What are bed bug populations afraid of and how can you get rid of them quickly?

The appearance of bedbugs in the house can be noticed by the characteristic bites that appear on the skin after sleep. Such a neighborhood is not a pleasant one: blood-sucking parasites continually cause new damage, disturbing the peace of the owners - this, in turn, can soon lead to insomnia and a nervous breakdown.

But bedbugs, like other insects, also have their own weaknesses, which are simply necessary to know in the fight against parasites. For example, many people are interested in whether bedbugs are afraid of light, and what will happen if you don’t turn off the lights all night. This article provides the answer to these questions.

Are bedbugs afraid of light?

It is believed that bedbugs are repelled by light. Indeed, if you wake up at night and turn on the lamp, insects try to hide behind something. This is why people think that leaving a light on all night will stop them from biting. They leave the lamp on for 1, 2, 3 days - no new bites appear. But then the bugs crawl out of their hiding places and attack with renewed vigor.

Constantly switched on light changes the habitual way of life of parasites. They are used to being active in the dark, so they wait for its onset for several days. All this time they remain hungry. When hunger becomes too severe, they have to leave their shelters to avoid dying. The result is complete adaptation of insects to light. Therefore, it is effective against them only for a short time.

Removing bedbugs using an ultraviolet lamp

Ultraviolet and quartz lamps are used in medicine to disinfect premises. They emit ultraviolet light in the frequency range that is capable of resolving the DNA of microorganisms. Such radiation is also harmful to humans. It causes dry skin and leads to premature aging. High-intensity light can cause retinal burns.

If ultraviolet radiation is harmful even to humans, are bedbugs afraid of ultraviolet lamps? Yes, their eyes are very sensitive to light, which can blind them. But vision is secondary for parasites. They spend most of their time in the dark and navigate only by smell. Therefore, briefly turning on an ultraviolet or quartz lamp will not bring the desired effect.

In order for ultraviolet light to kill a bug, it must be exposed to light for 4–5 days. Then the light will cause dehydration and death of the insect. You can’t keep the lamp on for that long at home. A person will receive more harm from it than from the bite of a bed parasite.

Powder that bedbugs are afraid of

ECOKILLER is a natural insecticide based on diatomite. It is sold in bottles with a long and narrow dispenser tube. With its help, you can pour the powder into all places where bedbugs can hide: behind the baseboard, sofa, bed mattress and small crevices. After a day, the house needs to be wet cleaned. If parasites are detected, the procedure is repeated.

How does Ecokiller work?

Here are the advantages of ECOKILLER:

• The product has no odor.
• Diatomite is not addictive to insects.
• The powder is safe for humans and animals. It is often used to produce dietary supplements and vitamin-mineral complexes.
• The product is used sparingly. For processing an apartment of 50 square meters. one bottle of 500 ml is enough. You can order it here.

The fight against bedbugs requires urgent measures. Parasites can be removed using different methods. But those products that harm bedbugs are also dangerous for humans. Therefore, they cannot be used in a home with children. In this case, it is better to use an alternative and no less effective method, which is to treat the home with diatomaceous earth powder. After contact with it, bedbugs will die within 7–9 days.

• Ecokiller bed bug repellent 150 ml.

  ₽ 149,00

• Ecokiller for bed bugs 500ml.

  ₽ 349,00

Conclusion

Bedbugs are nocturnal hunters, attacking a soundly sleeping victim at the quietest time of day. The reference point for them is the sound of blood in the vessels and body heat.

In the process of evolution, they developed the ability to produce an enzyme that anesthetizes the wound on the skin from a bite. This allows the bloodsucker to feed peacefully without the threat of being crushed.

The main motive for attacks on the victim (human or animal) is hunger; Parasites can hunt when the light is on at night, and during the day - in case of prolonged starvation.

Do smells repel bedbugs?

Couch bloodsuckers have a developed sense of smell. They smell a person at a distance of up to 3 meters, and carbon dioxide released during breathing - at a distance of up to 30 m. Therefore, it is believed that treating the home with strong-smelling compounds helps repel bedbugs. Is it so?

