When you start to think you have bed bugs or you simply want to be prepared against them, you’ll probably start to notice debates on essential oils such as Tea Tree Oil For Bed Bugs, or Neem Oil. Obviously, bed bugs are a serious issue so you don’t want to waste precious time and effort on homegrown solutions that won’t actually combat bed bugs.
In this guide we’re going to breakdown our tests to see if bed bugs actually can kill bed bugs, if it can repel bed bugs, or if it’s completely useless!
Why Bed Bugs Are Hard To Control:
Bed bugs can be incredibly difficult to control because they are very small insects and can really live in quite a few different places in your home such as your bed, blankets, carpet, and more. Because of this, it can be hard to physically identify them, and since they only come out at night, it makes it that much more difficult to identify.
Along with this, bed bugs have bizarre feeding habits, which can involve them needing to feed only once a week, which means you can go days without seeing them and think you’re in the clear. Only for them to show up later to feed.
It’s important to be proactive with a bed bug infestation because it can quickly grow and travel to other locations if you aren’t careful. If your infestation grows out of hand, then you’ll need to bring in the services of a professional to fully eradicate the infestation.
Does Neem Oil Kill Bed Bugs?
So you’ve heard that using neem oil can potentially kill your bed bug infestation or maybe repel a future infestation?
Neem oil is not effective against killing bed bugs. Although it can technically kill a bed bug, it only will kill a bed bug on physical direct contact with the bed bug. That means you’d have to spray it on each and every bed bug in your home to fully eradicate the problem. Obviously, since bed bugs are good at hiding and only come out on rare occasions this isn’t practical and doesn’t make it a good solution.
Does Neem Oil Repel Bed Bugs?
We’ve covered that neem oil doesn’t kill bed bugs very well, but can it be used to repel a future infestation from happening?
Neem oil like other essential oils aren’t the favorite scent for many insects, so there is a level of insect repellent to neem oil. Although it might have some strength in terms of repelling bed bugs, I wouldn’t consider yourself safe just because you spray neem oil around your bedroom. You’re better off watching where you’re sleeping and traveling to help ensure you aren’t bringing a bed bug infestation into your home.
Final Thoughts On Neem Oil:
Neem Oil sometimes gets talked about like it could be the solution you’re looking for if you’re dealing with bed bugs. Unfortunately it’s bed bug killing properties are very weak and impractical compared to an actual insecticide. Neem oil might have slight bed bug repellent properties but similar to killing bed bugs, you’re better off with other solutions. If you have a bed bug infestation, you should really contact a professional so that they can safely and quickly eradicate your bed bug infestation!
You should try taking a look at using vinegar to kill bed bugs as well!
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