They feed on your blood and that is why you often find yourself with bite marks upon arising. Nope, they’re not vampires, but bed bugs! Those creepy crawlers should be taken seriously because they can invade your entire home in no time. Usually, signing up professional exterminators is the smartest way to zap those bed bugs once and for all.
Hiring the pros doesn’t come cheap. So if you feel that your bed bug infestation case is the low-level kind, you may try dealing with those blood-sucking pests through some DIY solutions if you want to save some cash. But first, let us take a quick look at some of the telltale signs that there are bed bugs lurking in your home:
- Tiny bite marks on your skin in the morning
- Your linens have small brown or dark red spots
- Pale yellow matters which are actually skins that growing bed bugs shed off
- Live bed bugs which you may observe using a magnifying glass
It can be somewhat challenging to determine if bed bugs are present most especially if there’s low-level infestation. However, upon confirming their presence, it is a very good idea to spring into action right away to keep the problem from getting out of hand, causing you to spend lots of money on professional extermination. Here are some of the best ways to get rid of those bed bugs on your own:
1. Minimize the places in which bed bugs may nest. Use caulk which you may easily buy at home improvement stores to cover cracks on the walls and floor. It’s also a good idea to eliminate clutter in the room.
2. Sprinkle baking soda on potential hiding places. If you are itching to get rid of them and caulk is not available, count on baking soda. Placing a lot of it in their nests is an effective way to kill those pesky insects.
3. Drench them in rubbing alcohol. Rather than buy one those costly and toxic bed bug killers, opt for rubbing alcohol instead. Arm yourself with a magnifying glass and flashlight, and douse those in sight in rubbing alcohol.
4. Pick them up with duct tape. Consider yourself lucky if you are able to spot a bunch of those creepy crawlers on flat surfaces. Use a strip of duct tape to pick them up. Seal used duct tape in a plastic bag and throw out.
5. Apply lavender essential oil on areas where they may be hiding. Bed bugs hate the smell of lavender. Aside from the essential oil, you may also sprinkle some fresh lavender flower and leaves on trouble spots.
6. Drive them away with mint leaves. The smell of mint leaves is another thing that bed bugs loathe. That’s why it’s a good idea to place crushed mint leaves where it matters — on the box spring, tight corners of the couch, etc.
7. Suck them out of your home with a vacuum cleaner. Go through corners and hard-to-reach places to suck out adult bed bugs and their eggs. Afterwards, seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose of properly.
8. Exterminate them with your steam cleaner. Since bed bugs cannot stand high temperatures, you may use your stem cleaner to kill them off while they’re in their potential hiding places.
9. Rely on your hair dryer. Got no steam cleaner at home? Relax. All you have to do is arm yourself with your trusted hair dryer. Place it on the highest possible setting and let the hunt for bed bugs begin.
10. Wash your linens, blankets, curtains, etc. in hot water. Also, you might want to dry them using the highest possible setting. Once dry, seal them in plastic bags as you proceed with eliminating bed bugs in your home.
11. Place various items under the scorching heat of the sun. It’s also a great idea to let nature do the hard work for you — by leaving your couch, pieces of furniture, mattress in the sun right in the middle of the day.
12. Cover your mattress and box springs in plastic for several days. This home remedy will trap bed bugs inside, causing them to starve to death. You may also do the same on small pieces of furniture.
