Bed bugs can be a nuisance. There is simply no other way to put it. They might not transmit diseases, but they do bite, and those bites can itch, sting, and burn. Even though these bites have never been reported as life-threatening, some people become so enarmed with the thought of getting bitten by these bugs that they find themselves unable to sleep for days at a time. In the worst cases, some individuals find themselves unable to live in the same room where the infestation occurred. This is even long after the bugs have been removed by professionals. It is like a severe phobia that will probably come more and more known as time passes.
Combine this with the fact that traditional chemicals and pesticides are no longer as effective as they once were, and it doesn’t take a genius to see the need for new, innovative bed bug solutions. One of those solutions could be essential oils. While specific oils and scents have proven effective over the years, this concept is still new, meaning there are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the theory. Therefore, it pays to understand the properties of these specific scents and why they may or may not be effective tools against bed bugs. Take this new bed bug pheromone repellant, for example.
Bed bug repellant manufacturers have been toying with the idea of utilizing bed bug pheromones to repel bed bugs. There are a handful of products already available on the market containing this specific pheromone. The results have been quite shocking, but to understand why you must better understand the properties of the scent. For instance, this bed bug pheromone comes from the glands of a bay bed bug or a nymph bed bug. This scent is used to ward off adult males, as they are rampant breeders. They will breeder with nearly any bug they can, including baby bed bugs.
Unfortunately, this is a traumatic scenario for the baby bed bug, as it could even leave them lifeless. Therefore, they release this specific pheromone as a deterrent. It deters adult males from mating. While it has proven effective, it is only effective against adult males. The pheromone will do nothing against other nymphs or female bugs. Pretty interesting stuff, huh?
It is so interesting that the United States Department of Agriculture even got involved in the theory of utilizing certain scents to repel bed bugs. They uncovered some unique information as well, including some scents potentially cause adverse internal reactions within the bug’s bodies. In addition to this, they also uncovered that there are some essential oils that have better repellant properties than others. Amongst these are blood orange oil, paraffin oil, silicone oil, and spearmint oil.
When all said and done, one must remember that these scents are only so effective. It doesn’t mean they aren’t a good idea or won’t work, but you must be careful about further spreading the infestation to other parts of the property, and you sure do not want to put all your eggs in one basket using this theory. Utilize these scents in conjunction with other repellant methods for the best possible results.
