How to Make Homemade Bed Bug Spray For House

Bed bugs are probably the worst of the worst. These blood-sucking pests choose to live in spots we are most fond of and attack once we’ve already settled. Aside from causing discomfort from the itch and the lack of sleep, these bugs can also be carriers of diseases.

Luckily, we can make an effective bug spray made from some common household items.

The advantage of making this homemade bed bug spray is that it can kill these pesky pests and prevent another infestation. And add to that, you don’t have to splurge on a new mattress or pay for the services of professional exterminators. Click here to learn more aboutHow to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Your Mattress.

Materials

Before we begin with this tutorial, make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients ready. The materials and tools that we will be using are very easy to find, so you can buy them at your local grocery store or pharmacy if you don’t have one at home.

Here is a list of the materials that you will need:

• An empty spray bottle. I would recommend getting one that offers a stream option when you twist the nozzle. This gives you the option to pump out concentrated amounts of liquid in case of areas that are ordinarily hard to reach. But if you can’t find one, an empty spray bottle will do. ​You can also make it in a plastic or glass container.
• Tea tree oil.
• Lavender oil.
• Thyme oil.
• Lemongrass oil.
• A cup of water.
• Four droppers.

Once you have all these materials gathered, then we can go straight to the tutorial.

Step. 1

Clean the Bottle

We begin by making sure that the spray bottle is clean. This step is essential since we don’t want to contaminate our finished product. This is especially true if you are using an old spray bottle.

If you’re using a plastic bottle, you can easily do so by filling in the bottle with a mixture of water and vinegar and let it just sit for a while. After an hour or so, empty the contents of the bottle and rinse with cold water. Clean it thoroughly until you can’t smell any vinegar residue anymore.

If you’re using a glass bottle, I recommend sterilizing it instead of just using the water-vinegar mix. You can do so by putting the bottle in a water-bath canner, fill it with water, and put it to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, turn the heat off and take the bottle out after it has cooled down a little.

Step. 2

Add Essential Oils

After the bottle is clean and dry, you can now start adding the ingredients of your homemade bed bug spray.

Begin by dropping five drops each of tea tree, lavender, thyme, and lemongrass essential oils. For this step, make sure to use different droppers for each essential oil for hygienic purposes.

At this point, I also want to discuss why we’re using these ingredients. Tea tree is best known for its antiseptic and repellant properties. In fact, research shows that tea tree works by soaking the bed bug’s exoskeleton, causing it to suffocate and die.

Lavender is another useful essential oil in repelling bed bugs. Although we love the soothing smell of lavender, bed bugs seem to hate it. Studies also reveal that lavender effectively kills bed bug eggs – which not only kills bed bugs but also prevents them from further spreading.

On the other hand, thyme is a natural insecticide. Adding this into the mix prevents bed bugs from coming back to your home.

Another useful oil is extracted from lemongrass. Lemongrass contains citronellic acid which is toxic to bed bugs and other pests. It effectively works by increasing the acidic contents in their bodies, causing them to die almost instantly. The smell left by lemongrass also draws them away, so you don’t have to worry about another infestation.

Step. 3

Add Water and Shake

Once you’re done with adding essential oils into the spray bottle, you can now pour a cup of water into the mix and shake the bottle.

And that’s it – you now have your own homemade bed bug spray. Make sure to spray it on areas that are naturally attractive to bed bugs like your mattress or your couch. With the stream option of your spray bottle, you can also reach into and spray on the nooks and crannies where you think they may hide temporarily.

Uses

This spray is one hundred percent organic, so you don’t have to worry about inhaling nasty chemicals. But aside from a bed bug spray, it can also ​be applied for other purposes.

Because of the insect-repellant properties from thyme and other essential oils, you can also use this as a garden sprayer. It also smells really nice, so it’s a better alternative to the mass-produced hazardous pesticides.

And finally, you can also use it as your own bug shield. Diluted essential oils are already safe for our skin, but just to be sure, mix the concoction with coconut oil first before you spread it onto your skin. This will keep you bug and mosquito-free for hours.

Alternatives

Nevertheless, I do understand that some of you may be allergic to these essential oils. Fortunately, there are other alternative ingredients that you can use for your homemade bed bug spray.

Vinegar. We all know that vinegar has high acidic concentrations, so it has the same effect as lemongrass on those pesky bugs. To make your vinegar spray, mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and shake it until it’s completely diluted. The only downside with using this mix is that it tends to have a strong smell which you may want to have around the house.

Cedar. Cedar oil is another known natural insecticide. It also releases a strong scent which bed bugs and insects find irritating, so they tend to leave the area. Aside from its scent it also effectively kills these unwanted pests. To create this spray, simply put five to ten drops of cedar oil into a cup of water and shake.

Neem. Another useful natural insect repellant is neem oil. It effectively kills bed bugs and other insects like mosquitoes, mites, termites, and flies. Make a spray by adding five drops of neem oil to a cup of water. For better results, you can mix neem with cedar oil and water.

Note, This article tells you all you need to know about How Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Forever From Your Home.