Bed bug infestations are notoriously difficult to deal with. Frustrated homeowners often turn to DIY remedies like essential oils, rubbing alcohol, or diatomaceous powder to repel these pests. However, not all solutions are backed by science, and relying on ineffective methods may allow the infestation to worsen and spread throughout your home.
In this blog, we’ll explain how these pests sense their environment, what repels bed bugs, which popular deterrents are worth trying, and why professional treatment is the safest way to get rid of bed bugs permanently.
How Bed Bugs Sense Their Environment
To understand how to get rid of bed bugs, it’s important to not only understand what causes bed bugs but also how these pests navigate their environment and find hosts.
Bed bugs use a combination of body heat, carbon dioxide (CO₂) from breathing, and natural skin chemicals to locate humans. This is why they tend to emerge at night when people are asleep. Certain strong-smelling substances may disrupt these sensory cues, making your environment less appealing to bed bugs.
What Do Bed Bugs Hate?
If you’re wondering what repels bed bugs to protect your home, it’s important to use substances that have been shown to interfere with their behaviour, and to be aware of which popular DIY methods are largely ineffective against infestations.
Common DIY Remedies That Bed Bugs Hate
1. Tea Tree Oil for Bed Bugs
Many homeowners turn to tea tree oil for bed bugs as a natural deterrent. The strong, herbal scent can interfere with the pests’ ability to track body heat and skin chemicals. When applied to common hiding spots, the strong scent may disrupt the bed bugs’ sensory cues, making the area less attractive.
How to use it: Mix tea tree oil with water (approximately 15–20 drops per cup) and spray along cracks, seams, and entry points. Reapply regularly, but keep in mind that tea tree oil alone will not eliminate a full infestation.
2. Lavender Oil for Bed Bugs
There’s a common belief that lavender oil for bed bugs can repel or even kill these pests. Its floral scent may interfere with the pests’ ability to locate hosts by masking body heat and skin chemicals. However, while lavender oil may help deter bed bugs temporarily, it’s not an effective long-term solution.
How to use it: Mix 15–20 drops of lavender oil with water in a spray bottle. Apply the solution to bed frames, baseboards, cracks, and seams where bed bugs hide. Reapply every few days, but keep in mind that lavender oil alone will not eliminate an active infestation.
3. Blood Orange Oil for Bed Bugs
Using blood orange oil for bed bugs has become a popular DIY remedy due to its strong citrus scent and naturally occurring compounds like limonene. These compounds may overwhelm bed bugs’ sensory receptors, making it harder for them to locate hosts.
How to use: Combine a few drops of blood orange oil with water in a spray bottle. Apply to bed frames, seams, and cracks and repeat as needed.
4. Diatomaceous Powder for Bed Bugs
Diatomaceous powder for bed bugs is one of the most popular natural remedies for reducing infestations. This fine, fossil-based powder works by damaging the protective outer layer of bed bugs, causing them to dehydrate and die over time.
How to use: Sprinkle a fine layer of diatomaceous powder along baseboards, bed frames, under furniture, and in cracks. Leave the powder undisturbed for several days to maximize its effect, then vacuum and reapply as needed. Use alongside professional pest control for comprehensive results.
5. Rubbing Alcohol for Bed Bugs
Many people turn to rubbing alcohol for bed bugs as a quick, on-contact solution. The alcohol evaporates rapidly, drying out and killing bed bugs by damaging their protective layer. It can also kill exposed eggs. However, it doesn’t penetrate deep hiding spots and carries safety risks due to its flammability.
How to use: Spray a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol directly onto live bed bugs, eggs, and along seams, cracks, and other hiding spots. Avoid using near open flames or heat sources, and never rely solely on rubbing alcohol for bed bug elimination.
Note: Although the substances listed above can disrupt how bed bugs sense their environment, the effects are temporary at best. DIY methods should only be used as a supplemental measure and never as a substitute for expert bed bug treatment.
DIY Bed Bug Solutions with Limited Effectiveness
1. Lemon Juice and Bed Bugs
Some homeowners try to use lemon juice on bed bugs as a natural deterrent, believing the strong citrus scent will repel these pests. Lemon juice is often associated with antibacterial and cleaning properties, which makes people assume it can discourage bed bugs from nesting.
However, there’s no scientific evidence to support the idea that lemon juice effectively repels or kills bed bugs. While the scent may temporarily mask human odours that bed bugs use to locate hosts, it does nothing to eliminate an infestation. At best, it may offer a short-lived, false sense of protection.
2. Powdered Pepper for Bed Bugs
The use of powdered pepper for bed bugs is a popular online remedy, based on the idea that spicy or irritating substances can keep pests away. Some believe the smell or texture of pepper will drive bed bugs out of hiding.
However, bed bugs are not deterred by pepper alone. They’re driven by body heat and carbon dioxide, not food-based scents. Pepper provides no proven barrier against them, making this method ineffective for real bed bug control.
How to Remove Bed Bugs from Clothes: Step-by-Step Laundry Guide
While it’s possible to deter bed bugs from specific areas of your home using DIY methods, only professional treatment from experienced bed bug control companies like Bed Bug Exterminator Pro can fully resolve an active infestation and prevent it from returning.
DIY solutions often fall short when it comes to fully eliminating bed bugs, especially in severe or widespread infestations. Bed Bug Exterminator Pro offers comprehensive, proven treatments designed to target bed bugs at every life stage, helping you restore your home quickly and safely.
The longer you wait, the harder bed bugs are to control. Trust Bed Bug Exterminator Pro to provide fast, effective solutions with guaranteed results, protecting your home before the problem escalates.
