Numerous studies lead scientists to the conclusion that in the fight against bedbugs, it is not so much the source and origin of the smell that is important, but its intensity. Even in experiments with human odor, too much of it repelled pests, while the low, barely perceptible aroma for insects, on the contrary, attracted. The odorous substances that caused noticeable changes in the behavior of bed bugs belong to the class of aldehydes, that is, alcohols. These may include:
- Octanal
- Nonanal
- Decanal
- Sulkaton
- Heptanal
All of these alcohols are found in the essential oils of various plants, so when it comes to scent repelling pests, the lion's share of products are related to aromatherapy, although there are some other substances that can also create a sharp, concentrated aroma that can affect house bugs. What kind of smells repel bedbugs and how to use them correctly so that the effect is noticeable?
Before moving on to considering specific compounds, it will be useful to understand how bedbugs generally breathe and perceive odors. This will help you understand the general principle of the method and avoid mistakes during its application, which can reduce the effectiveness of the entire procedure.
How do bedbugs perceive odors?
Bedbugs do not have the respiratory organs and lungs we are accustomed to. They need a small amount of oxygen to live. Their respiratory system consists of tracheas that extend out into the abdomen. That is, bedbugs do not have a nose as such, and the oral apparatus is not associated with breathing. Bed bugs sense scents through their olfactory sensilla, which are very small hairs on their heads. These hairs sense aromatic molecules and send a signal to the brain, which the brain interprets. Bed bugs pick up scents from up to a meter away. They are especially attracted by the human scent that lingers on bedding and clothing. There is an opinion that bedbugs are attracted not so much by the smell, but by the heat and carbon dioxide emitted by humans.
What smells do bedbugs dislike?
Odorous substances from the class of aldehydes (alcohols), ketones, and some other groups of organic compounds are repulsive to bed bugs. These are, for example, octanal, nonanal, decanal sulcatone and others. These aldehydes are present in plant essential oils, which is why plants are most often used to repel parasites.
Bed bugs cannot tolerate very concentrated odors. The easiest way to apply a very strong aroma against these insects is to use essential oils, as well as those parts of plants that contain these same oils.
Bedbug repellent odors:
- Cinnamon. It combines benzyl benzoate, cinnamaldehyde and eugenol, which are unpleasant to insects. They are found in oil, cinnamon sticks, and dried flowers. You can place cinnamon sticks or flowers, as well as oil-soaked sachets or cotton pads in different places, including near the bed. People, as a rule, are calm about the aroma of cinnamon, but bedbugs cannot stand it.
- Carnation. But not everyone likes the aroma of cloves; many consider it heavy. Cloves, as well as other plants of their myrtle family, contain large quantities of eugenol, from which house bugs keep their distance.
- Lemongrass. The combination of limonene and citronellol, on the other hand, is liked by many people and seems refreshing. It repels bedbugs. Limonene is also found in citrus fruits, such as orange, which can also be used in the fight against bed bugs.
- Ylang-ylang. This tree is also known as fragrant cananga. It contains the aldehyde heptanal, which repels bedbugs.
- Lavender. The aroma of lavender is calming and can even improve sleep. Dry lavender sprigs or essential oil in a sachet can often be found in the bedroom. Lavender also effectively fights insects: moths, mosquitoes, bedbugs.
- Mint. The aroma of mint is pleasant to people and is also enjoyed by cats and other pets. Peppermint contains menthol and terpenes, which keep bedbugs at bay.
- Oregano (oregano), thyme (thyme), wild bergamot are similar subtle aromas, very light and pleasant for humans. But they contain thymol and carvacrol, which in high concentrations can repel bed bugs.
- Tea tree. One of the most famous and widespread essential oils with a pungent odor that repels parasites. This happens thanks to terpinene, which is part of this oil. To make the bedbug-repellent smell more intense, tea tree oil is mixed with water and a little 9% vinegar is added.
- Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus oil, which contains menthoglycol, has a pungent odor that literally knocks bedbugs off their feet. This aroma makes insects lose their ability to navigate.
- Neem tree. It contains azadirachtin and several other components that can not only repel insects with their aroma, but can also destroy them.
It is worth noting that natural oils act against bedbugs. Essential oils are also synthetic, but their effects have not been proven in laboratory tests. Perhaps they also repel bedbugs, but they do it less intensely than natural ones.
Perfumes
People have known that bed bugs do not like the smell of perfume since the Middle Ages. Every evening, aromatic baths were prepared for noble ladies and nobles after the reception, in which perfumes and colognes were used. In this way, the nobility protected their body from the bites of bloodsuckers.
Ways to repel parasites
This may seem strange to some, but perfumes are something that can repel bedbugs very easily. It is also surprising what smell bedbugs are afraid of: the stronger the aroma, the more pests are afraid of it.
