Why are bedbugs afraid of smells?
Bed bugs are sensitive to odors: there are aromas that attract them, and there are aromas that they fear and “hate.” While "hate" suggests an emotional component, and it is doubtful that bed bugs (or any arthropods for that matter) are charged with emotions, there are still scents that irritate bed bugs. Bed bugs will avoid surfaces or areas where these substances are present in sufficient quantities.
The smells of plants are effective weapons. Small pests do not tolerate the strong aromas that characterize some varieties of flowers and herbs.
Scientists have found that ether affects the internal cell membranes of insects, thereby causing their death.
Composition and action of "The Executioner"
The consistency of the drug is a lemon-colored oily liquid. However, it should be remembered that the original form is a concentrate, which must be diluted with water. Average proportional dosage per 10 sq. m is 30 ml of the drug per 1000 ml of water. Treating an apartment against bedbugs costs 0.5 liters of solution (a standard one and a half liter bottle).
The percentage of solution used depends on the area and object of the contaminated area.
The “bed bug extermination” operation includes fleas and xodid mites. Therefore, it is quite possible to use an insecticidal agent against other annoying insects: ants, indoor cockroaches, and flies.
From the history of tests it is known that people fought in this way even in field conditions, where there is a weathering factor in the open area being disinfected. That is, treating an apartment for bedbugs is an average level of complexity for this product.
The principle of using strong odors to repel bedbugs is simple and logical. Bed bugs, like many other insects, navigate by smell. The sense of smell of these parasites is tens of times more powerful than that of dogs. Smells serve them for communication, reproduction, migration, scaring off enemies, as well as nutrition - it is by smell that they find a person and select an area of skin to bite.
When a powerful and pungent aroma appears in an infected room, insects literally “go blind”, losing the ability to distinguish other odors against its background. This means they won't be able to find the human body. In addition, this will greatly irritate the insects and significantly reduce their activity.
We suggest you read: At what water temperature do bedbugs die?
What essential oils repel bedbugs?
Essential oils have a strong scent, so they are more effective than herbs and are used to prevent and control bed bugs. It is well known that bed bugs cannot tolerate camphor oil, the smell of wormwood or patchouli. There is quite a lot of this information in other articles on our website. But there are other essential oils that are persistently advertised by advocates of traditional methods of fighting bedbugs. Let's take a closer look at whether it is possible and necessary to use essential oils against bed bugs.
Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is a good all-purpose essential oil. It has earned a reputation as a good insecticidal, fungicidal, antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiseptic oil.
Since it is also good for treating and healing wounds, if you suffer from bed bug bites, you can apply some of these topically to your skin. This is in addition to treating your room with this oil.
Bed bugs don't like tea tree oil, but to kill them, you need to use tea tree oil undiluted and spray it on each individual bed bug. However, you cannot do this without risking harm to yourself. This is because undiluted tea tree oil is toxic; if you ingest it, you will harm yourself more than bedbugs. This means don't spray it around the room unless it's diluted. You won't be able to spray it near one of the hiding spots they frequent or electrical outlets.
Rosemary oil - destructive smell
In the East, wild rosemary is often used medicinally to treat bronchitis, tuberculosis, gynecological diseases and liver diseases. In addition to medicine, wild rosemary can help fight bedbugs, moths and mice. The grass will be beneficial due to the tannins it contains.
Insects do not want to live in an apartment or house where the rosemary smell hovers. Against bed bugs, apply the oil of this plant to household furniture and clothing.
Lavender
Lavender oil can kill bed bugs, as can tea tree oil. But in order to kill them, it must be applied directly to them. But like tea tree oil, lavender oil is really strong. This is why it is recommended to use a diluted version of this oil.
This is one of the essential oils that seems to have a comfortable scent for people. This can make it more enjoyable to splash around your bedroom. As another benefit, the aroma of lavender is known to promote sleep due to how relaxing it is. Since bed bugs can be a source of stress and can keep people up at night wondering if they're crawling around near you, this would be the perfect remedy for a little relaxation.
But if you want to prevent an attack with this scent, you can only be partially successful. Supposedly, bedbugs, like many other insects, do not like the smell of lavender. This hardly prevents hungry animals from enjoying blood.
It's only when bedbugs are looking for a hiding place to lay eggs that they turn away from the smell of lavender and choose a better-smelling alternative. A bag of lavender in your bed or a lavender candle in your room won't stop bedbugs from biting you or laying eggs in a well-hidden crevice. Hygiene and regularly changing and washing bed linens are much more effective methods of preventing bed bug infestations.
Thyme oil
Thyme oil acts as an insecticide and can kill and repel bed bugs. But like some other essential oils, thyme is not safe in its undiluted form, especially for pregnant women and children.
