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Bed bugs, a difficult pest to eliminate
Bed bugs can be difficult to eliminate. These nocturnal insects have a knack for hiding in order to escape human vigilance. They often hide in bedding, but also in furniture, textiles, door and window frames, loose upholstery and so on.
In many cases, the warning signs are the bite marks on the skin when you wake up in the morning. The life cycle of bed bugs is rapid, but they reproduce until they form veritable colonies.
Contrary to popular belief, lack of hygiene is not the main factor that encourages the arrival of the parasite. However, it is advisable to wash bedding thoroughly at a minimum temperature of 60°C to avoid reinfestation.
By eliminating bed bugs naturally with essential oils, you can avoid the health problems associated with the use of chemical products that come into direct contact with your mattress and sheets.
Which essential oils are best for eliminating bed bugs?
Essential oils can be used as a natural complement in the fight against bed bugs, thanks to their biochemical components with repellent properties. Through their molecular action and scent, certain oils attack bedbugs directly and also repel them preventively.
Here are a few essential oils reputed to have bedbug-repellent properties:
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Tea tree essential oil: It has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can be useful for repelling bed bugs. It contains terpinen-4-ol, a monoterpene alcohol with anti-parasitic properties, which attacks parasite cells and causes their death. Also effective against ticks, tea tree is an excellent antiseptic and antibacterial.
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Citronella essential oil: Rich in citral, it has insect-repellent properties. This is why it is often used as a natural repellent against mosquitoes and other insects.
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Clove essential oil: Contains eugenol, a molecule specifically effective against insects. A member of the propenylphenol family, eugenol is recognized as a formidable weapon against parasites. Coupled with the terpinen-4-ol present in tea tree essential oil and the linalool that makes up fine lavender essential oil, this combination of active elements will deliver a fatal assault on fleas.
- Lemon Eucalyptus essential oil: This lemon-scented variety of eucalyptus is often used as a natural insect repellent, including for bedbugs.
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Eucalyptus globulus essential oil: Rich in cineol, a component with insecticidal and antimicrobial properties, it has a strong scent that can repel bedbugs.
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Lavender essential oil: Has a pleasant scent for humans, but bedbugs hate it. What's more, the monoterpene alcohol in lavender essential oil, linalool, optimizes the effects of other essential oils.
- Lemongrass essential oil: Rich in citrals, molecules of the monoterpene aldehyde family that are highly effective against external parasites. Its lemony fragrance will scare away bedbugs while leaving a fresh, fruity scent in the treated area.
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Peppermint essential oil: Its strong scent is known to repel many insects, including bedbugs.
How to use essential oils:
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Essential oil spray: Mix a few drops of the essential oil of your choice (e.g. lavender, tea tree and peppermint) with alcohol in a spray bottle. Spray the areas where you suspect bedbugs are present.
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In a diffuser: You can also diffuse essential oils in the bedroom. Place the diffuser on the bed and diffuse for several hours, keeping the bedroom door closed and your pets away.
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In your laundry: You can add a few drops of essential oil to your laundry detergent to wash your sheets, pillowcases, carpets, curtains, etc.
- Skin lotion: You can mix a drop of eucalyptus essential oil with a dab of aloe vera gel or Lait Elémentaire and apply it to your skin before bedtime to create a repellent barrier.
Example of an essential oil blend
Pour the following essential oils into a spray bottle:
- Tea tree essential oil (100 drops)
- Fine Lavender essential oil (100 drops)
- Clove essential oil (50 drops)
- Lemongrass essential oil (50 drops)
- Alcohol or Perfume Base (25 ml)
Before using essential oils, be sure to check for potential allergies and dilute them properly with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil or sweet almond oil) if necessary. Furthermore, essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin in large quantities without dilution.
More about bed bugs
Bed bugs are small, flat, oval-shaped insects, brown in color and turning reddish after their blood meal. As adults, they measure 4 to 7 millimeters in length, about the size of an apple seed.
Adult females lay whitish, pinhead-sized eggs. A female lays 200 to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs are laid singly or in clusters, and hatch about 10 to 14 days after laying, into a light-colored larva measuring 1 to 2 mm.
Unlike ticks or mosquitoes, bed bugs present no risk of transmitting infectious agents (viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.).
They bite sleepers to feed on their blood. Their presence can be recognized by the red lesions on the skin caused by the bites, and by the small black spots on the sheets, corresponding to the droppings associated with blood trails caused by their crushing during the night.
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