9 Non-Toxic Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs (& Avoid Them)

I only used diatomaceous earth, but I put it EVERYWHERE. They are and have been long gone. I also prayed.

Family member used 91% alcohol. Stopped them in their tracks! It is such a popular remedy now that it is being packaged in spray bottles now so as to make it even more convenient. Inexpensive and easy to get.

I just wanted to say thank you for having this post, I was just wondering what is the best and most natural way to repel bed bugs. I also have a high concentration of melanin in my skin so I am going to test some remedies to help, also deal with repelling.

I found this thing on my clothing, some reddish looking bug. I killed it and there was some kind of red stuff in it. I will test it to see what it is. I like the idea of using strong smelling essential oils. When I began to also read the comments, I thought to test strong oils like eucalyptus and pine oil, I like the idea to use clove oil. I am also going to put some orange, lemon and grapefruit peels around my bed and launder my bed sheets in some kind of laundry soap with lavender and eucalyptus.

As well, just wanted to share that it is a good idea to lubricate the skin with something. For me, I will try a solution of olive oil, eucalyptus oil, and mix a bit of pine oil in there for the time being. As well I am going to try spreading baking powder around the bed I actually like to sleep close to the floor. I don’t have a high budget I live on a couple hundred dollars a month, so I have to scrape by and be frugal and even learn how to make orange oil from using orange peels.

As for cleaning, I have hardwood floors, so I will try a solution of hot water, table salt, vinegar, lemon juice and put some strong smelling essential oils with lavender to kill them. I also have lots of paper-clutter, so I will clean that up. Thank you, I will test my potions and share as a person with high melanin in their skin.

Thank you.

I just had to comment here, as my dealings with bedbugs seven years ago was one of the worst nightmares of my life. In my experience, they are the most hellish and difficult house pest you will ever deal with.

My husband and I were living in an apartment at the time, and we had a friend from NYC who occasionally visited for a couple days at a time. He didn’t inform us before that his apt in NYC was infested with bedbugs, so I was perplexed when I started waking up with strange, terribly itchy bites all over. Further, I discovered that I had a very bad, almost allergic reaction to them. It made me very stuffed up, with watery eyes and painfully itchy. When we figured out what they were and where they came from, we went on the warpath and tried to learn everything we could. I always kept the apt very clean, so it was very distressing. I don’t like using a lot of chemicals, so we tried essential oils, like tea tree and neem oil. We took the mattress apart daily and steamed every inch with a clothing steamer. Nothing worked. When they bit me in the night, it would wake me up from a deep sleep. I was very anxious to go to sleep at night and was getting sick from lack of sleep. We couldn’t afford to hire an exterminator and were really nervous to inform the landlord (I know that’s bad, but it was a very stressful situation). Finally, we discovered this bedbug kit online. I’m sorry, I can’t remember the brand or website, but we might still have one of the spray bottles somewhere. It had diatomaceous earth, a spray that killed them on contact, a spray that caused them to molt spontaneously when they touched it, caulking to fill cracks, and plastic covers for mattresses. We sprayed the mattress and box spring with both sprays, covered both with the plastic (which were basically giant clear bags), filled them with the diatomaceous earth, and sealed them. Then we used the caulking on every crack in the room, sprinkled the diatomaceous earth along every edge and around the feet of the bed frame, and pulled the bed away from the wall. They can’t jump, but they climb really well. I know this sounds like overkill, but it’s the only thing that worked. Even so, it took a few days. We lived there for a few more months and no more bedbugs. Thank God we have never dealt with them again! But I still have nightmares about it.

We are no longer friends with the guy from NYC.

Karin has it right! I worked in a residential treatment and detox center for years. We had patients with mystery rashes for a very long time before someone reported seeing a bed bug, then it was a solid year of work to get them under control (partly aided by a corporate office that refused to pay to have the entire building treated at once) It is an old building with old furniture. We removed, washed and dried 60 minutes on high heat in a commercial dryer everything we could ($500 at the laundromat every time we did this!) and disassembled much of the furniture for treatment. They initially had a pest control company spray, but the cost was prohibitive and it didn’t really solve the problem. As for the building, the only thing Karin didn’t mention was to remove baseboards, switch plates and artwork while cleaning and treating. The company finally sprung for a mobile heating-treating unit and everything goes in there periodically. Heat works! Diligence and prevention are the essential. Keeping them out is not a one time thing, but requires changing habits in the long run!

We found that our home was infested with bedbugs when we returned from a 6 week camping trip 1 1/2 years ago. They apparently originated from our oldest son’s room and had spread throughout the house when we were gone in the search for food. This was one of the most difficult battles of my life, but I did finally get rid of them. Sadly, it may have also cost me my sense of smell, so please be careful with what and how you spray. I used a multipronged approach: vauum, launder, dry, steam (you’ll need a very powerful steamer, mine is from McCullough), create barriers: encase matresses and box springs, diatomaceous earth along baseboards, in closets etc. And spray. I used something called Odoban, but now I would definitely go with Eo’s. You have to have a plan. First remove all bedding etc and place it in a large bag to carry it to your washer/dryer to minimize the risk of spreading through the house. Discard the bag outside immediately. Your mattress covers have to be the bed bug kind. Others will not work. I vacuumed, then steamed and sprayed each mattress before encasing to make sure as many bugs as possible were dead. We wound up burning almost every piece of furniture in my son’s room. Much of it was particle board and you really cannot get them out of that. We got rid of all box springs and replaced our bed frames/box springs with metal platforms. No wood! Every time there was evidence of a bug, the entire room had to be torn apart and re-cleaned. I also put white sheets on all of the beds to see if there were any blood spots. My son and I were bitten without reactions. My poor husband, who had recently undergone cancer treatment had been battling a horrible mystery rash that none of his docs could explain. One night was so bad that he drove himself to the ER! The bugs are gone now, his “rash” has disappeared completely. We now know they were bb bites. He is our indicator, should, Heaven forbid, a re-infestation occur. Now everything that does not need to be left out is stored in sealed smooth plastic containers. Anything I bring home used does not enter the house before a thorough inspection. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I continue to get rid of anything we no longer need. It took me nearly 8 months, but it’s been 10 months since the last time we had evidence of any bugs. If you are battling this you have to be diligent and employ precision. One room at a time. It is possible to do it on your own, but it isn’t easy.

I think we have bed bugs… often times, I go to sleep and then wake up with a bite that looks like a mosquito bite.. on my face! It doesn’t itch… still gross to think it was on my face.

You may use the sprays for eliminating croches when you find the colonies. Individually spay any alcohol based deo or pain killer spray over the bugs for froze them