How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Naturally

I know this is not something you really want to read about but if you get these scummy things in your home, you will want to know how to get rid of bed bugs naturally. Bugs and insects belong outside and away from people, so learn all about natural pest control today!

This information turns my stomach but it’s important to know should you find evidence that they have taken up residence in your home. The earlier you find them, the easier it is to get rid of bed bugs naturally.

Where to locate the bed bugs

The first thing you can do is locate where the bed bugs and eggs are located. Grab a flashlight and a magnifying glass to help your search.

They are most likely to be found in these places:

Seams and crevices of your mattress
Box spring
Bed frame
Headboard
Night stands
Dressers
Peeling wall paper
Baseboards
Curtains
Window frames
Back of wall hangings
Appliances
Edges of wall-to-wall carpeting

If the infestation is large, they may have moved beyond your bedroom. Another place to check is upholstered chairs and sofas in your home.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Add sealed plastic to your mattress and box spring encasements, which will prevent any leftover bugs from escaping and so they eventually will die. Be aware that adult bed bugs can live up to one year without feeding, so do not remove the encasements for a long time. Just as the encasements prevent escape of bugs, they also protect your bed from new invasions.

Sometimes, the bed, box spring, and bed frame have to be discarded, but it is probably best not to do this until you know that the infestation is under control otherwise you risk your new mattress also becoming infested.
Another thing you need to do is get rid of clutter, as this will only provide bugs with more places to hide.
In addition, to reduce places where bugs can hide, you also need to make sure to fix any cracks and crevices in walls, wallpaper, and so forth. However before doing this, you need to treat these sites and other areas such as the baseboards, edges of the carpets, and all other locations with a natural product such as Diatomaceous Earth. It is not toxic to humans and pets, but it is to bed bugs. Be sure to do this for several weeks, because you may miss some bed bugs, and new ones may hatch. It is not recommended that you put this type of product on beds and bed linens.

When putting bed linens back on the bed, ensure that they never make contact with the floor.

Bed linens, clothing, and stuffed animals need to be laundered in hot water and dried on high heat for at least 20 minutes. This will kill all bed bug stages. After this, you need to put the clean clothing and stuffed animals in sealed bags to prevent re-infestation. When putting bed linens back on the bed, ensure that they never make contact with the floor. Move your bed away from the wall and ensure that the only contact the bed has with the floor is its four legs.

You need to monitor for the continued presence of bed bugs and prevent them from being able to get up your bed and into other furniture too. To do this, you can place the legs of your bed inside metal tins or glass jars of soapy water, and/or coat the legs of the bed with petroleum jelly or double-sided tape. Alternatively, you can purchase bed bug traps that can do the same thing.

Hopefully, you never need to put your knowledge of how to kill bed bugs to use. However, if you do, the information above will give you a good chance of getting any infestations under control once and for all.

Natural Pest Control – Repellents and Treatment