Bed bugs are annoying insects that cause great trouble in a person's relaxing time.
These insects are small and flat in size with a reddish brown appearance. They are generally found in both clean and dirty environments. Usually they are transferred from one place to another by means of clothing and touch induction. The bed bugs feed on human blood. They can survive for long periods without any food intake. Before the World War II these pests were under complete control by using insecticides like DDT. Soon after the World War II, the use of insecticides were restricted and this lead to the growth in their population.
Again the growth in their population is favored by decrease in habitation land which further caused integration of habitation. All these turned out to be the contributing factors for the enormous increase in population of those unwanted insects. Generally, they are found in beds, mattresses, bedding boxes, linens and curtains. Their presence can be identified by pointing out the red spots on the back of a person and sometimes scattered blood stains on mattresses and linens. Today, their population has increased so much that the so-called home remedies for bed bugs hardly control the immense problems caused by them, but at least they can help fight against smaller issues.
If the bed bugs are closer to the surface of the bed, then spraying with alcohol or sometimes vacuuming can help a lot to fight against such problems. For the sheets and removable fabrics, the bed bug invasion can be controlled by means of a drier until they die. But in the cold and hot season one can just keep the mattresses and linens in contact with sunlight so that the bugs get killed due to heat exposure.
Home remedies for bed bugs control
- Initial or the first remedial step towards bed bug control is vacuum cleaning. One can vacuum clean the bed fabrics, as sometimes the bed bugs lie deep within the fabrics making it very difficult for the average vacuum cleaner to pull them out. It really helps to remove all the bugs, any dead skin and other feeding materials that bugs like to feed on and thereby can control their invasion to some extent.
- Spraying insecticides is not an effective way to treat bed bugs. Most of the insecticides are recommended for outdoor use, and thus their inhalation through air is harmful for indoor usage. Such sprays can cause skin irritation. Thus, one must opt for people friendly insecticides which do not cause any harm to the person using it. In this respect diatomaceous earth is a famous name. It is a chalk like material which is harmful to bed bugs instead of human beings.
- The bed bugs thrive well in temperate conditions, that is to say environments which is neither too hot nor too cold. Thus, one can use this temperate condition to check their population. A prolonged exposure to very hot weather or very cold weather can kill them effectively.
- Another home remedy for bed bugs is to control the pest invasion at the surface by using chemicals but not at the deeper levels. Thus, it is better to apply them after locating the pests.
- Above all, the most effective and guaranteed way to get rid of them is by hiring a professional pest controller or exterminator for a complete sweep although expensive.