Can baking soda kill bed bugs and their eggs?

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is a natural product that’s widely used for a variety of things. Apart from its usefulness as a good fungicide, baking soda can also be used against a variety of pests as a deterrent.

Such pests include spider mites, fleas, slugs & snails, aphids, cockroaches, and silverfish, and several others.

Its other uses include being used as a teeth whitener, as a mouthwash, as a deodorant, for relieving itchy skin, and lots more.

Will Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs?

This is the central point of our discussion. Baking soda isn’t guaranteed to kill bed bugs.

This is because there’s no scientific proof about such. However, there have been a lot of claims about the exterminating effect baking soda has on bed bugs.

When sprinkled around bedbug-infested areas, it is believed to absorb the surface fluids on the bodies of bed bugs. This is just the beginning as baking soda is also known to cause lacerations on their bodies which results in dehydration leading to death.

While all of these sounds logical, there’s no definite proof about the effect of baking soda on bed bugs.

You’ll have to seek other reliable alternatives to contain your bed bug problem.

Baking Soda For Bed Bug Treatment

When it comes to bed bug problems or infestations, there’s little time to try out experiments such as the use of unverified strategies like baking soda. It’s best to move as swiftly as you can to address the problem.

There are several strategies to adopt. If you feel overwhelmed by these pests, consider reaching out to the experts. Pest management services are only a call away to professionally handle your bed bug infestation.

These pest control companies start with an assessment of the affected area which is followed by the application of necessary and appropriate treatment. However, not everyone wants to hand their pest issues over to pest control services.

Some persons want to be involved in the process. There are lots of DIY strategies to adopt. These may include the use of natural methods or purchasing over-the-counter bed bug insecticides for such problems.

If you belong to the latter category of persons, you may find information on DIY strategies very interesting.

Alternatives To Baking Soda For Bed Bug Extermination

Having ruled out the effects of baking soda as a bed bug exterminator, it’s necessary to go through other reliable methods to contain the problem. There are other readily available household items you can use to get relief from bed bug activity.

However, it’s necessary to state that bed bug extermination isn’t as easy as it looks on the surface. Methods include vacuuming, using diatomaceous earth, tea tree oil, freezing, rubbing alcohol, and washing of all bedding.

Let’s delve a bit into each of these strategies, shall we?

  • Vacuuming

Vacuuming is one of the simplest strategies you can use to get rid of bed bugs.

For this method to be effective, you’ll need to use vacuuming attachments to reach difficult areas as bed bugs will be hiding in crevices and folds, seams, and any tight spot they can find.

Frequent vacuuming is one of the great ways to rid your home of bed bugs as they pick up not only adult bugs but also nymphs and eggs. After each vacuuming session, ensure you carefully empty the contents as far away as possible and into your garbage can to prevent them from getting back to your home.

It’s important to clarify that vacuuming alone won’t solve your bed bug issues. You’ll need to combine it with other strategies.

  • Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a widely used pest control strategy that continues to be effective even against bed bugs. You only need to sprinkle its fine powder across all areas, locations, and surfaces where bed bugs are suspect to hide.

If you want your onslaught against bed bugs to be more comprehensive, use diatomaceous earth in combination with other strategies. When bed bugs come in contact with diatomaceous earth, they end up dehydrated and die in the process.

Allow diatomaceous earth to sit for a sufficient period of time (possibly a few days or as long as necessary). This should be followed by a cleanup of the area using your vacuum cleaner.

This essential oil is a good remedy for bed bug problems.

It is a proven and reliable way to contain your bug issues, unlike baking soda. However, tea tree oil isn’t used directly but is diluted with water. You’ll need about 20 drops of it in a spray bottle filled up with water.

Mix or shake this solution before applying it to known bed bug hot spots. What happens is that tea tree oil gets soaked or absorbed into the exoskeleton of bed bugs which in turn suffocates these pests.

  • Freezing

Freezing is an efficient way to kill bed bugs as they cannot withstand extreme temperatures.

However, there’s no way you can freeze your entire home. Rather, your best bet is to get or pick infested items such as duvets and pillows and place them into your freezer.

Allow these items to sit in your freezer for as long as possible. Such bed bugs will hardly survive in sub-zero temperatures.

  • Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is an effective bed bug killer.

However for this to be possible, you’ll need the right or sufficient alcohol percentage (90% and above). Anything thing less won’t achieve the desired impact.

Pour some of it directly into a spray bottle and spray along bedbug-infested areas until they are drenched. This process will have to be repeated for several days to be effective.

However, we must state that rubbing alcohol alone won’t give you a hundred percent result. Combining rubbing alcohol with other measures should help solve the problem.

  • Washing all Bedding

Bedding must be washed at a high temperature for bed bugs to get completely exterminated. You’ll need to remove or strip all bedding, place it in a black bin liner, and convey it to your washing machine.

By the end of your wash cycle, these pests should be gone.

Conclusion

There’s no verifiable evidence that baking soda kills bed bugs. While this may sound disappointing for some people, there are always effective options to consider. Some of these have been listed above.

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