Kill Bed Bugs Instantly
In the article
The first question when dealing with an infestation is, “How do I kill bed bugs instantly?” From DIY remedies like alcohol and vinegar to household staples like baking soda and borax, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But which methods actually work?
In this guide, we’ll explore what truly kills bed bugs instantly so you can reclaim your space.
Adult bedbugs are small (5-7mm), oval, dark brown insects with six legs and two antennae, feeding on humans and pets at night. Their 1mm eggs are translucent white, and stage 1 nymphs are translucent yellow, turning medium brown after their first blood meal.
Flat before feeding, bedbugs become tubular and red as they fill with blood. Lacking wings, they can’t fly or jump, only crawl, and may sometimes drop from heights.
We’ve put together this guide so you can know for sure what kills bed bugs instantly and what can take a little bit longer. Hopefully, by following the science and principles outlined in this piece, you’ll be able to treat your bed bug issue in no time at all.
When it comes to killing bedbugs, alcohol might seem like a sure thing. We’re all aware of how flammable pure alcohol is, along with the poisoning effects that too much fun with alcohol can have on our own systems, so how could they stand a chance?
Alcohol does indeed kill bedbugs on contact, having a two-part effect that will usually leave them all but annihilated. The first damage from its solvent effect, which dissolves the outer shell of the bed bugs. If this initial damage doesn’t kill the bed bug, the desiccant effect should, drying out the bug’s insides, and ending its life.
However, don’t go filling up a spray bottle with rubbing solution just yet, as alcohol might not be as quick and final a remedy as you’d want. Alcohol only kills bedbugs after direct contact, which is basically impossible to engineer with the hiding spots that the crawlers choose, such as the crevices and folds in bedding and furniture. In reality, it’s not the most effective choice for fast extermination.
Conclusion: Yes, but not 100% of them
This falls under the category of kitchen solutions – the kinds of treatments that your mum might have recommended to you throughout your childhood. Vinegar is acetic acid, and it’s very strong, which means direct contact will disrupt the nervous system of bed bugs to the degree that they will usually die. It’s also fairly effective at keeping bedbugs away from their typical hideouts and sending them into hiding.
However, this doesn’t qualify it as a truly effective bed bug treatment. First of all, much like with alcohol, vinegar will only kill bed bugs on direct contact, meaning that eliminating the entire population with a spray bottle is highly unlikely. Secondly, its repellent effect means that many of the bugs will run and hide, making them even harder to find and kill.
In the early days of an infestation, vinegar treatment is quite effective for keeping the bugs out of your bed and can definitely thin out their numbers; however, the lack of finality and the horrendous smell you have to deal with make it a questionable choice.
Conclusion: Vinegar can not kill bed bugs instantly
This is another “mother’s tip” remedy when it comes to figuring out how to kill bed bugs quickly, however, it’s likely the least valid option in this article. Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is often touted as an inexpensive cleaning substance, great for dealing with mold, rust, and dirt, but can it kill them?
Baking soda is highly absorbent, which means it could work to dry bedbugs out. It’s also somewhat abrasive, implying that it could cut and injure bed bugs directly. Finally, it could kill if ingested.
Sadly, none of these facts are at all relevant in practice, as baking soda isn’t nearly absorbent enough to kill bed bugs on contact, it’s not abrasive enough to actually penetrate a bedbug’s exoskeleton, and bedbugs only ever feed on blood. This makes baking soda a totally ineffective choice for trying to kill them, and something to avoid completely!
Conclusion: A great big NO!
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that shows up in the ingredient list for a number of different cleaning products that you can buy readily on the market. Despite only being a form of salt, Borax is actually considered by many to be an effective treatment for bed bugs, suffocating the bugs themselves to kill them.
The method involves using Borax with at least 1% boric acid, sprinkled liberally all over your bare mattress, then mixed with water from a spray bottle. While this begins to take effect, you should also wash any bedding and linens with a mixture of hot water and borax. Once this process begins, it can take anywhere between 3-7 days for the bedbugs to be killed.
So, the answer is no, Borax cannot kill bed bugs instantly, although it is an effective method if you have excess time to spare. Also, it’s definitely worth remembering that while Borax might be an effective killer for the bugs, it’s also potentially very harmful to humans, meaning the treatment will likely leave your bedroom uninhabitable for at least some time.
Conclusion: Borax is no an instant killer
Temperature is one of the most effective ways to deal with bed bugs, with both the fully-grown bugs and eggs dying within minutes when exposed to temps of just 50°C. Steam only forms when water reaches 100°C, making it far hotter than it needs to be to kill bed bugs quickly.
You can effectively treat a bed bug infestation with steam by removing all the bedding, soft furnishings, and linens from a bed and then using a steamer wand around any infested areas. While it can take some time to cover all your bases, using a steamer will almost definitely deal with the problem in an effective and final way.
The main takeaway from this is that using a steamer is one of the best possible courses of action for dealing with a bed bug infestation, but you just have to be diligent with it. It can also work better with the use of traps and repellents to draw the bugs out of hiding, so you can make direct contact as easily as possible.
Conclusion: Yes, it does!
How To Kill Bed Bugs In A Mattress
Another treatment for a bed bug infestation is to use a bed bug cover, which while not an instant killer, is an effective choice for regaining your place of rest. The way this system works is by trapping the bed bugs within the confines of the cover, meaning that they cannot access their food source (you), eventually starving them to death.
This method is essentially fool proof when it’s contained to the confines of the mattress itself, however, it will obviously not kill the bed bugs hidden in the vicinity. These covers for bed bugs are best employed in conjunction with other products in our DIY product range.
You can definitely use a bedbug mattress cover to some success in killing the bed bugs that are getting their food from your body, but just remember that it’s not a miracle solution to dealing with an entire infestation. It also takes some time to take effect, so be patient!
Conclusion: No, but it will work eventually when they starve to death!
If you suspect a bed bug infestation, don’t panic. Follow these simple steps to kill bed bugs quickly and permanently.
Step 1: Secure the Mattress Cover your mattress with a bed bug cover, ensuring it’s fully zipped and sealed. This traps bed bugs inside, leading to their eventual death by starvation. The cover also makes it easier to spot any bed bugs since it eliminates their hiding spots.
Step 2: Treat the Bed Frame or Ensemble Base
Step 3: Set Up Barriers or Tape
Final Tips:
By following these steps, you’ll effectively exterminate bed bugs from your bed and room, allowing you to sleep peacefully knowing you’re protected.
As is the case with many bed bug-killing methods, none of these solutions is likely to solve the problem entirely by itself. Really, you should employ a variety of DIY methods that will work best in your home and allow the cumulative effect to do its thing. It’s always better to utilize DIY methods first to avoid the expensive costs of professional treatment.
Remember to begin treatment as soon as the early signs of bedbugs become apparent in your home, as the longer you wait, the more they will breed and multiply.
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Hipages (how much does pest control cost), Department of Health WA , Oxford Academic (Perspectives on Biology and Management)
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Hi Geoff. The cost of shipping depends on the number of products you buy. If you let me know the products you are interested in and your postcode I can work out the cost for you. Regards Tony