things that show signs of infestation and then spray vinegar liberally on the bedbugs. That way, they will not be able to scurry away and escape from the vinegar sprays.
Ten: Baking soda
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate also gets rid of bed bugs in homes. Baking soda works very effectively in killing the bedbugs by sucking the moisture present in these tiny parasites and this eventually causes their death.
You will need half a bowl of baking soda and a vacuum. Put the soda in all the places affected by the bugs and vacuum all the soda after three days. Repeat the process and your home will be free of bed bugs in no time.
Eleven: Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is an awesome insect repeller. This oil has the property to damage the cell membrane and thus is a very efficient insect killer, especially when it comes to killing bed bugs. Take about 50 ml of water and add two teaspoons of tea tree oil, and mix them nicely.
Then transfer the solution to a spray bottle. Spray it profusely on all the bed bug-prone areas. Use this mixture daily, but don’t forget to shake well before every spray so that it can work well.
Twelve: Oregano oil
The strong smell of oregano oil especially when mixed with ginger and cayenne pepper repels bedbugs. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl of water to make a potent bedbug repellent at home..<<CONTINUE READING>>
