Do Mothballs Kill Bed Bugs?

Do mothballs kill bed bugs? You’re likely reading this because it’s a question you’ve had for a long and want to find answers to. Luckily, we’re here to help.

Dealing with a bed bug infestation can be quite frustrating for a lot of people. This leads many to seek effective remedies for tackling the problem. Talking about remedies, a lot has been written about the use of mothballs for pest control.

What we intend to know is whether mothballs kill bed bugs.

All you need to do is sit back and read on for all the answers to pressing questions you have.

Can Mothballs Kill Or Deter Bed Bugs?

Mothballs do NOT kill bed bugs.

If you’ve heard about this from someplace or someone, you shouldn’t follow such advice. Mothballs contain naphthalene which is a chemical that has been known to cause all sorts of problems, especially for kids.

Although it might prove effective against moths, it has no such effect on bed bugs. You’d be wasting precious time trying out a remedy that doesn’t work.

With time being wasted, your bed bug issues worsen as they reproduce and spread out.

• Mothballs are a Health Risk

Mothballs used to be a popular method to treat a variety of pest issues.

With time, scientific findings required that they be used less. Naphthalene-containing mothballs have been completely banned in certain countries due to the negative impacts associated with their use.

In 2008, the European Union banned the supply of naphthalene products. Children are the worst-hit when it comes to the use of naphthalene-infused mothballs.

This chemical product has been found to result in severe jaundice as well as kernicterus in kids.

Kernicterus is a type of brain damage that leads to significant disability. This is something you don’t want your kids to experience. Even if your kids are all grown up, mothball use for bed bug control isn’t possible as it has zero-effect on these pests.

Mothball Alternatives For Bed Bug Control

Having established the fact that mothballs are ineffective against bed bugs, it’s necessary to seek alternatives.

Unlike mothballs, such alternatives must be effective. If you’ve considered using mothballs in the past, you’re likely interested in home remedies.

Luckily, there are lots of effective home remedies to use against bed bugs. These aren’t the typical ones you’ve heard though. To help you avoid home remedies that don’t work, we’ll immediately unveil some of the common methods or remedies that have no real impact on bed bugs.

You’ll find all the information right here.

Popular Remedies For Bed Bugs

Certain home remedies may not get you the results you seek. Although popular, these remedies may only be a waste of money as you may not get the results you seek.

Examples are the use of ultrasonic bed bug repellents, essential oils, and rubbing alcohol.

Other home remedies include the use of dryer sheets, rubbing alcohol, and foggers. All of these are popular and touted as remedies that work. However, the reality is that they may not. You may end up disappointed after using them.

This best decision is to call the service of an exterminator.

Other Home Solutions To Bed Bug Problems

Bed bugs aren’t easy to get rid of. This is even worsened when using an ineffective treatment.

Out of the many home remedies for bed bug extermination, only a few really work. These are known to help get rid of the problem and can be combined for greater impact.

These remedies include laundering with hot water, placing infested items in a dryer, and vacuuming. When done correctly, these strategies will take care of your bed bug problem.

Before discussing each of these points, you’ll need to exercise caution.

Exercising Caution

To have a real shot at managing a bed bug infestation yourself, you’ll need to understand the difficulties involved. Any careless action on your part will only serve to worsen the problem.

Bed bugs are resilient pests that can survive even the most stringent control measures when a little mistake is made.

If you sense this entire process to be overwhelming, your best bet is to call a reliable pest extermination service.

There are lots of such services. However, you’ll need to be guided by their past performance.

In other words, customer reviews should play a major role in choosing which service you choose for resolving your bed bug issues. Now let’s consider briefly discuss more the effective home remedies for bed bug extermination.

• Laundering with Hot Water

As simple as it may seem, hot water is an effective bed bug control measure.

For this strategy to be effective it needs to be done frequently until bed bugs and their eggs are destroyed. Bed bugs hiding in fabrics are unable to survive such heat.

• Placing Infested Items in Dryer

After your laundry, items should be placed in a dryer with high heat to ensure they don’t survive.

However, caution is necessary to avoid destroying your fabric or clothing. Manufacturer guidelines are necessary to prevent damaging the material.

Just like hot water laundering, bed bugs are unable to survive. These bugs hide or cling onto fabrics. This method is best when returning from an infected area. Hotels and other public places are likely to serve as breeding grounds for bed bugs.

After spending a night or more in a hotel room, the first thing to do is to immediately get all used clothing into the washing machine. Launder with hot water and dry to kill off any bed bugs that have hitched a ride into your home.

• Vacuuming

Vacuuming, as common as it may seem has helped control all sorts of pest issues. Bed bugs aren’t left out of pests you can get rid of through vacuuming. For vacuuming to be effective, it needs to be done across all infested surfaces.

Areas to consider for cleaning include your carpets, bed frame, baseboards, sofa, mattress, chairs, and any other furniture.

Combine Remedies For Even Better Results

Combining these effective home remedies will give you better results against bed bugs. You can wash clothing using hot water, dryer using high temperature, and also cleaning your home using a vacuum cleaner.

Double bagging your vacuum bag is important to prevent bed bugs from escaping.

We’ve seen that mothballs do not kill bed bugs and also discussed the dangers of using naphthalene-containing mothballs.

With mothballs out of the question, we’ve provided you with other home remedies that work to control these pests.