Bed bugs like Cimex lectularius can make a home unsafe for both pets and humans. They hide inside the tiny cracks in the furniture and can live up to a year without feeding. While the market has many pest control specialists and sprays that can kill these bugs, homemade bed bug sprays are better, safer, and more effective. They can help one eliminate bed bugs without hurting pets and humans.

Hot steam
Hot steam if sprayed over the bed bug residing area can prove much effective. It kills the bed bugs and their eggs without causing any damage to the environment. The hot steam method helps to get rid of bed bugs from the small cracks and crevices. The best part about steam is that it can penetrate through the pores of the mattress lining and eradicate bug infestations. Bed bugs cannot live when exposed to temperatures above 140°F.

How to do it
Vacuum clean all the area you want to steam; if it is just for the bed, remove the sheet. Then spray the steamer all over the surface where you think bed bugs can be present. Chances are, that the fabric might be dampened after the steam spray but it will soon dry. Use a fan in the sprayed area to dry the place. Repeat the steaming procedure until you are satisfied. A powerful and heavy duty steamer with a large water tank is generally used for bed bug steam spray. Small steamers are not recommended, as they constantly need to be refilled.

Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil has insecticidal properties which make it an effective and natural insect repellent. It can be used to make natural DIY homemade bed bug sprays, which are effective to eradicate these worms from the cracks, crevices, and furniture joints.

Natural extract from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant makes the tea tree oil. The pleasant camphor smell is strongly antifungal and antibacterial in nature. Solvent properties of the tea tree oil diffuse into the bed bug’s exoskeleton and create suffocation in them.

How to use it
Although the recommended method of using the tea tree oil spray is by diluting 20 drops of the oil with water, it, however, is not much effective. The bed bugs are killed only when they come in direct contact with undiluted tea tree oil. However, some people are allergic to tea tree oil and might experience skin irritation. It is, thus, best to use 2% solution of tea tree oil mixed with lukewarm water. Place it in a spray bottle and apply to all linens once a week or bi-monthly, depending on the severity of bed bug infestation.

Neem oil
Neem essential oil is not only effective for skin care treatments but also is an effective natural bed bug repellent. Extracted from bark, leaves, fruits, and seeds of a neem, this evergreen tree is a powerful natural remedy for fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

How to use it
Dilute the neem oil with water and spray it over the infected areas. You can also use a cloth piece to wipe the neem oil around the bed and the furniture. However, the insecticidal action of this natural bed bug repellent hardly lasts for a week. If the infestation is too high, do not dilute the neem oil and spray directly over the area. The strong odor might seem irritating to some but works well as an immediate bed bug repellent.

Diatomaceous Earth
Often referred to as “DE”, Diatomaceous Earth is the fossilized remains of phytoplankton which is generally available as an off-white talc-like powder. This is an absolute natural powder which works both for treatment and prevention.

How to use it
Find the suspect bed bug areas. Remove all electrical faceplates before spraying Diatomaceous Earth with an applicator. Cover the mattresses, bed crevices, furniture, carpet etc. with a thin layer of DE and leave it for as long as possible. It can kill the bed bugs in a few hours but it only affects the adult bugs. Repeat the steam DE cleaning as long as you get the desired result.

Pyrethrum extract
Deriving its name from Pyrethrum, an active ingredient of the plant, this also works as a bed bug repellent. This is one of the homemade bed bug sprays which harms the nervous system of bedbug and kills them.

Other options
You may create homemade bed bug sprays by using concentrated lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, or peppermint. These have a strong scent which destroys the existing bed bugs and their eggs.