If you spritz your bedroom with thyme oil, you can reap some of the oil's other benefits. It is believed to strengthen the immune system, kill bacteria, relieve anxiety and even increase blood circulation. While this won't solve your bed bug problem, it's good to know that you're getting added benefits by trying to protect yourself from the pests.
One warning: If you plan to use thyme oil mixed with a lotion or carrier oil to protect your skin from insects, ask your doctor first. Since it can increase your blood pressure, hypertensive patients should skip this type of oil and choose another one.
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is known to have a very strong smell. Some people cannot stand its smell. But people aren't the only ones who mind the smell of peppermint oil—bed bugs don't like it either.
But, if you use peppermint oil as a bed bug treatment, you may notice other benefits. If you use it mixed with a lotion or with a carrier oil, it can help relieve tension from sore muscles.
Clove oil
Clove oil provides a similar effect to bed bug spray when vaporized in an aroma lamp. If the infestation is large, it is necessary to install several aroma lamps. Alternative: a pan of boiling water to which a sufficient amount of clove oil has been added.
It is important to close doors and windows so that the home remedy can work properly. If you subsequently find dead parasites, they can be easily removed using a vacuum cleaner.
Lemongrass oils
Lemongrass, a plant, is often used in Asian cooking and is a popular ingredient for tea. While it may be delicious, bed bugs don't share our enthusiasm for lemongrass.
Lemongrass oil can be deadly to bed bugs and is believed (though not confirmed) to stop egg laying and if new bed bugs cannot hatch, they cannot take over as the old bed bugs eventually die off.
The scent of lemongrass oil is pleasant, but it's really strong—as you might guess from the name, it has a lemony, citrusy scent. The scent of lemongrass is known to help you relax and relieve minor aches and pains such as headaches, stomach aches, and muscle aches.
If bed bugs are not the only pests in your home, you can use it to get rid of other insects as well. It is supposed to repel mosquitoes and ants, as well as any fleas or lice that are bothering your dog. But don't use it on your cat—it can damage her liver over time.
Other essential oils (Thieves, Palo Santo)
There is an interesting blend of Thieves essential oils.
Thieves Essential Blend is often called a miracle blend. This is a very powerful mixture that not only repels bed bugs and other insects, but is also beneficial for health. We recommend purchasing this mixture; it can also be useful as a detergent, oral care product, hand sanitizer, disinfectant and oral cavity spray, and much more.
Contains essential oils: Cinnamon, Clove, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Rosemary.
The name "Thieves" translates as "Thieves". This name comes from the ancient history of the 16th century, when robbers used a mixture of spices: Cinnamon, Cloves, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary to protect themselves from the plague that was rampant in the cities at that time. Safe for children.
To combat bed bugs and keep your home clean, you can use this mixture to clean countertops and floors, kill germs on surfaces and in the air, and clean pet cages and bowls. This mixture destroys and eliminates mold, ideal for washing dirty dishes and killing germs without chemicals, washing, cleansing and refreshing bathrooms and bathrooms. You can add a few drops to your washing machine to completely kill germs and eliminate odors. Add a few drops to the dryer for a fresh scent. Use the mixture to easily clean the car interior; it will not damage the upholstery, and you will not bring bedbugs home from guests.
You can make your own spray against bed bugs: add 12 drops per 250 ml of water to a spray bottle and spray around the house.
When bitten by a bedbug, the oil should be applied (diluted) to the wound to neutralize the venom and relieve itching and pain.
If you do not have bedbugs, but you are very afraid of their appearance, you can try using Palo Santo oil - a South American analogue of oriental incense. Palo Santo means nothing more than a sacred tree and is therefore used by the South American shaman to enhance perception and purify people, animals and places. Palo Santo in its culture is a great protective plant that is based on healing ceremonies, expels negative energies and opens the mind to visions. Using this aroma, you will heal your nerves and boost your immunity, clear not only your apartment of bedbugs, but also your own aura from negative expectations and fears.
Have you ever heard of blood orange oil? If yes, then this is your answer to your bed bug problems. This essential oil is proven to be one of the most effective solutions as it can successfully kill the pest. Its scent can keep pests away from your home and prevent them from returning. Spraying the oil on the surface of your mattress, pillowcases, and clothing can repel pests. You can also put the oil in an aroma lamp to spread the scent throughout your home or room. Plus, you can apply it directly to the bed bugs, which will really get rid of them quickly. The process may take some time, but it will always be worthwhile.
Efficiency: myth or truth?
Many people believe that strong-smelling plants can effectively repel and remove bedbugs. This is only partly true - you can scare them away, but you can’t get them out. The fact is that the smells of phytoncides, which are contained in the plants described above, only irritate bedbugs and depress their sense of smell. And although tansy, wormwood and lavender in high concentrations can have a nerve-paralytic effect on insects, the required concentration cannot be achieved at home.
