2023-10-04 14:23:14
Fighting once morest bedbug bites is first and foremost a question of reflexes to adopt to prevent their invasion… and in this fight, certain natural alternatives can prove very interesting…
Since some users spotted bedbugs on Parisian trains and metros, concern regarding a bedbug invasion has continued to grow. And for good reason, between 2017 and 2022, more than 1 in 10 French households were infested by these pests, according to the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES)1. To avoid invasion, adopting a few reflexes can already make a big difference, the Health Insurance website recommends:
- when buying second-hand furniture and even more so if you collect furniture from the street (especially objects containing pieces of fabric such as box springs, armchairs, etc.) it is essential to examine them carefully and to clean them thoroughly before installing them at home,
- When buying second-hand clothes, transport them in a tightly closed bag and to eliminate possible bedbugs, carry out – as desired – one of the following 3 operations:
- wash at least 60°C
- place in the dryer on the hottest cycle for at least 30 minutes
- freeze for 72 hours
- if you are moving into a new apartment, check the rooms (nooks, areas of loose paper, etc.) before placing your furniture there,
As a precautionary principle, you can also equip your mattresses, box springs and pillows with waterproof bedbug covers which will constitute an additional barrier of protection once morest bedbugs.
What natural solutions to fight once morest bedbugs?
ANSES also recommends “favor non-chemical means” to get rid of bedbugs – also called bed fleas – and only use insecticides as a last resort1. To get rid of bedbugs, the Ministry of Health recommends:
- Strive meticulously all surfaces to capture eggs and parasites using a vacuum cleaner. Then, clean the vacuum cleaner in its entirety, without forgetting the duct, wrap the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and throw it in an outdoor trash can to avoid promoting the spread,
- Make a machine clothing and household linen above 55°C,
- If there is no washing machine, put the clothes in the freezer at -17°C for at least 72 hours,
- Clean the corners or upholstery with a dry steam appliance at high temperature (at least 120°C), (available for rental), which destroys all stages of bed bugs.
Once all the solutions have been implemented, if they do not bear fruit – and only then – it is recommended to contact a pest control specialist so that it gets rid of pests because applying insecticide products yourself exposes you to a risk of poisoning.
What essential oils are effective once morest bedbugs?
In many delicate situations, essential oils have proven themselves, and the invasion by bedbugs cannot resist them either… provided you use the right essential oils (EO)! The most effective? Insecticidal and antiparasitic EOs, especially those that have a strong odor. The best essential oils once morest bedbugs :
- aspic lavender essential oil
Thanks to its antiparasitic and insecticidal properties, it helps to repel pests.
- tea tree essential oil
Its advantages ? Its strong odor but also its repellent and antiparasitic properties due to the presence of molecules which will penetrate the body of bedbugs to eradicate them.
- java lemongrass essential oil
With its strong odor but also its repellent, antiparasitic and insecticide properties, it is a powerful ally in the fight once morest bed fleas!
- clove essential oil
Insecticides, it helps eradicate bedbugs… but requires precautions.
For each of its oils, the ideal is to dilute between 10 and 20 drops of EO in a vegetable oil or in water to make a homemade repellent that we will spray in the infested areas! On the other hand, due to the dangerousness of the exposure of certain populations to these EOs, it is better to take all precautions and only spray this anti-bug on household linen (curtain, sofa, etc.) and avoid spreading it in rooms that accommodate children and/or pregnant women and even avoid diffusing it when hosting friends for dinner: exposure to tea tree oil, for example, is prohibited for pregnant women under 3 months and , as we are not always aware of this type of situation, caution is required!
IMPORTANT: Precautions are studied on a case by case basis but, in general, it is better to avoid the use of these EOs in pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies and children under 3 years old (not before 6 years old for lavender aspic EO and not before 12 years for clove EO)
1. Bedbugs: use chemicals as a last resort, Anses.
2. Bedbugs: how to avoid getting them?, ameli.fr.
Read also
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How do I know if there are bedbugs in my hotel?
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SOS I brought back bedbugs
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#repel #bedbugs #naturally