We have talked about bed bugs before, but if you are new here and wondered how to use borax for bed bugs (or other home remedies), stick around!
The Bed Bugs Bite
Remember when you were little and your parents would tell you to sleep tight and not let the “bed bugs bite?” You may have thought bed bugs were some imaginary storybook pests, but the truth is, bed bugs are all too real, and extremely hard to get rid of once you have them in your home.
Let’s take a look at how to eradicate bed bugs and keep them where they belong: in a childhood rhyme.
Do I Have Bed Bugs?
So, how do you know if you have bed bugs?
Well, bed bugs do bite, and the bites are red and itchy.
- If you see red welts on your skin that are very itchy, and you’re spotting them after you wake up in the morning, chances are you have bed bugs.
- The bites can look like blotchy, rashy spots on the skin.
Since it’s hard to see bed bugs with the naked eye, you may not be able to identify them by sight.
- Sometimes there’s a telltale smell that accompanies bed bugs, which reminds a little of rotten fruit.
- You may also see small brown spots on your sheets, pillows, and bedding.
Bed Bugs’ Home Infestation
Though bed bugs are typically found in your bed, it’s also common to see the bugs in the rest of your home, burrowing into furniture such as couches or chairs.
- If you carry bed bugs on your body, you may even transfer the bugs to your car, making it even harder for you to get rid of them.
The key to eradicating bed bugs is early detection. Strike fast and strike hard, because getting rid of them can be extremely difficult and very time-consuming, as well as simply frustrating.
Borax for Bed Bugs: How to Use It Efficiently
Borax is an effective treatment for bed bugs, unlike other popular remedies vehicled on the internet.
It works to suffocate and kill the bed bugs. Here is what you need to do to use borax to rid yourself of these pests:
- Remove all of the bedding from the bed.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of borax over the entire mattress, and fill up a plastic spray bottle with water.
- Saturate the borax covered mattress with the water. This helps suffocate the bed bugs and kill them.
- You can also wash any bedding, sheets, and blankets with a mixture of hot water and borax to remove the bed bugs from those items
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How Long Does Borax Take to Kill Bed Bugs?
It depends on the concentration, but generally, this is how things work:
- A borax solution with a concentration over 1% boric acid can kill all bed bugs in four to five days.
- A solution with a concentration aroun 0.5% boric acid can kill all the bed bugs within seven-eight days.
How Else Can You Kill Bed Bugs?
We know what doesn’t work to kill bed bugs.
Foggers, bombs, and traditional sprays don’t really do much to get rid of these insects.
Since bed bugs live deep inside mattresses and bedding and the bugs are so small, foggers and sprays can’t really penetrate well enough to kill the bugs.
Avoid wasting time and money using these types of methods to kill bed bugs. There are only a couple of ways to effectively eradicate a bed bug infestation.
Borax vs Diatomaceous Earth for Bed Bugs
As we saw already, borax for bed bugs is one efficient way to remove bed bugs.
- You can also use borax to kill the bugs in your carpet by sprinkling it into the carpet and vacuuming it up.
Diatomaceous earth is another known way to kill bed bugs.
- You can sprinkle this inside and outside, leaving it under your bed and other furniture, along the baseboards, and underneath your mattress. It’s safe to use and is an effective treatment.
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How Long Does Diatomaceous Earth Take to Kill Bed Bugs?
By comparison to Borax, diatomaceous earth takes longer to kill the bed bugs (in between 7 and 17 days). Just like Borax, however, it does have long-lasting effects and has a preventative role in keeping bed bugs away from your home.
Other bed bugs’ repelling methods
- Throwing away infected items, like mattresses, and purchasing new ones;
- Using extreme hot or cold temperatures (like washing things in hot water or freezing them) to kill the pests.
For a pesky case of bed bugs, combining steam treatments with other treatments, such borax or diatomaceous earth, may provide the desired results.
Using a steamer on your mattress and furniture kills the bed bugs. But you must use this in combination with other methods to completely rid yourself of bed bugs.
How Do I Avoid These Pests?
Once you get rid of bed bugs, you will not be in a hurry to ever have them again. Apply preventative methods to keep yourself safe from the bugs.
- Keep borax or diatomaceous earth handy, and sprinkle it inside and outside your home.
- Keep your sheets and linens clean and wash them in hot water.
- Use a steam cleaner to clean your furniture on a regular basis.
- Use a mattress and box spring cover to keep your mattress and box springs protected from an infestation.
- Keep your home clean, keep an eye out, and have treatments on hand just in case you see any bed bugs.
Conclusion
Once you get rid of them, you’ll know how to spot the signs that they are coming back so you’ll be prepared for the worst in case it does happen.
Yes, it is. If you use borax properly, you can get rid of the bed bugs in your bed, carpets, car, or clothes.
Depending on the concentration, up to a week, even less.
Yes, it is. It takes longer than Borax to kill bed bugs (up to 17 days), but it has long-term, durable effects.
Last update on 2022-06-02 at 02:16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
