Does Lavender Repel Bed Bugs?

Lavender is known for its ability to soothe pain and fatigue. Besides, it has been used since ancient times to repel insects that are irritated by its scent. One of the prominent uses of lavender is to repel pesky skeeters. It has also been praised for its ability to repel other annoying critters. In this regard, can does lavender repel bed bugs?

Well, Bed bugs seem not to be irritated by the lavender’s scent. Bed bugs are the most disliked and well-known creepiest crawlies.

Actually, the thought of having uninvited crawlies on your bed which disturbs you as you try to find a comfortable, relaxing, and sleeping posture, is by itself upsetting.

Upon noticing bed bug infestation, many people opt to use chemicals to drive them away, but did you know that you can keep bedbugs away without using chemicals?

If you do not feel safe spraying chemicals or using bug bombs to drive away bed bugs, you can use the natural ways to kill bed bugs effectively, which is when lavender becomes handy. Read on to know more about keeping the bed bug population in check using lavender.

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Can lavender repel bed bugs?

The lavender scent is the one feature that makes this plant loved by many people and few pollinators.

However, pesky critters like bed bugs are never comfortable near lavender-scented spaces. As such, lavender is used to make some essential oils that are considered to have a certain percentage of toxicity that repels bugs.

Lavender can repel bed bugs or even eliminate them when used appropriately. Usually, the first step to eliminating bed bugs is identifying where they reside and all their hideout points.

Applying lavender oil on carpets, bedsides, around cracks, beddings, and even on your skin can help kill all bed bugs and their larvae over time. Actually, lavender oil instantly destroys larvae and bed bugs when they get into direct contact.

In addition to repelling bed bugs, using essential lavender oil in your house is a natural way to eradicate other pesky bugs that get irritated or choked by the scent. Lavender also repels mosquitoes; thus, using it to repel bed bugs gives double benefit to the user.

How to make and use natural bed bug spray using lavender essential oil

Instead of applying raw essential lavender oil in your house, you can simplify the whole process by making a lavender bed bug spray. You will need clean distilled water, a clean spraying bottle, and pure essential lavender oil.

If you find distilled water quite expensive, you can also use cooled boiled water. The spray bottle should be well dried after cleaning for better results.

You can add one drop of pure essential lavender oil for every ounce of water. Most spray bottles can be filled with at least 3 ounces of water.

You only need at least three drops of lavender oil to make one spray bottle. Follow these steps to make lavender oil spray to use on bed bugs.

1. Put filtered water in the spray bottle

Check your spray bottle for measurements or calibrations for an ounce. You can also use a jug to measure the water volume before pouring it into the spray bottle.

2. Add drops of pure essential lavender oil to the water

Once you have added one ounce of water to the bottle, you should add one drop of pure essential lavender oil. Ensure the oil is 100%natural lavender oil to ensure there are no nasty additives that can lower the effectiveness of the spray.

3. Repeat this process

Repeat adding water and oil one ounce at a time until you fill the spray bottle to your desired level.

4. Prepare the spraying space

Prepare all the areas where you want to spray and remove anything that can be damaged by water. Strip all the bedclothes and mattress toppers from the bed and spray the bare mattress until it is soaked with the solution.

5. Repeat spraying on other items

Spray all the bedclothes you had set aside and any other item with bed bugs. Carpets are a common hideout for bed bugs, and you should always make sure it is well soaked with the spray.

6. Clean out the dead bugs

Wait for some hours for everything to dry up and then collect the dead bugs using a vacuum. Empty the vacuum cleaner immediately after collecting all the dead bugs.