Bed bugs are pesky little insects that infect the soft furniture in a household like beds, sofas, couches, and other such places. They like to hide in dark places like the corners of drawers, seams of the mattresses, the bed box below the mattress and in the space between cushions.

Although they do not cause any serious diseases, their presence can certainly be discomforting as they feed on human blood. Bed bugs bite humans, which sometimes causes red rashes and spots. These skin rashes, if scratched too hard, can cause breaks in the skin, causing bacteria to enter and infect it.

The presence of bed bugs does not mean that your sanitation techniques should be questioned but they could have come from some other infested place like a hotel or a theatre through luggage, clothes or any other item.

Bed bugs are extremely tiny in size and therefore are very hard to spot. But once you find their hiding spots, you can make use of any of some home remedies to get rid of those pesky little creatures hiding in your home. The following are some of the best ways to kill bed bugs, which you can make use of.

Vacuum Cleaning

Who knew that using your very own vacuum cleaner could be a simple fix making it one of the best ways to kill bed bugs? Just make sure to use your effective vacuum cleaner to reach all the hidden places like the corners of the drawers, behind the cushions, under the mattresses, along its seams, the space between the headboard and the mattress, behind the AC fittings, behind the wallpapers, in the bed box, and other such susceptible places.

Make sure to clean all the places effectively and thoroughly so that no egg or larvae remain behind to restart the infestation process. You can also use a hard-bristled brush before vacuuming to loosen up the eggs, feces, and other such dirt clinging to your furniture. To make sure that your bed will not be infested again, keep up this process of vacuuming for at least three weeks, with one or two times per week.

Hot Steam

Bed bugs cannot survive extremely high temperatures above 60-degree Celsius. If you have a good quality, heavy duty steam cleaner with a large water tank, it can be used to clear out the infested area easily making it one of the cost-effective ways to kill bed bugs.

Use the hot steam cleaner at the highest setting in the infested area thoroughly after cleaning it once with a hard-bristled brush and vacuum cleaner. Make sure to reach every nook and corner where the bed bugs might be hiding. Repeat this process at least three times to make sure that you have gotten rid of all the bed bugs. Let the damp area dry on its own.

Tea Tree Essential Oil Spray

Tea tree oil is known for its antibacterial properties. It can also be used as an effective insecticide. Take 500 ml of plain water and mix around 20-25 drops of tea tree oil in it. Transfer this mix to a spray bottle and spray it generously in the areas infested by the bed bugs. Spray this mixture daily for at least two weeks to make sure you get rid of all the bugs.

Tea tree oil has an extremely strong fragrance, which works well to repel the insects. It also kills the bed bugs which are already present in your furniture.

Tea tree oil is also effective in healing any red itchy bumps caused by bug bites. Just use a cotton ball to apply a drop or two of tea tree oil on the skin that is broken or itchy. The antiseptic and antibacterial properties of tea tree oil will help to soothe the skin and prevent any further bacterial infections.

Hot Washing

This is a very important preventive measure to make sure that re-infestation of bed bugs does not take place. Just take all of your bed clothes including blankets, bed sheets, and pillow covers and wash them in hot water. This will make sure that any eggs or larvae sticking to your bed sheets or any other bed clothes are also gotten rid of.

Lavender Oil And Peppermint Oil Bed Bug Spray

The lavender oil and peppermint oil mixture can be used as a very good insect repellant due to their strong fragrance. Lavender oil can also kill bed bugs and their eggs and larvae.

Mix equal quantities (15-20 drops) each of the two essential oils in a bottle of water and put it in a spray bottle. Shake it up before using every time and spray the affected area daily till you get rid of all the bed bugs. This steady process can take up to two weeks. This is one of the best ways to kill bed bugs as it not only makes your home bed bug free but will also make your room smell fresh, makin

Freezing

Just like high temperatures, bed bugs cannot withstand temperatures below 1-degree Celsius. The best ways to kill bed bugs is to place the small infested items in the freezer for at least two to three hours. The cold temperature will kill off any bed bugs, which can then be sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.