Vinegar

Vinegar has a pungent odor. Therefore, it can act as a repellent, but not longer than 6 hours. It should be borne in mind that acetic acid is often diluted with water before use to obtain a solution with a weak concentration. In this form, it will not be able to spoil the furniture and decoration. But then the smell will disappear in half an hour.

To get the desired effect, you will have to treat the apartment with vinegar essence. But concentrated acid not only damages property, its fumes cause burns to the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract. Therefore, using vinegar against bedbugs is either useless or dangerous.

Tar

It is a resinous product that is obtained by dry distillation of wood. It contains resins, phenol, toluene, cresol, benzene, toluene and other substances. They have a strong odor that penetrates into materials. It is impossible to remove it later, but it can take months to disappear on its own.

Despite the strong smell, tar does not work any better than vinegar. During the first days, parasites can remain in shelters. But when hunger becomes stronger than fear, they will still crawl out and get your blood. But your apartment will smell for a long time.

Bleaching

Bleach is used to bleach fabrics and disinfect premises. It smells strongly and causes a burn upon contact with the outer shells. That's why bedbugs are afraid of her. To remove them from the apartment, you need to wash the floors and other surfaces with water and bleach. To prevent burns, you should work with gloves.

You can also use bleach to control bedbugs. It needs to be scattered in all corners, crevices, and secluded places. It will disrupt the integrity of the bug's shell and lead to the death of the parasite. The price of such a victory is the unbearable smell of chlorine, which can cause poisoning and pulmonary edema.

Attention! Bed bugs are afraid of bleach. But it cannot be used in large quantities at home, because it is no less toxic to humans than to insects.

Flammable substances

If bed bugs appear in a house, people advise treating it with gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene. The point here is not so much the smell, but the resinous consistency of the liquid fuel. It clogs the sensilla - the respiratory organs on the surface of the bug's body, through which oxygen enters (insects do not have a nose). As a result, the parasites suffocate.

To get rid of bedbugs using gasoline, kerosene or diesel fuel, you need to thoroughly treat all surfaces and crevices in which bloodsuckers can hide. Then they will inevitably touch the fuel while leaving the shelters. The problem is that flammable vapors are highly toxic to humans. Another danger lies in creating a fire hazard - the house can burst into flames from the slightest spark.

Essential oils

It is believed that the use of essential oil is effective against bedbugs. Presumably they are afraid of essential oil:

• nettle;
• rosemary;
• chamomile;
• carnations;
• lavender;
• peppermint;
• tea tree.

Using essential oils in their pure form is dangerous for humans and is ineffective in the fight against bedbugs. In order for them to smell the smell, you need to force the ether to actively evaporate. This can be done by diluting a few drops of oil in vodka. The alcohol contained in it is highly volatile and promotes better evaporation of substances dissolved in it.

You can make your own repellent using essential oils. This is the name of the odorous product that bed bugs are afraid of. To prepare it you will need:

• 60 ml water;
• 30 ml vodka;
• 10 drops of peppermint and lemon (grapefruit) essential oil;
• 8 drops of lavender essential oil;
• 5 drops of geranium oil;
• 3 drops of rosemary, cypress and vanilla oils (can be replaced with patchouli and myrtle oils).

All components must be mixed until smooth and placed in a spray bottle. Homemade repellent should be used daily on living rooms and furniture. The advantages of this product are safety for humans and a pleasant aroma at home. The disadvantages include the low efficiency of the method. Over time, bedbugs will get used to the smell, and it will no longer repel pests.

Attention! Many essential oils are contained in the peel of citrus fruits. You can place them under the sofa, behind the bed, near cracks and other hiding places.

Plants with a pungent odor

Scented plants act like essential oils. Bed bugs do not like the pungent smell of plants such as:

• tansy;
• sagebrush;
• marigold;
• chamomile;
• calamus (root);
• mustard (seeds).

There are several ways to use herbs in the fight against bedbugs. You can lay out sprigs of tansy or wormwood on the floor, put them in a closet with linen, or tuck them into the folds of upholstered furniture. But when they dry, the aroma from them will decrease. It is difficult to pull out branches intact from secluded places - they become fragile, causing them to break and leave behind debris.