On a note!
For preventative purposes, it is enough to spray the sleeping area, and even the body itself, in several places, even with the most inexpensive cologne or eau de toilette, in order to discourage parasites from approaching the bed. However, this method has a short-term effect and can be used as a temporary measure before disinfesting an apartment for bedbugs.
Are bedbugs afraid of alcohol?
Alcohols can kill bedbugs if you pour this odorous liquid into a nest of pests. Alcohol literally dissolves the chitinous shell of young insects if it gets directly onto the body. The smell of alcohol is unpleasant for bedbugs, but not so unpleasant that they will leave. Ethyl and isopropyl alcohols erode quickly, so they need to be renewed very often, for example, by wiping the surfaces every few hours or spraying them with a spray bottle. Ammonia is more persistent and odorous, and is often used to repel insects.
Bright light
Bedbugs are not light-loving; this is evidenced by the insects' lifestyle. They go out to get blood only at night; during the day they hide in dark places well protected from light (under a mattress, under a sofa).
Peak activity of nocturnal insects is 3-7 hours. If at this moment you suddenly turn on the light in the room, the insects will rush to their nests. In practice, it is quite difficult to use photophobia as a weapon against bedbugs, so let’s move on to the next point.
How to use scents to control bedbugs
There are several ways to use scented substances to repel insects. The easiest way to make an aromatic spray is to fill a spray bottle with water and add 20 drops of essential oil to it. This amount is enough for 0.5 liters of water. Shake the solution and spray it onto surfaces and objects where bedbugs may be present.
Essential oils can be mixed, such as lavender and tea tree, eucalyptus and lemongrass. Or you can even create your own mixture by combining a variety of fragrant ingredients. You can add essential oils not only to water, but also to vodka or alcohol.
Important: before spraying, make sure that you and all family members like the smell or at least does not irritate it. Some materials absorb odors and continue to smell for a very long time, for example, this applies to the upholstery of sofas or armchairs. If you apply a mixture to them that causes headaches or is simply unpleasant to someone in the household, it will be very difficult to get rid of the smell.
You can apply undiluted oil to the surface, but this must be done carefully. Oil can damage some facing materials and change their color or texture. Do not coat objects that are constantly visible with oil. This method is more suitable for the back walls and internal compartments of cabinet and upholstered furniture, baseboards, cracks in walls, legs of beds, sofas, armchairs, tables and other invisible places.
A very convenient and simple way is to drip oil onto cotton pads and place them in different parts of the apartment. If you place such an oil disk on a hot battery, the smell from it will emanate more intensely. But the battery needs to be updated with discs and oil more often. If the smell becomes too strong or begins to irritate you, you can simply remove the discs.
Instead of oil drops, you can use incense sticks soaked in oil - one or a composition. Such sticks are simply placed in small vases, placed in cabinets or set on fire on a special rack. When ignited, smoke begins to smoke with a rather intense aroma. But you need to be careful: some incense is too heavy for humans.
You can also use liquid oils in aroma lamps. A lit lamp with oil can be left in a closed and unventilated room, and then ventilate the room. Be careful because the lamp contains a flame that can cause a fire. Instead of a traditional aroma lamp, you can use an air humidifier with simultaneous aromatization. Some humidifier models have a compartment where essential oils drip. During operation, the device not only humidifies the air in the apartment, but also gives it aroma.
Insecticides
Store-bought insect repellents can be toxic. After using some of them, it is recommended not to appear in the treated apartment for a day.
Sprays
You can get rid of bedbugs using “Raptor”, “Dichlorvos”, “Combat”, “Carbozol”, “Antiklop”, “Prima-U”. The product is sprayed onto all surfaces where parasites may appear. When working with sprays, you must use a respirator.
Gels
“Fas”, “Fumitox”, “Brownie”, “Absolute” help well. The gel is spread in places where bedbugs may appear: along baseboards, near the bed, cabinets and drawers, near ventilation.
If there are small children or pets at home, it is better to move them to another place for 1-2 days to avoid poisoning.
Powders or crayons
“Mashenka” and “Clean House” crayons are effective. From powdered forms, you should choose “Riapan”, “Phenaxin”, “Lethal force” or “Fas-Double”.
Bed bug chalks are a reliable and effective remedy for domestic parasites.
How to use plants against bedbugs
The most ancient way is to lay out or hang bunches of fresh or dried herbs in different parts of the apartment. Decorative sachet pillows filled with dried herbs and flowers look very beautiful. If you have the opportunity to collect or buy, you can use thyme, cloves, mint, and lavender to repel bedbugs. By the way, the same lavender or mint can be planted in a pot; they grow well as house plants in an apartment on the windowsill.
