Bed bugs get their name from their habit of living in beds and feeding on humans while they’re asleep.

Bed bugs feed only on blood mainly in humans and sometimes in warm-blooded animals. These have been present for thousands of years.

This can be seen in almost every place where there are a lot of people such as hotels, residences, schools, offices, stores, and public transportation.

Bed bugs can travel long distances and can latch on to clothes, linens, and even suitcases.

Thus, the spread of bed bugs are rapid and can happen to everyone. However, it is mostly hard to identify bed bug infestations.

They are most active at night and usually bite on the face, neck, hands, and arms.

The bite is painless and very unnoticed, yet a small, flat, or raised bump can appear on the skin.

Bed bug bites have a peculiar appearance because they tend to find several bites all lined up in a row.

Bed bug infestations can happen due to the following factors:

• Increased international travel

• Changes in pest control practices

• Insecticide resistance

Bed bugs usually hide where people sleep or where a lot of people stay such as cracks and crevices of box springs, bed frames, mattresses, headboards, sofas, carpets, and many more.

They can crawl as fast as a ladybug but doesn’t fly, yet it can still easily travel on items such as clothing, furniture, boxes, bedding, and luggage.

And are most commonly seen in crowded places such as dorm rooms, apartment complexes, hotels, cruise ships, trains, buses, and homeless shelters.

If you wake up with itchy arms, other areas. This may be a result of not changing mattresses. Other signs to know if you have bed bugs include:

• Dark spots on sheets, mattresses. beddings, clothes, or even on walls.

• Blood stains on your sheets or pillowcases

• A musty odor from the bed bugs’ scent glands

• Bed Bug fecal spots

If you do find signs of infestation, begin steps to get rid of the bugs and prevent their return.

The usual treatment for bedbug infestations are done by experts such as pest exterminators.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Well, there are several do-it-yourself remedies for exterminating bed bugs, and it won’t hurt to try.

Here are a few natural remedies for bed bugs infestations:

Use Extreme Heat

This is one of the simplest remedies in exterminating bed bugs. Simply washing your clothes, bed sheets, pillow cases, beddings, stuffed toys, and other items with hot water, can kill unwanted pests.

For big items like mattresses or sofas, it is best to use a steam cleaner on its hottest setting. And run the steamer over the bed or upholstery several times, most especially those cracks, nooks and crannies.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil contains antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. This is also not toxic to inhale, making it safe to spray as much as you want.

Note that this remedy is only effective for mild bed bug infestations.

To do this remedy, you should first dilute 20 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water and spray it directly on mattresses, cabinets, furnitures, cushions, curtains, and many more.

For washable materials like beddings and clothes, it is advisable to wash it with hot water.

Baking Soda

Baking soda or bicarbonate soda works by dehydrating the bed bugs through reducing moisture.

When baking soda warms up, the chemicals begin to break down, resulting in a release of carbon dioxide.

And when an insect ingests the baking soda, it can kill them. You can do this by simply sprinkling baking soda on areas you think bed bugs are staying.

Let the baking soda sit there for a week before vacuuming or cleaning the area. For effectiveness, you’ll need to do this remedy often to eliminate bugs and eggs.

Vinegar

Other than being a popular kitchen ingredient, vinegar can also be used to treat bed bugs. This can kill bed bugs through destroying their nervous systems.

However, it can’t eliminate the tiny eggs. So if you want to use vinegar, try to use it along with other effective home remedies.

Just apply white vinegar on the areas where you think there’s bed bugs on it and spray vinegar thoroughly on the infestations.

Black Walnut Tea

Black walnut tea contains a substance called juglone which has strong insecticidal properties against bed bugs.

It has antifungal, antibacterial, and insecticidal properties which can help eliminate bed bug infestations. You can get black walnut tea online or at health stores.

Instead of throwing away your black walnut tea bags, place the tea bags in areas where bed bugs are possibly staying, including the crevices, cracks, and even the nooks and crannies.

In addition to tea bags, you can also sprinkle dry tea leaves on your mattress and beddings. Or you can spray black walnut tea directly on the infested areas to force bedbugs to stay away.

Essential Oils

Essential oils may help reduce bed bug infestations in your home. One of the most popular essential oils you can use is lavender which can be sprayed directly on the affected areas.

Another one is peppermint oil which can help eliminate these creatures due to its strong odor. You can even combine the two essential oils to make it more effective in eliminating bed bugs.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne? Why do you need something spicy? Cayenne pepper is actually a natural astringent which can contract the bed bugs’ tissues and dollapse their bodies.

This can even kill them by getting into their tissues and interfering with their body processes.

This spice can form a barrier making pests unable to pass through it. You can mix cayenne pepper with other spices such as ginger and oregano oil can repel these bed bugs.

All you need to do is get one teaspoon of cayenne pepper, oregano essential oil, grated ginger, and a glass of water, Then just mix all the ingredients in a pan and let it boil.

After creating the solution, you may now spray it on the affected areas. You shall do this many times in a week for better results.

But if you don’t have the time to do all of that, you can do something easy which is of course not that effective as the spray.

Just sprinkle some cayenne pepper on areas you think they're hiding in.