Bed Bug Repellent – Does It Work?
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Don’t allow bed bugs to bite you! Find out the effectiveness of repellents for bed bugs, what you should do to protect yourself from bites, and how to eliminate those blood-sucking insects.
The notion of having this fast-growing urban pest in your house and bed is enough to send any person seeking out an insect repellent as soon as they can. Knowing that the existence of thousands of tiny brown bugs in your mattress sucking your blood at night disrupts your sleep.
Still, it can also be enough to alter your psychological state and negatively impact your health and well-being.
If bed bugs have bitten you, you might consider investing in a pest repellent (spray, cream, lotion) on your skin to keep them away and stop any future bites.
But, can these repellent insecticides help to keep away bed bugs from biting you? Here is some information.
Traditional insect repellents are not effective in keeping bed bugs or bites
As per the research of Dr. Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., an associate professor of Urban Pest Management at Virginia Tech’s Department of Entomology, they examined a variety of insecticides that repel bed bugs and discovered that none of them were effective against bed bugs.
He tells MSNBC:
…we are aware that bedbugs are stubborn creatures, and I think it’s difficult to stop an unfed bed bug. Furthermore, the repellants you purchase for mosquitoes will only last for a few hours before they begin to fade.
If you use a mosquito repellant before getting in the bed, some of the substance could be absorbed onto your sheets and other bedding items.
In addition, the bed bugs are more at their peak between three and five a.m., which is about a half-hour from the time you’d apply repellant before going to bed. In the end, a repellent might stop you from getting bitten or two, but I don’t believe they can significantly deter the appetite of a bed bug 
These results have also been further confirmed by the University of Kentucky. According to them:
However, the conventional insecticides used for skin repellents, like Off (DEET) to stop mosquitoes and ticks from entering your skin, aren’t shown to work against bedbugs.
The idea of trying to prevent being infected by applying insect repellent before the night is not recommended. Even if you sleep with your lights on, it isn’t likely to stop hungry bed bugs from coming in
Suppose you’re seeking an insect repellent for your luggage to stop bed bugs from slipping unnoticed on your luggage and clothing returning to your residence. In that case, you might use the bed bug repellent from JT Eaton.
Watch the demonstration of the product and find out details about bed bug repellent on this page
Other Frequently Asked Repellent Methods For Killing Bed Bugs
Does Lysol Kill Bed Bugs?
Similar to the common insecticide spray, Lysol itself will kill bed bugs, but only if you spray directly on bugs with it. The areas that have been treated and sprayed with this disinfectant keep bed bugs away when they are still wet. Once it has dried, they will come back.
Does Alcohol Kill Bed Bugs?
Alcohol kills bed bugs upon contact and can be used as a bed bug spray. Although it can be used temporarily to repel bed bugs, it must be used frequently to stop an infestation because it does not last long enough on the substrate to keep killing insects. Therefore, it’s not the most effective method to eliminate bed bugs forever.
Does Bleach Kill Bed Bugs?
It is not recommended to use bleach to kill bed bugs. Bleach can damage carpets, mattresses, furniture, mattresses, and paint, and it can cause skin irritation. It is advised to use it to kill bed bugs on things you can wash or other hard surfaces that are safe for bleach.
Does Boric Acid Kill Bed Bugs?
Boric acid is commonly employed as an insecticide and a repellent to control termites, cockroaches, silverfish, and other insects. But it is a stomach poison. The commercial products manufactured to draw in common insects are ineffective on bed bugs because they are attracted by carbon dioxide and consume blood. Boric acid is particularly harmful to animals and small children and could cause severe kidney damage if consumed carelessly.
In the end, bed bugs are resourceful and a very tough pest. There are no biologically-proven bedbug repellents that are 100% effective in warding off their bites.
Even if there is a repellent lotion or lotion to treat skin, it is not enough to slow the growth of their population, which could turn into an entire bed bug infestation in the apartment or home and make future elimination more challenging.
Treating Bed Bug Bites
To quickly relieve the itching caused by insect bites from the bed, you are advised to clean the part with mild soap and then soak it in warm water for around 30 seconds, reducing the irritation.
After washing, you may apply an antihistamine or cream for no-itch.
The most recommended topical creams that contain a steroid to treat bed bug bites include hydrocortisone ( Cortaid Intense Therapy Moisturizing Cream, for instance) which can help end the itching and eliminate any rash fast.
Methods to Prevent, Treat and Kill Bed Bugs
There are various ways to treat and prevent bed bugs more effective than bed bug repellent.
These methods can assist you in eliminating bed bug infestations and stop bed bugs from occurring in the first place.
Mattress Encasement
There are mattress encasement solutions with the words “allergen rated” or “for dust mites” available, which will kill and prevent bed bugs.
Once enclosed, the bedbug-proof mattress cover helps keep existing bed bugs in the mattress to prevent them from fleeing (thus dying because they lack food) and prevent new bugs from infesting the mattress.
It is also suggested to keep the encasement up for at least a year to ensure that bed bugs are kept out of your mattress and then kill any bed bugs in the mattress.
Secure your mattress and box springs by encasing them with Bedding Bug Proof Bedding Encasements
Steam Treatment
Bed bugs are extremely sensitive to heat. Using the right bed bug steamer will help eliminate bed bugs and eggs, even if they’re located in hard or difficult to access places.
In addition, bed bug steamers can disinfect and clean toys and shoes, stuffed animals, luggage, or any other item that isn’t washable using hot water.
Using steam, killing bed bugs is a safe and efficient method to rid your home of odours and eliminate small insects.
Get rid of bedbugs naturally by using the most effective selection of steamers for bed bugs!
Insecticide (Diatomaceous Earth)
Diatomaceous Earth is the shell that has been fossilized and made from diatoms that live in water.
It is an organic and natural insecticide that cuts and scratches the exoskeletons in hard-bodied insects such as bed bugs upon contact, which causes them to dry out and then asphyxiate.
Diatomaceous earth can last long and give bed bugs ongoing and durable control.
Get Mother Earth D Bed Bug & Insect Control Diatomaceous Earth Powder
NOTE: If bed bugs infest your house and you cannot deal with the problem yourself, you should hire an experienced licensed bed bug removal service and ensure they have an established track record of eliminating them.
Find Experienced Bed Bug Exterminator — Get Fast, FREE Quotes Here!
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