World, Bed Bug Registry Map – Infestation Reports

Some people ask for natural bed bug control where possible. The term natural has no concrete definition and might vary from person to person. For the sake of this section, we will look at natural as meaning derived from nature or has minimal process. Any items discussed in this section are not the legal definition of natural but rather the informal definition of derived from nature with minimal processing or refining.

Historical use of natural treatments Historically, people throughout the world have found ways to reduce bed bug populations even before science led the way to modern control techniques. From squashing the bugs to burning sulphur in ancient times, to applying kerosene on mattresses, people have used many methods to control these pests.

One very novel idea is still in use by Eastern Europeans and works remarkably well to reduce, although not eliminate, bed bug populations. There is a string bean plant found in that area which has a coating of hooks on the underside of the leaves. The locals have found that if they collect the leaves and put them on the floor with the underside up inside infested rooms, the bed bugs are snagged on the leaves. The long hairs of the bed bug leg were held by the hooks. A study by Richardson of USDA in 1942 showed that there was a trap rate of 32% in one night. Clearly, though, this is not practical in everyday life worldwide.

Todays natural control includes steam, heat, cold, and trapping. In addition, there are products which can be applied to infested areas. These include some natural oils which have some success, soaps which work if applied directly to the bed bugs, and diatomaceous earth, or a natural dust of diatom skeletons from the ocean which cut the cuticle of bed bugs and desiccate the pest.

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Natural Bed Bug Control & Treatment | bed-bugs.com

Bed bugs are small, parasitic insects that easily hide within fabrics and in small spaces. The insects often feed on a human host during the night, leaving a telltale red skin rash behind. There are several natural treatments to get rid of bed bugs that do not require harmful chemicals or pesticides.

If you have a small bed bug infestation, several natural treatments can kill them. However, bed bugs are difficult to get rid...

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University of Kentucky researchers advocate using professionals to get rid of infestations. Exterminators will make use of chemicals to treat bed bug-infested...

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Natural Bed Bug Treatments | eHow - eHow | How to Videos ...

Bedbug Prevention

Bedbug prevention may be difficult, but it's easier than bedbug treatment. Bedbug treatment is a very involved, time-consuming process, which we'll talk about later in this section.

What are bedbugs? Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals including humans and pets. Their eggs are very small, about the size of a poppy seed. Their larvae are the size of a grain of rice. Adult bedbugs are about a quarter of an inch long, reddish-brown in color, and fairly flat. They live in dark crevices, such as those in mattresses and bed frames. They can also live in other furniture, openings in the floor, or in carpeting.

Many people don't know they have bedbugs. The only way to know for sure is to look for them. Use a flashlight and look in the crevices of your mattress and bed frame. You can check other furniture as well, especially couches and chairs, and the area around your bed. If you find bugs, you'll need to begin a bedbug treatment regime.

The following bedbug prevention tips will help you reduce your risk of bedbugs:

If bedbug prevention fails and you do wind up with bedbugs, you'll need to treat the infected areas of your home. To begin with, you'll need to identify all infected areas. Use a flashlight and search carefully. If you fail to treat any areas, they will just spread again.

To treat bedbugs, wash all bedding and vacuum as described in the bedbug prevention section. This will eliminate most, but not all, of the bugs.

You will need to apply some sort of pesticide or treatment to the infected area to kill the remaining bugs and prevent a recurrence of the infestation. You can do this yourself or you can hire an exterminator.

If you hire an exterminator, ask what type of chemicals will be used. Many chemicals can be harmful to humans and pets, and you particularly don't want harmful chemicals on or around your bed. Avoid pesticides and treatments containing permethrins and pyrethrins, common ingredients that can cause severe skin irritation. They are believed by some to cause cancer with prolonged exposure.

If you apply a pesticide or other chemical treatment yourself, be sure to wear gloves, long sleeves and pants, and a face mask. You don't want the chemicals to come in contact with your skin, and you don't want to breath them in.

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Bedbug Prevention - Quick Care

When its too late and you wake up covered in bed bug bites, what can you do? Youve already been bitten and a trip to the ER will most likely net you many hours of sitting around with genuinely sick people. The easy answer is to use some easy home remedies to handle your situation or pick up something at a nearby store to help beat the bed bug bite blues.

What you use really depends on your preferences and how you feel about certain products. Some people wont use product x because it contains ingredient y for example. Heres some tried and true ways to get rid of inflammation, itching and overall discomfort.

Aloe Vera

Aloe has long been one of the most popular cure all plants of all time. It can be used on burns, bites, sunburns and any kind of skin condition. Its even sold in drinkable form not just in special hippie shops but even at your local Wal-Mart. This versatile plant can be bought in a gel or kept whole in your home. You can break off pieces as needed and rub the inside on the affected area.

Oatmeal

It sound weird but applying oatmeal to bug bites of all kinds seems to be very effective and has been used for centuries. This can function similar to aloe vera in that you can put oatmeal on any skin ailment to help speed the healing process. Honey is often added and it can be wrapped with cloth or just spread on the entire area.

Ice

The old standby to help get swelling down has been and always will be ice or an ice pack. Dont have an icepack? Try a bag of frozen veggies. This almost always helps with itching as well.

OTC Medicines

Even if you prefer all natural remedies, some over the counter stuff can be life saving. Calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream and campho phenique are some very popular items that arent chemical heavy and really, really help when used as directed. If you live anywhere that has biting insects, you should have one or all of these in your cabinet anyway.

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Natural Treatment For Bed Bug Bites: What Works and What ...