Any remedy that is unable to kill bedbugs cannot be considered effective - bedbugs quickly adapt and will soon stop responding to a new irritant. Using herbal or chemical repellents will only temporarily stop nighttime attacks. The maximum duration of action of any repellent is no more than a week.
To remove bedbugs from a house or apartment, you need to kill the insects and their eggs. Chemical insecticides cope best with this task. They contain nerve agent poisons, or substances that disrupt the digestion of bedbugs, leading to the rapid death of the pests. Insecticides remain on treated surfaces for a long time, creating a protective effect - those bugs that will soon hatch from eggs will also be poisoned.
It is recommended to use herbal and chemical repellents only to prevent infection, or to reduce the intensity of attacks - such protection will allow you to calmly prepare for a thorough disinfestation.
Preparing the premises
You can purchase any spray with essential oils or prepare the solution yourself and use a sprayer to treat the apartment.
Look for bed bug control sprays with long-lasting effects. Thanks to its long-lasting effect, the product reliably protects against new attacks. Bed bug spray can be used to keep bed bugs out of attics and closets.
Remember your basic safety rules regarding diluting oils before using them in your home. And if there is a pregnant woman in the family, you should be careful when using essential oils, especially if you are using them topically.
How to properly use ethers in the fight against bedbugs
There are also strong-smelling mineral products such as diatomaceous earth. Essential oils give off an intense odor that should be as unpleasant to insects as turmeric, which even has an antibacterial effect.
The best place in your home is scented candles or small bowls of these products. For hard-to-reach corners and joints, a spray containing diatomaceous earth is also suitable. The mineral powder contains microparticles with sharp edges that damage the chitinous shell of bedbugs and cause the animals to dry out.
And everyone, be realistic. Don't rely only on essential oils!
Only on vacation, if you do not have the opportunity to wash worn out, sweaty clothes before traveling home, it is useful to use essential oils:
- But you should still ventilate used clothing well before packing it in your suitcase.
- Next, pack your clothes in a well-sealed plastic bag and place a few bags of scented pouches in your luggage.
- Close the bag and put it in your suitcase.
- It is possible that bed bugs can be repelled by the strong scent of essential oils from the eggs in your clothes.
- At home, when you open the laundry bag in the bathroom, take out the bags with the smell of essential oils, immediately wash the laundry in the washing machine at a temperature of more than 60 degrees Celsius.
As a precaution, dispose of used bags immediately, place them in the trash outside, away from your home, and purchase new ones for your next vacation.
Recipes for making your own sprays and scented pads
Bedbug Recipe I:
- 1 glass of water
- 10 drops Thieves essential oil
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
Application: mix everything together in an aerosol can and spray on the affected areas.
Bedbug Recipe II:
- 1 glass of water
- 10 Pots Thieves Essential Oil
- 5 drops geranium essential oil
- 5 drops cedar essential oil
Application: mix everything together in an aerosol can and spray on the affected areas.
These mixtures can also be sprayed onto the affected areas before cleaning. After 30 minutes you can vacuum.
Please note: only use a vacuum cleaner with a replacement bag and dispose of it immediately after cleaning.
Scented pillows:
Take any filler, maybe herbs, maybe cotton wool. Add to it:
- 10 drops Thieves essential oil
- 5 drops geranium essential oil
- 5 drops cedar essential oil
- 2 drops Palo Santo essential oil
Mix everything well. Fill the mixture into small bags and place them in the right places. It's a good idea to take used and dried tea bags and drop the essential oil mixture directly onto them.
Professional pest control companies often return multiple times until the problem is resolved. So don't be discouraged if the bed bugs don't go away the first time! Simply continue to scent your home and bed with safe and effective essential oils.
Attention!
Allergy sufferers, young cats and other pets may react painfully to essential oils, and detoxification may occur on a physical and mental level.
Everything at once in the form of a collection
From all of the above you can prepare a multi-spray against annoying bedbugs. To prepare it you will need: a couple of bay leaves, thyme, lavender, eucalyptus, a few drops of rosemary.
Everything that is taken whole must be dried. Herbs are placed in sewn bags or bundles and soaked in drops of concentrated oils (eucalyptus, rosemary). The remedy is almost ready, all that remains is to place the rescue kit next to the bed.
You can prepare a decoction from the above list of herbs. Each component is taken in one teaspoon; in the case of oil variants, they are taken in 20 drops. The herbs are poured into a container with 0.5 liters of water. After cooling, the product is poured into a sprayer and the flooring, walls, joints, baseboards, furniture seams, bedding, and bed are treated. Perhaps suitcases and bags also need to be sprayed.
Tags: bug, lavender, oil, essential
About the author: admin4ik
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