Another way to use herbs against house bugs is to prepare decoctions. For 1 liter of water you will need 20–30 g of dry grass, inflorescences, roots or seeds. They are placed in a pan and filled with water, placed on the stove. The herb and inflorescences should be boiled over low heat for 5 minutes, seeds - 10 minutes, roots - at least 20 minutes. Then the broth is cooled, filtered and used as a repellent.

Preparing a repellent based on herbal decoction takes a lot of time. But the method is not highly effective. Another disadvantage is that herbal infusions leave stains that are difficult to wash off on fabrics.

Seasonings

It is popularly believed that bedbugs do not like the smell of bay leaves, vanillin, rosemary and cloves. We have already concluded above that “aromatherapy” in the fight against bedbugs is ineffective, and it gives only temporary results. Therefore, seasonings should be used only in combination with other, more effective methods. They can be placed around the house in whole branches or sprayed with the prepared decoction.

Solvents

Acetone and turpentine also have a strong odor. However, bed bugs are afraid not of the smell of solvents, but of contact with them. They corrode the shells of insects, which leads to their rapid death. Despite the ability to exterminate parasites, the use of acetone and turpentine at home is undesirable because:

• solvents are toxic to humans;
• they dissolve paintwork;
• spoil fabrics and other materials;
• They leave behind a persistent unpleasant odor that does not disappear for a long time.

Tar or laundry soap

You can try to repel bedbugs with a soapy smell. Laundry or tar soap are more suitable for this purpose. They leave lingering odors even after drying. For humans they are harmless and quite tolerable. Another advantage of the method is that the soap film that envelops the bug interferes with its breathing. This can lead to the death of insects. But in order to treat parasites with a soap solution, you will first have to find their nesting sites.

Medicines

Among the medicines used in the fight against bedbugs, ammonia and Vietnamese balm “Zvezdochka” are used. Ammonia quickly dissipates, but the balm not only has a persistent odor, but also irritates the body of the bug upon contact. After all, it represents a high concentration of essential oils. But for processing at home you will need as much balm as you will not find in any pharmacy.

A solution of boric acid is also sometimes used in fighting. It doesn't actually harm bedbugs. They are not afraid even of its smell. The product is mistakenly used against bed bugs because it is effective against cockroaches. But the latter die from ingesting acid, while bedbugs feed only on blood.

Essential oils

It's the same here as with herbs. Only if some herbs smell unpleasant, then people love essential oils, because they seem to fight bedbugs, and, it seems, there is a divine aroma in the apartment.

But you already understand that if a bug is faced with a question of life and death, either it crawls out and bites a person at the smell of some tea tree oil, or it is dying of hunger, it will crawl out and bite.

By the way, turpentine should be included in this same category - this is also an essential oil from different parts of coniferous trees. It just doesn’t smell as pleasant to humans as eucalyptus oil. But bedbugs don’t care; they react to turpentine the same way as to any other oil.

In the same category, Zvezdochka balm is a mixture of fat-based essential oils with the same inaction on bedbugs as pure aromatic oils.

Various perfumery products are completely similar to oils: perfumes, colognes, deodorants. To some extent, bedbugs will bite a heavily perfumed person less aggressively, partly because the smell of perfume will mask the smell of sweat and carbon dioxide, which bedbugs focus on when searching for a person. But perfumes cannot reliably protect against their bites.

On the effectiveness of electronic repellers

In recent years, electronic repellers against all pests have gained wide popularity. They are really effective against rodents, moles, birds and even mosquitoes. But in the case of bedbugs, the devices are useless. Bed bloodsuckers are not afraid of ultrasound, electromagnetic or other radiation, because they do not have sensory organs capable of perceiving it.

Is it possible to drive away bedbugs by starving them?

Bedbugs need food 2 to 7 times a week. Therefore, some people think that leaving home for 1–2 weeks is enough for the insects to die of starvation. This raises the question: are bedbugs afraid of the lack of a nearby food source?

If the search for food is unsuccessful, the insects fall into torpor. They can live in this state for several months. If, having “awakened” they do not get blood again, death is assured. But how many families are willing to leave home for many months?

