What Kind of Natural Scents Can Deter Bed Bugs From My South Bend Home?


November 15, 2021

Bed bugs can seem like creatures out of a nightmare as they come out at night to get a drink of blood. This means they leave behind red bite marks, and they are also incredibly disgusting. These tiny pests gather together and are difficult to detect, but once discovered, you’ll start to notice them everywhere.

The other issue with bed bugs is that they are extremely challenging to prevent. While you can take steps to help keep them out, bed bug infestations can be picked up almost anywhere, including other homes, businesses, and public transportation. These bugs hitch a ride on things like luggage and purses, and since they are only the size of an apple seed, they are difficult to notice at first.

Because bed bugs are common in South Bend, Indiana, and difficult to control, some homeowners try to take bed bug prevention into their own hands using natural methods. Some people try essential oils and other natural scents to deter these and other bugs.

In this guide, you’ll learn whether or not these at-home bed bug control methods work and what you can do to really handle bed bug infestations once and for all.

bed bug and larvae

Do Essential Oils Prevent Bed Bugs?

One interesting fact about this question is that the USDA conducted a study on whether or not essential oils were a good line of defense against bed bugs. Overall, this study concluded that most essential oils were not effective or barely effective.

However, there were a few specific scents that did create an aversion in some bed bugs. These were blood orange, paraffin, silicone, and spearmint oil. While these scents might turn some bed bugs away, they are unlikely to actually prevent an infestation. This is because bed bugs are usually brought into a home, so they aren’t traveling inside on their own.

Are There Effective Ways To Control Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs in South Bend are generally one of the most difficult pests to remove as well as to prevent, but there are some tried and true methods of eliminating them. Mainly, bed bugs despise extreme temperatures, so most removal methods that work rely on heating or cooling.

You can do things like dry sheets, blankets, and clothing on the highest heat settings in the dryer and also try freezing potentially infested items to kill off the bugs.

But, overall, once a bed bug infestation has started even these attempts are unlikely to remove the entire infestation. This is especially true because many people don’t notice a problem until bed bugs have spread throughout their homes already. Plus, in order to keep the infestation from coming back, every single bed bug and egg needs to be eliminated.

How Can You Effectively Remove Bed Bugs?

While various DIY bed bug control measures aren’t very useful, there is one sure way to eradicate all of these pests from your South Bend home. All you need to do is contact the experts at Termishield Termite & Pest Protection. Our technicians use proven bed bug removal treatments that are customized for your life and schedule.

Find out more about our bed bug elimination system by giving us a call today. We also offer free inspections.

Tags: bed bug control | bed bug removal | bed bug information |