What scents and smells keep bed bugs away?


Dave Campbell

If it is the first-time bed bugs have infested your home, you probably don’t have an idea of what action to take. These nasty pests can make your house a truly uncomfortable place. They can prevent you from enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep, embarrass you when they bite guests, and even cause some health problems, such as itchy skin, irritated skin, allergic symptoms, and many other common issues. That’s why you need to do everything you can to get rid of bed bugs from your property. However, it is almost impossible to physically flash all of them out because they normally hide during the day and come out at night to feed. Fortunately, there’re certain scents that bed bugs hate, and you can use them to kill or rid bed bugs from you home. Let us find out what scents keep bed bugs away. Let’s begin!

What scent keeps bed bugs away?

1. Tea Tree Oil

Although this essential oil is popularly known for fighting acne and bacteria, tea tree oil is among the most effective solution you can use today to fight bed bugs. Tea tree oil aids in repelling bed bugs effectively as the scent dismays the pest and forces them to leave your home.

Once they smell it, they will immediately run away or start dying, since the essential oil not only releases an annoying odor for them but also can affect their exoskeleton severely. If you’ve tea tree oil at home, look for the areas where bed bugs are actively infesting or hiding and start spraying. This way, your home will not only smell great but will also be free from these annoying pests. However, if the tea tree oil does not work, you can try other solutions that are available below in this article or seek professional help as fast as possible to resolve your problem.

2. Rubbing Alcohol

Bed bugs are challenging to deal with, but rubbing alcohol is another obvious solution to repel these pests. Bed bugs hate alcohol, especially the smell; thus, it’s an effective solution to your problem. The rubbing alcohol dries the bed bugs bodies, which can eventually cause them to die. Using this scent is excellent for your property because the odor released by rubbing alcohol prevents bed bugs from laying more eggs in your home. When they smell it, they will leave your property and start searching for another breeding place. Also, more than half of the bed bug’s population is eliminated when you spray the rubbing alcohol.

If you’ve rubbing alcohol at home, do not only use it to disinfect your body but use it to get rid of bed bugs as well. Some people have found it to be an effective hair treatment for bed bugs. You will surely kill most of these pets by directly applying it to them, and you will again enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep as usual. However, you use alcohol carefully since it can cause fire hazards, which are very dangerous.

3. Lavender Oil

Lavender is a plant you can grow at home as it is a popular insect repellent. It releases a great odor that most individuals love but hated by insects or pests like bed bugs. It’s from this plant that the popular lavender oil is extracted. Using the leaves or applying the oil or from the plant can be very beneficial in eliminating these pests from homes. You can easily spray the oil in your home or directly on areas infested by the pest to successfully remove them. The smell will surely drive those annoying creatures away, which will allow you to have a peaceful time at home again. Additionally, lavender oil not only keeps bed bugs away, but it’s a proven remedy for enhancing sleep. Lavender oil is also non-toxic, making it very safe for use at home. You are just required to apply enough in all rooms that need liberation from bugs.

4. Blood Orange Oil

Have you ever come across blood orange oil? If yes, then this is one of the best natural ways to repel bed bugs. Applying this essential oil on mattresses and bedding has been proven to be the most successful way to kill bed bugs. The blood orange oil scent keeps bed bugs away from your home and even prevents them from returning. Spraying the oil on the surface of the pillowcase, mattress, and clothes can effectively repel the pests. For the scent to be easily spread around your room or house, you can also put the oil in a diffuser. Also, you can apply blood orange oil directly on the pests, which will indeed get rid of them in a very short time. Sometimes the process might take long before the smell gets to the bugs, but it is always worthy of waiting. Once the scent spreads in the whole room, you can be assured of having a peaceful night’s rest without any bug biting and feeding on your blood.

5. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is another natural pesticide that is very rough on most pests. The majority of pest experts recommend using DE as a perfect solution for bed bugs control. This pesticide is made from the powder extracted from fossilized algae. The powder is what pests like ants, bed bugs, and cockroaches fear the most since it causes dehydration, which leads to the death of the pests.

Diatomaceous earth destroys bed bug exoskeletons by absorbing any fluids found in their body systems. Also, the powder produces a pungent smell that bed bugs hate the most. The scent will swiftly get rid of the pest and may as well not return. To eliminate all the bed bugs, even those hiding, just sprinkle the powder all over the place. The best thing about DE is that you can purchase the powder in stores near you or even online. To keep your home clean, ensure you vacuum or clean the DE and dead bed bugs. By simply using Diatomaceous earth, you will resolve your bed bugs problem in no time. It can also help prevent the spread of bedbugs to other rooms.

6. Powdered Pepper

If there are one smell bed bugs hate, it’s that of powdered pepper. Powdered pepper is typically found in our homes as it is a popular cooking ingredient. The powdered pepper releases a type of scent that no bed bug can like to come across. It can also prevent adult bed bugs from laying more eggs, leaving them with no option but to leave or die. Sprinkling powdered pepper will leave your home bed bug-free as the scent and the active ingredients found in pepper will effectively scare the pests away. The best thing about powdered pepper is that you can purchase it from almost any store near you.

On the other side, if you don’t have time to buy, let a pest control company in Mooresville do the work. However, much precaution is necessary when applying pepper in the house to avoid hurting yourself or others.

7. Lemon

Lemon has a pleasing scent to humans, but for bed bugs, it is death. The smell of fresh lemon irritates bed bugs to the point that they’ve to run for their lives, thus helping you eliminate the problem once and for all. To kill or scare them away, you will have to use fresh lemon juice since it has severe properties that are harmful to the pest. If you’ve lemons at home, use it to keep the pests away by spraying it around the infested areas.

8. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is another natural pesticide that is safe for home use and an enemy of bed bugs. Bed bugs cannot handle the smell of cinnamon scent. You can sprinkle the powder all over your house and get rid of bed bugs permanently as the effect can last in a room for a very long time. Cinnamon is not only effective for eliminating bed bugs but can also take care of other pests lurking around the house.

9. Peppermint

Peppermint is among the most effective scents that get rid of bed bugs and numerous other pests around the house. This plant can provide a smell that forces bed bugs and other pests to crawl and leave your residence permanently. You can spray peppermint oil around your house or use the leaves to release its smell. Using peppermint regularly will keep bed bugs away permanently. It is also safe to use diluted on your skin or hair.

10. Neem Oil

Neem oil is extracted from Neem tree seeds. It is among the most popular natural pesticides worldwide. If you’ve neem oil at home, you can use it to eliminate bed bugs from your residence. Most pests dislike the scent from Neem, and they avoid this tree as much as possible. Neem oil doesn’t only prevent bed bugs but mosquitoes as well.

Conclusion

Bedbugs can profoundly interfere with your life quality. They can make you hate bedtime and even prevent you from inviting visitors to your residence. Take advantage of the above scents and eliminate these annoying pests from your home. However, if you don’t succeed getting rid of the bedbugs despite using most of them, you should seek help from a professional pest control company. Do not forget to clean your home regularly to prevent pests from breeding in your household or property.

Refernce: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bed-bug-expert-explains-defend-yourself/

 

Dave Campbell

I'm Dave Campbell and the owner of deadpestz.com. You can read more about me and my background on my About Me page.

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