Pillow bugs, scientifically known as
Small, dark spots of bed bug feces can be indicators of the insects' presence. A sweet, musty scent may emanate from infested pillows, mattresses or sheets, as well. Laundering your pillow and pillowcase may temporarily rid those items of bed bugs.
Bed bugs can hide in pillows, although far less frequently than they hide in mattresses. Pillows offer several things that bed bugs consider when they set up a harborage: The pillow is right next to you, so you're easy to access for feeding. The underside of the pillow is dark.
A: Bed bugs have a low tolerance to heat. If the idea of bed bugs hiding out in your pillows is keeping you up at night, put your pillows in the dryer on medium to high heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, but only if manufacturer's instructions allow. This can kill bed bugs at all stages of life.
There is nothing more that these pesky insects enjoy than nesting themselves in your bedsheets, duvet and pillows. That is why it's vital to clean these bedding essentials regularly. When it comes to your bedding items, ideally you should wash and dry them on high heat if you have a bed bug infestation.
High temperatures kill bed bugs, so wash your pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers at 40c or higher or put them in the dryer on a high setting for 30 minutes. Do this weekly to ensure they don't come back!
Toss them in your washing machine on the highest heat setting then follow up with a high heat cycle in the dryer. This will kill adult bed bugs immediately.
Wash everything on a high temperature or sanitary cycle for at least 30 minutes. Placing everything in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes will also kill bed bugs and larvae. Immediately after you're finished putting clothing in the washer, tie up and throw out the empty garbage bag in an outdoor trash bin.
Peppermint
One of the most researched solutions for keeping bed bugs away is peppermint. This plant can provide a smell which bed bugs and other pests hate. The scent will drive any pest which will keep your home pest-free and fresh at the same time.
Lemon (Or Any Citrus)
Like many other animals, bed bugs hate the smell of citrus plants. Citrus, particularly oranges and lemons, will smell gross to them. As a result, most bed bugs will not want to stick around this aroma for too long. There are several ways to make this work for you if you want to repel insects.
Remove sheets, pillows, and any clothing, towels, stuffed animals, or textiles that may have been exposed to bedbugs, and carefully seal them up in heavy-duty garbage bags. When you're ready, remove these items and loosely pack them in the dryer. Run it on the hottest cycle for 30 minutes to kill any bugs or eggs.
Instead, the most frequent causes of a bed bug infestation are due mostly to accidental and random reasons. They are usually brought into the home by hitching a ride on infested items, including furniture, suitcases, clothing, purses, and backpacks.
A bed bug treatment using heat kills bed bugs immediately, but there is no residual. A chemical bed bug treatment can take a few weeks, but it leaves a residual which provides continued protection from bed bug re-infestation.
It's best to keep the infestation localized to as few rooms as possible. This will also make remediation easier. Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home.
Tea Tree Oil Spray
This miraculous essential oil has anti-parasitic properties, making it an effective natural insecticide in fighting bed bugs. For a quick and easy bed bug solution, mix two teaspoons of tea tree oil with 50 ml of water and pour it into a spray bottle.
Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells.
Bed bugs are not known to spread pathogens through their bites. Bed bug bites can be itchy and stressful. Do not squish a bed bug as it will release the blood and any pathogens it may be carrying.
Bed Bugs will try to live as close to their food source as possible. They can often be found directly on the mattress in the tufts and folds, along the seam, and even inside the mattress. They can also be found in the box-spring, bed frame, headboard and furniture near the bed.
Technically, bed bugs can live through a cycle in the washing machine. The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs. As we mentioned above, bed bugs do not tolerate heat.
A: Look for signs of bed bugs on your pillows, such as tiny, flat, reddish-brown insects, their eggs, or dark fecal spots.
Although bed bugs certainly prefer living in mattresses, they can infest carpet, too! Instead of burrowing into the carpet, the bugs will stay close to the surface. This makes it easier to vacuum them up!