What plants repel bedbugs:
- sagebrush;
- tansy;
- wild rosemary;
- lavender;
- pharmaceutical camomile;
- calamus - it is sold dried in the pharmacy;
- garlic - cloves or garlic pulp are placed inside the furniture, but this remedy is weak, and besides, not all people like the smell of garlic in the house.
From the herbs listed above, you can prepare a concentrated decoction or infusion and spray it around the apartment using spray equipment.
Advantages and disadvantages
The use of medicinal herbs as an antiparasitic agent has a wide range of advantages, but some disadvantages can be identified.
The main advantages of using herbs are:
- For preventive treatment of the room, you can use chamomile and lavender. The strong smell of these plants will help repel bedbugs, while being very pleasant to humans. The presence of such herbs will help give the room a particularly pleasant atmosphere.
- Natural components act especially gently, without having an aggressive negative effect on the human condition, such as, for example, various insecticidal agents, which are based on chemical toxic substances. You can use natural raw materials even in a house where small children live.
- Before processing the room, there is no need for lengthy preparatory measures; it is enough to just carry out wet cleaning and wash the floor.
- Most insecticides are expensive, but using natural raw materials will help avoid significant material costs.
As for the disadvantages, these include the low effectiveness of herbs; most of them only repel parasites without having a harmful effect on them.
In addition, when treating a room, you can only get rid of adult insects; unpleasant odors do not have any effect on the eggs.
The disadvantages also include some danger posed by certain types of plants, for example, wild rosemary and tansy. Inhalation of vapors from fresh inflorescences by a person can cause severe intoxication of the body, suffocation, coughing, and acute headache.
Persons with children or pets should use such products with particular caution.
Be careful!
When working with any sharp and concentrated odors, remember that they can cause headaches or nausea, malaise, allergic reactions, weakness, and dizziness. Moreover, such a deterioration in well-being can occur in everyone, especially in elderly relatives, children, and people with chronic diseases. Domestic cats and dogs may also react poorly to strong odors. If anyone shows signs of illness, immediately stop using aromatic products and ventilate the apartment.
Is it possible to kill bedbugs with odors?
Bedbugs do not like strong odors; they prefer to stay away from objects and rooms that smell of substances that are unpleasant to them. But bedbugs are not afraid of them enough to retreat completely. If bedbugs are already infested in your apartment, you won’t be able to get rid of them using odorous products alone. Not a single folk remedy will help destroy pests. If the bug senses that there is a victim nearby, that is, a person, then not a single smell will stop it.
If you don't want to use chemicals for some reason, you can try physical methods. Insects do not tolerate heat well and are afraid of bugs and frost. So you can freeze out a house, but it’s more difficult to do this with an apartment in an apartment building. But you can treat all things and surfaces in the apartment with a steam generator. At temperatures above 60 degrees, both bedbugs and their eggs die.
Bed bugs are also afraid of bright light, but when the light is turned on, they simply run away and hide in linen, furniture, cracks, peeling wallpaper, etc. And when darkness falls, they will come back. It will not be possible to remove bedbugs with light, as well as with almost all other folk methods.
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 products are effective against bedbugs?
All odorous substances only repel insects and keep them at a distance for some time. Pests adapt over time and stop paying attention to odors. You can use aromatic herbs, plants, essential oils, and also wipe surfaces with odorous substances - vinegar, ammonia or even turpentine - as an additional preventive measure, and this is when the bedbugs have already been destroyed with special chemicals. Substances with a strong odor can briefly prevent bedbugs from migrating into your apartment from your neighbors. But they will not be able to destroy pests that have already entered your home. They will also not be able to protect against bites.
If bedbugs actually appear and are bothering you, you need to take immediate action. Treat things and the entire premises yourself or call exterminators. For self-disinfestation, you can use Medilis-Ziper. If you follow the manufacturer's recommendations and follow safety precautions, you can fight bedbugs effectively, quickly and inexpensively. Having prepared the working solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions, it is necessary to treat the habitats and possible settlement of bedbugs. The residual effect of the product on insects is 1.5-3 months. If you rely on folk remedies, you may miss the time during which bedbugs will significantly increase their numbers, and the fight against them will become much more difficult.
Expert opinion
The most effective way to combat pests has been and remains professional treatment of the premises. It allows you to protect your family from exposure to toxic substances, save time and effort, and sometimes money. Buying modern insecticides is an expensive pleasure. In addition, there is no certainty that this particular drug will work on bedbugs.
The pest control service arrives immediately when called and treats the premises with products that are safe for residents. The owners of the apartment are provided with a guarantee, and if necessary, re-harassment is carried out free of charge. The insects will be completely destroyed, and the house will become clean and cozy again.
Watch a video on traditional methods
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