Science

How to Prevent Bed Bugs From Invading Your Bed

Helpful Ways To Get Rid Of These Blood Sucking Critters

By: Leticia Xavier, Journalist

February 14, 2024

Bedbug trap invented by B.C. scientists

Bed bugs are one of the most hated bugs to exist since these pesky bugs give you itchy marks and stinging bruises while you’re sleeping. Thankfully, the most bed bugs can do is give you itchy bruises, and they are not known to spread diseases. Clear signs of having bed bugs are having black splotches under your or on your bed. Those black splotches are the digested blood that the bed bugs drank from you, that are pooped out.

The main cause is travel. A popular cause is to hitch a ride in your suitcase and once you set your bag on the bed they escape onto the bed. Although there are pesticides to kill bedbugs, such as paint thinner, Pyrethrins, and Pyrethroids, they are also hazardous if inhaled. Bed bugs can also become immune to these pesticides.

A solution was found a few years back in the Balkan, this solution was given by Mother Nature. This plant is called the bean leaf, which is a sticky leaf that traps bugs that try walking on it. It seems like a sticky leaf, but it just had a lot of micro hooks on it, acting like Velcro, these are called trichomes. Bed bugs would try to walk on it but would get their legs stuffed in the hooks. Another current way to kill bed bugs is by steaming the bed. Bed bugs die from heat, but if not put at a certain temperature it could be insufficient. The ideal temperature to kill these insects is 122℉ (50℃). Bed bugs have a keen sense of smell, letting stuff like baking soda and dryer sheets repel them, but not exterminate them. Balkans would set these leaves around their bed to trap these bugs. This not only catches bed bugs, but it also catches other annoying insects. Scientists are trying to find ways to replicate Mother Nature’s trap, this works, but not as well as Mother Nature.

There is one more repellent that works is the diatomaceous earth, which is crushed fossilized shells. This shell is called a diatom which was an aquatic organism from the prehistoric ages. The silica from the shells is the main killer of the product since silica absorbs moisture. The silica then sticks to the bodies of the bed bugs and absorbs as much moisture in the bug as possible. This kills the insects from dehydration with this method it takes up to days or even hours to kill the insect. This also spreads to other bed bugs since when they go back to their hiding spot it sticks to other bed bugs killing more than just one. This is one of the best solutions because all organisms need water to survive, meaning that bed bugs cannot just get immune to this pesticide.

Top main ways to get rid of bed bugs if you already have them.

(These tips only work if your infestation is minimal)