Are bedbugs afraid of pesticides?

Yes, bed bugs are very afraid of pesticides. But they do not cause fear in them, so they do not have repellent properties. However, upon contact with the insect's body, drugs called insecticides lead to their destruction. Here are the means that can be used to treat residential premises:

• aerosols (Dichlorvos, Combat);
• suspensions (Xulate Micro, Get Total);
• liquid chemistry (Executioner, Karbafos).

The advantage of using insecticides is the high efficiency of treatment. But it must be carried out twice with an interval of 10 days in order to destroy the larvae that have hatched from the eggs by this time, but have not yet reached puberty. Another disadvantage of the chemical is that over time, bedbugs develop resistance to it. Its development can be eliminated only by major treatment of premises, which is carried out by specialized organizations using the hot fog method.

Attention! Insecticides are toxic to humans and animals. Therefore, after using them, you need to leave the apartment with your pets for several hours.

Folk remedies

In addition to using herbs against parasites, folk remedies include several effective recipes from improvised products:

• Mix baking soda and vanillin in equal proportions. Scatter the resulting powder in secluded places, potential locations for bedbugs.
• Combine salt (4-5 tablespoons) with vanilla, in the amount of one dessert spoon. Pour the mixture under sofas, beds, carpets, and behind baseboards. Leave for 2-3 hours, then vacuum. Even after cleaning, the room smells pleasant to humans, but unbearable to insects.

But bedbugs are not at all afraid of garlic, despite its pungent aroma.

Are bedbugs afraid of high and low temperatures?

Bedbugs need a stable temperature. When it drops to +9 oC, they stop reproducing, and when it drops to negative temperatures, the parasites fall into torpor. Therefore, there is no need to freeze in an unheated apartment in winter - the bloodsuckers will wait until the warmth returns. But you can destroy them with high temperatures. Depending on its size, the death of insects can occur instantly or after some time (see table).

At home, you can treat cracks and other secluded places with a clothing steamer. If it is missing, replace the device with an iron. As a last resort, use a hair dryer turned on at maximum power. However, hot air is less efficient than steam. Therefore, you need to treat furniture more carefully with a hairdryer.

Attention! SES employees treat the premises with hot fog, which is a concentrated solution of insecticides. It also ensures instant death of bed bugs.

Habitat

It is important to understand that frightening agents do not kill insects, but drive them out of their homes or do not allow them into the entrusted territory. Therefore, they rather serve as prevention and a barrier, but do not help to completely destroy mass accumulations.

Every living organism exists comfortably in conditions acceptable to itself, bedbugs are no exception.

Temperature

Bed bugs come from tropical countries, so they prefer warmth. The optimal temperature regime for their life is from 20 to 30 °C, typical for apartment conditions. When the column rises or falls, the parasites stop reproducing and try to quickly leave the room that is uncomfortable for them.

Trying to get rid of bedbugs by adjusting the temperature is a futile exercise. This is acceptable only in industrial premises, since a low or high temperature must be maintained constantly, for at least six months.

For home use, the option of freezing or heating is suitable. In the first case, things and interior items are taken outside in winter for at least two days. In the summer, they are packaged in bags and placed in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

The second option involves scalding bedbug nests with boiling water. Furniture, carpets and other flat surfaces are treated with a steam generator.

Light

Since bed bugs are nocturnal, they are thought to be afraid of light. Indeed, insects crawl out to feed on human blood from 3 to 6 am. This phenomenon has nothing to do with light.

It is safer for parasites to bite a sleeping person when he is unable to resist. Starving parasites also crawl out during the daytime. So people who are used to sleeping during this period of time are also in danger from bloodsuckers.

What exactly are bedbugs afraid of?

Here are the means and methods that will definitely harm bedbugs:

• boiling water;
• hot fog;
• use of insecticides.

To combat bedbugs, diatomite is also used - this is a rock consisting of the shells of diatoms. It is ground into powder, the particles of which have abrasive properties. When they land on the bedbug’s body, the waxy coating of the carapace is damaged. The damage increases the evaporation of moisture, which leads to the death of the parasite from dehydration.