Grass from Bedbugs

These insects, as a rule, cause despondency for two reasons: firstly, bedbugs multiply quickly, and there are many of them in the apartment; secondly, it seems impossible to find a remedy that can cope with them. Bed bugs bring trouble to every corner of the apartment: furniture becomes a haven for adults and their larvae, mattresses are covered with bites, and traces of their presence remain on any horizontal surface. Walking barefoot on the floor is risky due to the risk of bites and unpleasant odors following you everywhere. What was once a cozy home for people and pets now becomes the territory of new, uninvited residents.

Bed bugs that live next to people have a certain way of life: they begin their invasion by occupying one place in the apartment, and as their numbers increase, they move to new corners, capturing one room after another. However, they can be helped: for example, by placing a pregnant female along with her bedspread on the nightstand in the living room. This may lead to unexpected results when moving them. Even after bedbugs leave the house, they can leave it in a depressing state.

Bedbugs are amazingly resilient insects that can withstand cold, reproduce rapidly, and adapt to the chemicals used to kill them. That is why it is important to begin destroying them immediately after detection. To quickly and effectively solve the problem, it is recommended to use a combined approach, including several methods of combating these insects. For example, thorough treatment of the room can be supplemented with non-traditional folk remedies to get rid of bedbugs.

What to do with bedbugs

These insects are true survivors: each new generation is slightly more resistant to insecticides than the previous one. This is why chemicals that were effective against bedbugs fifty years ago are now useless. Spending money on chemicals that won't help seems not only unsuccessful, but also a waste of time. Not many people enjoy staying in their apartment under the control of unwanted guests.

However, we have a powerful arsenal of drugs that can help in this difficult fight and expel uninvited visitors. And what’s surprising is that you probably already have these products at home, either in your medicine cabinet or in your flowerbed.

Before starting the treatment process, it is necessary to find out where the bedbugs have set up their camp, as this affects the effectiveness of the action. You should not hope for instant results: bedbugs are skillful secretive insects and choose shelters that are not immediately obvious. When searching, it is best to pay attention to folds in mattresses, stuffed bed linens, furniture legs, the back of the carpet and between the fibers, and gaps between peeling wallpaper and the wall. Once you find places that bedbugs love, you can begin to fight them.

How to deal with them using folk methods

Getting rid of bedbugs on your own is a difficult but doable task. If you do not have the opportunity to call professionals to carry out professional disinfestation, the question arises of independently combating these insects. The information we provide here will be helpful if you decide to resolve your bedbug problem yourself. We will consider only those products that can be found in your home or purchased at the nearest non-specialized store. In this situation, herbs and household chemicals will help you. Let's start with the last one.

With the help of chemistry

It is not necessary to contact the sanitary and epidemiological service if you need to treat your home with chemicals. There are most likely products in your home that can combat bedbugs. Let's consider several methods:

1. Water vapor. This method is based on thermodynamics rather than chemistry. It involves using a steam cleaner that heats water and produces steam. Research shows that both larvae and adult bedbugs die from steam treatment within 10-15 seconds. However, it is important to treat every corner of the room, otherwise all efforts will be in vain.
2. Kerosene. A mixture of kerosene, seventy percent alcohol and camphor or naphthalene creates unpleasant conditions for bedbugs. This method can be effective, but the smell can be offensive.
3. Turpentine. Similar to the kerosene method, but with the addition of turpentine, which is mixed with boiling water. This method also requires careful application and temporary departure from home.
4. Vinegar. Vinegar is a reliable method that can be used in a variety of situations. However, it is only effective when in direct contact with bedbugs. When using vinegar, it is important to spray every inch of furniture several times to ensure it remains moist after treatment.

Keep in mind that these methods may require time, care, and patience, but when used correctly, they can help you control bed bugs without professional help.

How to get rid of it with plants

Getting rid of bedbugs using herbs comes down to one thing: you need to choose plants whose smell bedbugs cannot tolerate. The taste or appearance of these plants does not affect the behavior of bedbugs in any way. Your ally in this fight are phytoncides, special substances contained in various parts of plants, from which bedbugs flee because of their smell. The pungent aroma of these plants overcomes the smell of human blood and forces insects to leave the apartment.

