How to Get Rid of Ticks And Bed Bugs
Any pests can become a true disaster for a household when not noticed in time and not ‘treated‘ properly. And since ticks and bed bugs are the most frequent guests in our homes,
we often wonder how to get rid of these unwelcome parasites once and for all.
Contents
We advise you to try several simple methods that won’t take much time but will allow forgetting about this problem.
How to Kill Ticks And Bed Bugs
If you have spotted the pests in your home, don’t get stressed. Yes, it is an unpleasant thing to have but fortunately, these pests can be easily removed by the ordinary household chemicals.
If you have ever wondered whether bleach or some detergent can help to fight this bloodsucking enemy, here you can also find few tips.
And now let’s see what products help to fight each of these parasites.
Ticks
Despite the fact that most of these parasites are considered to be harmless, tick’s bite may cause pretty nasty illness in certain cases.
Detailed tick guide you can check out here.
To make sure you don’t have these pests at home anymore, keep in mind several simple homemade remedies that will scare the bloodsuckers off.
Cedar Oil Spray
It’s a 100% natural repellent that can be pulverized both on the skin and apparel. Since it’s safe to use on humans and pets, this method can be called universal.
Besides,
it doesn’t only scare the pests away but it also kills them.
Eucalyptus Oil
Another natural remedy being both repellent and destroyer. Mix together four ounces of distilled water and twenty drops of this oil, shake well and pulverize it over yourself, the garments, and the footwear.
By the way, it’s safe to use on dogs but only when diluted!
Apple Cider Vinegar
A good choice for both scaring off and killing the pests.
- Take 400 ml water
- add four spoons of vinegar
- aad two spoons of neem oil
- shake and treat your skin, garments, and furniture.
Don’t use on pets!
Bed Bugs
Even though they are basically relatively harmless, bed bugs cause a lot of disturbance with their bites, especially to children.
Luckily, remedies exist that kill those pests effectively and fast.
Acetone/ 100% Acetone Nail Polish Remover
What you will have to do is to pour the product right on the bug/bugs since it works on the direct contact only. The bad news is that it won’t kill the eggs.
Rubbing Alcohol
This chemical product works the same way as acetone does drying up the insect and thus killing it.
It also works on contact only which may be a bit problematic since you will have to spot the target and manage to pour the liquid over it instantly.
And again, this method won’t cause any harm to the bugs’ eggs either.
Diatomaceous Earth
The product with an unpronounceable name works just perfectly. It kills the pests and leaves no mess behind (unlike the previous methods).
However,
this approach requires slightly more time to work since the result will be visible after a day or two.
Another nuance is that this powder works on direct contact which means the bug must crawl through it.
That might be a challenge since the pests have eyes and they won’t just march through the suspicious pile of white powder. That is why you will have to sprinkle quite a lot of the product over the areas where these parasites were seen most frequently to make sure the method works.
Vacuuming
Yeah, good old hoover may help! Even though it doesn’t literally kill them, it’s a good way to remove the pests at least.
A good choice for deleting the baby bed bugs that are almost transparent and thus hard to spot.
Tumble Drying
Since bed bugs can’t survive the heat that is over 120 F, drying the linen or other affected items to the barrel and let it roll.
Don’t toss too many things at a time since heat must evenly treat all the items inside the barrel to effectively fight the pests.
The good news about this method is that it kills both adult insects and their eggs.
Steam Mop
This method is somewhat more expensive compared to the previous ones but its effectiveness is undeniable since it destroys not only bugs but their eggs, too!
Another benefit is that stem mopping can be literally used on anything including cars and furniture!
Remember that both bed bugs and ticks can bite and those bites may easily lead to various infections just because we tend to scratch them because of itching. That especially refers to little children and pets.
To protect yourself from the pests invasion, check the garments and pets after each walk (especially after walking in a forest), and don’t forget about yourself, too!
Keep the garden and lawn tidy and its grass shortly cut – it will decrease the chances for the parasites to appear and spread.
Take away the debris and old leaves from the yard since ticks love these hideouts.
As for bed bugs, clean the rooms regularly, preferably with steam cleaner since it kills the insects and their eggs effectively.
