Scents That Keep Bed Bugs Away Forever 2024

Before revealing the truth about scents that keeps bed bugs away, let’s talk a little about bed bugs. It seems really disgusting if you have to wake up in the middle of the night because of the itchy bite. If you have such an experience, undoubtedly, you might have been affected by the bed bug. Surprisingly, bed bugs are nocturnal, so they come out at night and disrupt our sound sleep. Besides, those pests or bed bugs usually live in mattresses and tend to be hindered in that mattress’s dark place. To eliminate this worry, you can use some scents that keep bed bugs away

Natural Scents that Keep Bed Bugs Away:

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, although bed bugs didn’t seem to be repelled by the oil smell, their body seems to have an effect. 

Here you find some natural bed bug repellent, and hopefully, you can choose any essential oils for bed bugs from the list.

Lavender Oil

Due to its powerful aroma, bed bugs are said to avoid lavender oil. Lavender oil’s strong scent can make bed bugs struggle to find their hosts. Lavender oil can prevent bed bugs from infesting linen, mattresses, and furniture. Lavender oil alone won’t kill bed bugs, so it should be used with other treatments. Use high-quality, pure lavender oil because some commercial products may contain additives or other chemicals that may hurt or ineffectively repel bed bugs. Lavender oil can irritate some people, so follow the manufacturer’s directions and prevent skin and eye contact.

Tea Tree Oil

Due to its strong aroma and insecticidal qualities, tea tree oil may repel bed bugs. Tea tree oil’s strong scent can make bed bugs lose their hosts. Tea tree oil can prevent bed bugs from infesting linen, mattresses, and furniture.

Terpenoids in tea tree oil destroy bed bugs and other pests. Tea tree oil should be used alongside other bed bug treatment measures and is not a definite cure. Use high-quality, pure tea tree oil and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to avoid ineffective or dangerous use. Tea tree oil is harmful in high amounts and should not be applied directly to the skin or consumed. Wear gloves and avoid contact with the eyes and mouth when applying tea tree oil, as with any pest control agent.

The tea tree oil bed bugs smell makes the bug annoying and affects the bug’s exoskeleton.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol repels bed bugs and kills them on contact. Bugs can die from rubbing alcohol’s cell membrane dissolution and drying. Bed bugs die instantaneously when doused with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can also deter bed bugs with its powerful smell.

Rubbing alcohol is flammable and can damage materials, so use it only on non-porous surfaces. It does not kill bed bug eggs or give residual protection, so it cannot manage bed bugs long-term. Bed bug infestations require professional treatment, not rubbing alcohol. Following the manufacturer’s recommendations and wearing gloves and avoiding contact with the eyes and mouth are also vital.

Blood Orange Oil

There is little proof that blood orange oil repels bed bugs. Blood orange oil, like other essential oils, may repel bed bugs. Essential oils alone cannot control bed bugs. Effective bed bug treatment requires professional extermination and other procedures. Use high-quality, pure blood orange oil and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Safety precautions should be made because some essential oils can irritate the skin or be dangerous if consumed.

Neem Oil

Neem oil repels bed bugs from mattresses, linens, and furniture. Neem oil inhibits bed bugs’ eating and reproductive cycles, lowering their populations. Use exclusively on non-porous surfaces because neem oil discolors and damages materials. It cannot handle bed bugs long-term because it does not kill bed bug eggs or provide residual protection.

Peppermint

If you are looking for a research-proof solution to prevent bed bugs, you will find peppermint. This solution will not only keep your house paste-free but also fresh.

What Kills Bed Bugs Instantly?

Diluted rubbing alcohol is one of the most effective DIY solutions that kill bugs so quickly. Whenever the bug gets in contact with this solution, the bed bug will die.

Notably, diluted rubbing alcohol will evaporate quickly; that’s why it is safer than other alcohol forms. Although it is most effective, here lie two problems,:

• If the bug hides, it won’t be easy to reach them.
• Alcohol wouldn’t be effective in all life stages of the bug; the eggs aren’t affected by alcohol.

What Attracts Bed Bugs To Bite You?

As I have said, bed bugs are nocturnal creature that comes out at night and hampers our sound sleep. Here a question will arise about what things attract bed bugs. Here are those four things that attract bed bugs.

• Generally, bed bugs get attracted to humans when they produce carbon dioxide.
• Another thing like our body warmth will attract bed bugs.
• A study shows that red and black colors attract bed bugs, and those colors can be related to bugs’ favorite blood and darkness.
• Dirty laundry is another thing that attracts bed bugs.

What Do Bed Bugs Hate?

Here we enlist the things that are bed bugs afraid of so, let’s see below.

• Essential Oils

The essential oil works well against bed bugs, but the EPA should register those oils.

• Diatomaceous Earth

This solution works by absorbing oil and water-protecting fats from the bed bug’s exoskeleton’s outer layer. That’s why, whenever the bugs come in contact with the diatomaceous earth, they will die because of dehydration.

• Peppermint Leaves and Oil

If you are looking for the answer to what scent keeps bed bugs away, you will find the peppermint leaves and oil as a solution—the peppermint scents’ properties repel bed bugs nicely.

• Black Walnut Tea

Many people claim that they place used tea bags throughout their homes, eliminating both adult bed bugs and eggs.

• Rubbing Alcohol

As I have noted, rubbing alcohol helps to kill bed bugs instantly. But before using this solution, you need to be careful because it may lead to fire hazards.

What Chemicals Kill Bed Bugs?

The EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency) has enlisted 300 products to control bed bugs. 

Those enlisted 300 products fall into seven chemical classes of pesticides, and people widely use them to repel bed bugs. In the following, you can find those seven.

• Pyrethroids.
• Pyrethrins.
• Biochemicals.
• Desiccants.
• Pyrroles.
• Neonicotinoids.
• Insect growth regulators.

How Do You Keep Bedbugs From Biting You?

Bed bugs are a common global problem that hampers our sound sleep. Although bed bugs do not carry any blood-borne disease, they can cause serious infections. Here we enlist some effective measures of how to keep bed bugs out.

• First, carefully search mattresses, furniture, and bed frames for signs of bed bugs and their eggs.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, if you find any dead bugs’ skin or blood spots, it doesn’t mean the active infestation instead of a previous infestation. 

• Now, you can scrub with a stiff brush to remove the bed bugs egg and clean the infested room thoroughly.
• Next, you can vacuum cracks and crevices in bed frames, baseboards, objects close to your bed, and mattress daily.
• If you find any cracks and crevices, you need to seal them.
• Always try to cover your mattress and pillows with plastic.
• There are many specialist-registered liquids, and sprays for bed bugs available in the market, and use.
• Keep in mind that doesn’t stop checking; rather, continue it two weeks after treatment.

Buy a mattress

However, if the situation is such that the mattress is very old or full of many bugs, then it’s better should buy a new mattress. Recently we published a post on the best pillow top mattress. so if you think of such a new mattress you should read it to get a better mattress for you.

Final Thoughts

There you have the details about what scent keeps bed bugs away.  As a nocturnal insect, the bed bug is one of the sleep deprivation things. If you haven’t enough sleep at night, undoubtedly you can’t continue your next day’s work.

For this reason, how to avoid bed bug bites becomes a burning question. Hopefully, you can understand how to keep bed bugs away from this article.

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