Among the popular folk remedies are the following herbs against bedbugs:

Tansy: Tansy is universal and can be used both fresh and dried. If bed bugs are keeping you up at night, you can tear up fresh tansy leaves and apply them to your skin. As with other anti-bedbug herbs, the main focus is on the smell of the phytoncides released by this herb. Therefore, you can count on a restful sleep, surrounded by an aroma, as if tansy was blooming around you. However, this grass alone may not cope with insects if they have been living in the apartment for a long time. To do this, you need to prepare a decoction with a high concentration of tansy essential oils. This decoction should be used to treat areas where bedbugs live, for example, in the bed area. However, the disadvantage of this method of fighting insects is its fragility: the broth quickly dries out, ceases to smell, and the bugs come back.

Sagebrush: Wormwood, according to many reviews, is one of the most effective plants in the fight against bedbugs. This versatile plant can be used throughout the home. It is usually placed near areas where bedbugs live, but there is another method. You can prepare an alcohol tincture of wormwood and spot treat the areas where insects are found with this product. The disadvantage of this method is its cost: the product is quite expensive. To successfully treat an apartment with wormwood tincture, you will need a lot of alcohol, and the smell of wormwood is certainly not pleasant. In addition, preparing wormwood tincture takes about a month, and every day without wormwood can negatively affect the condition of the apartment.

Dalmatian chamomile: Dalmatian chamomile differs from other species of this plant in its large flowers. The essential oils of this chamomile contain pyrethrins, substances that repel and even paralyze parasites. If you are not allergic to pollen, the scent of chamomile will not harm you. This herb can be used if you don't want to deal with the aroma of mugwort or tansy. Dalmatian chamomile is rarely found in pharmacies, but can be found online, usually in powder form. Spread the grass evenly in bedbug habitats and wait a few days. The smell will remain in these places for some time, but then it will disappear and the insects will return again.

Ledum: Ledum, also known as bedbug, is a poisonous herb with the highest content of essential oils against bedbugs. Insects are especially afraid of wild rosemary leaves collected in the warm season, from approximately May to September. Ledum can be used in powder form, and can also be used to cover a room by setting the leaves of this herb on fire.

Are herbs effective?

Herbs such as wormwood or tansy do not kill bedbugs, but only repel them. If bedbugs have just appeared in the house and have not yet laid eggs, general cleaning and herbs placed throughout the house can repel them. However, if insects have been living in the house for several weeks, wormwood or tansy are unlikely to be able to cope with them. Therefore, it is recommended to use herbs as an additional remedy in the fight against bedbugs, and not the main one.

It is important to remember that any mistakes or negligence in the process of exterminating bedbugs can lead to an increase in their numbers.

F.A.Q.

What do bedbugs carry?

It is believed that bed bugs can transmit diseases, but there are no reliable studies that clearly confirm this fact. It is important to distinguish them from ticks, which are known carriers of many dangerous diseases.

However, it is possible that the following diseases may be associated with bedbugs:

• Anthrax,
• Hepatitis B,
• smallpox,
• Tuberculosis.

How to cope with itching after a bug bite using folk remedies?

One way is to dilute baking soda in water and soak gauze or bandage in the resulting solution. Then apply this cloth to the bedbug bite area. The popularity of soda in these cases is explained by its antiseptic properties, which soothe the burning and itching from bites of various insects, including bedbugs. You can also soothe the itching by using mint or dandelion juice, cooling it before applying it to the bitten area. This method is especially useful in natural settings, where mint and dandelion can be easily found everywhere. If you don't have any of these remedies at hand, regular tea will help, which is also a universal remedy for soothing irritated skin.

Which herbal is most effective?

Among the plants that are used at home to combat bedbugs, wild rosemary is considered the most effective. This plant is poisonous, and its effectiveness against bedbugs can hardly be overestimated. However, there are other herbs that can also be used to treat things around the house:

• Geranium,
• Mint,
• Basil,
• Rosemary.

However, despite some positive properties of natural remedies and the effectiveness of some herbs, traditional methods of controlling bedbugs are best considered as temporary measures. Ultimately, when the situation gets out of control, the best solution is to seek help from professionals from the sanitary and epidemiological service. Even strong plants like wormwood or wild rosemary probably won't be able to control bedbugs alone. In terms of financial costs, calling specialists from the SES can be as expensive, if not cheaper, than constantly trying to treat with herbs every time. However, herbs can be useful if you decide to do a preventive treatment, such as spraying the tincture on furniture or creating an atmosphere that bed bugs don't like by setting a plant on fire near your bed.