Does bleach kill bed bugs? Yes, bleach will kill bed bugs but it is not a great choice for eradicating your bed bug infestation. You run the risk of damaging your furniture, flooring, walls and more. If you do use bleach to attempt to get rid of bed bugs then it is recommended that you water down the bleach to limit the effects on your property.
Bed bugs are undoubtedly one of the most difficult pests to kill, but this does not mean that it is impossible to get rid of bed bugs. Solutions to this pest problem are very expensive, which could cost you large sums of money.
A study conducted in Ann Arbor Michigan in 2008 found that the Hsp33 protein, when it came into contact with bleach, stopped moving and also caused the bacteria to die. This procedure would affect in a similar way to any bed bug resulting in his death, confirming that bleach can kill bed bugs.
Getting rid of a bed bug infestation and preventing future infestation of these insects is not a simple task. But we can have products such as bleach, which in addition to not being a very powerful chemical, are quite affordable and easy to use.
However, it is very important to mention that bleaches are not the best option and this is due to the damage that we can cause to both your furniture and other properties.
In addition, the bleach usually works if the infestation is at a mild level if not, treatment must be carried out repeatedly to kill all the eggs and insects.
The Bleach is one of the most used components when sterilizing an area, disinfecting swimming pools, drinking water and also to eradicate domestic pests.
This has the ability to kill a large number of household insects because the inhalation of their gases is harmful to both humans and insects.
The Bleach with its large amount of chemicals is able to kill bed bugs. But while it is potent, it is not the best treatment and also the safest option to exterminate insects, therefore it is not recommended to use it.
If you want to use the bleach to try to kill bed bugs, we must know what it contains inside to find out why it is so recommended for the eradication of pests.
Among the varied ingredients of bleach we can mention:
-Water: Water as we all know it, is an insipid, colorless and odorless liquid, which has the function of acting as a base in various cleaning products and the Bleach is no exception.
-Sodium hypochlorite: Known for being the active ingredient in Bleach, where it is responsible for killing germs, removing stains and bleaching clothes.
-Sodium chlorate: This arises naturally. Because of the decomposition of sodium hypochlorite.
-Sodium chloride: Sodium chloride is table salt that works as a stabilizer, which is generally used in soaps and detergents.
-Sodium carbonate: It is mainly used to help soften the water used in cleaning processes and also to help remove grease stains.
-Sodium hydroxide: Sodium hydroxide is mainly used to contribute to the removal of stains, this fulfills a function of adjusting the pH.
-Sodium polyacrylate: this ingredient is very important because it helps prevent the extracted dirt from being absorbed back into the fabrics that are washed.
Since we know a little more about the ingredients in the bleach, we can continue and see how it acts when it comes to killing bed bugs.
As we mentioned earlier, bed bugs are very difficult pests to kill, since these are very small and usually hide in small cracks near their food source. In addition, bed bugs lay eggs that are resistant to various chemicals for bed bugs in the market.
But unlike common chemicals, bleach is capable of killing bedbugs in a different way, which works by oxidizing the body of the nymph and the adult, through its exterior oxidizing its shell first. This is possible due to sodium hypochlorite, but because there is a risk of inhaling poisonous fumes and damaging their property such as furniture, it is necessary to spray it directly on the insect.
However, the risk greatly exceeds the benefits of using the Bleach to exterminate bed bugs, so it is better to avoid using it.
Among the most important strategies to kill bed bugs, we can use multiple treatment strategies.
Usually, 2-3 are used, which depending on your budget, preferences, and home of the person, the combination of several strategies for the eradication of bed bugs is a very effective method to get rid of them.
However, there are two very important steps that must be performed before starting treatment and quickly ending with most bed bugs, the steps are as follows:
-First of all, we have to install under each of the posts of your furniture and beds, bed bug traps. Bed bug traps mainly prevent bed bugs that are not in your bed from reaching you at night, these traps, in addition to preventing them from biting you during the night, will also show you where they hide.
-And secondly, we must install the covers of the bed bases and a mattress of bedbugs, these covers will block any bedbugs or egg of bedbugs in the mattress and the bed base, with the course of time they will kill them. Since a large percentage of house bugs are located on the mattress, this step will quickly and efficiently eliminate a large number of bed bugs in your home.
After performing these important steps, we can proceed to make use of combinations of multiple strategies to eradicate the remaining bed bugs in your home.
Among the most effective combinations we can mention the two most prominent:
This combination is undoubtedly one of the best ways to end bed bugs. Because it is a natural and very effective way to end bed bugs.
It also minimizes the use of chemicals used in the home.
-Aerosols to eradicate bed bugs combined with a Bed Bug Vaporizer:
This combination of strategies is really effective, the secret of its great effectiveness is due to the fact that it penetrates cracks and walls, killing bedbugs. However, unlike the previous combination, despite being effective, it can be very dangerous if we use bed bug sprays first than the vaporizer, if we do this we could vaporize the spray, which can be really dangerous for our health.
The heat treatment is another extremely effective with which we can attack bed bugs, this is because bed bugs when exposed to heat greater than one hundred and twenty degrees die almost instantly.
However, despite its great effectiveness, this treatment can become dangerous for its properties, because it runs the risk of burning and ruining your home.
This treatment is generally used by professionals, who mostly agree that heat is one of the best ways to exterminate a bed bug infestation, these are responsible for leaving your home or room free of bed bugs.
However, professional service can be quite expensive, since, in addition to the complicated process, the equipment is also expensive.
Bed bug steamers get into hard-to-reach places in their mattresses and cabinets, killing any bed bugs in their path.
In addition, heat is also the best option to remove these insects from clothes, using a dryer we can place clothes, blankets, pillows or stuffed animals for only a few minutes.
Vapors, thanks to their effectiveness, are also used to kill bed bug eggs.
Using heat is also an excellent option if you have surfaces where you cannot use bleach, such as your furniture or carpets.
The use of pesticides and aerosols is another method that proves to be effective in exterminating bed bugs.
This method works in a better way when combined with a heat treatment, this is because in general, aerosols on several occasions are not always able to reach some crevices and cracks where bed bugs hide.
However, with the passing of the years, bed bugs have evolved and become immune to a large part of this type of chemical, but these are still capable of eradicating them.
It is worth mentioning that aerosols can also move bed bugs to different places in your home.
In addition to the aforementioned strategies, there are a number of other strategies to end bed bugs, these strategies require the use of natural herbs, essential oils, and various chemicals.
Although these treatment strategies are capable of killing bed bugs, it does not mean that they are the most effective or appropriate methods to end all your infestation and put an end to your bed bug problem.
Among the other treatment strategies for bed bugs we can find:
-Bean leaves kill bed bugs
Bean leaves contain very small thorns that have the ability to kill bed bugs. Although this is not the best way to end a bed bug infestation, bean leaves are the best for finding hidden bed bugs.
Once you've finally got rid of the infestation, bed bug prevention is your next goal. Buy a bed base for bed bugs and mattress covers. Both types of covers will block the eggs and insects left in your mattress and can kill them over time.
Of course, some people may feel better buying a new mattress and box spring. If you cannot afford to replace your bed, this option is the next best option and can save you hundreds of dollars.
Another option is to install bed bug traps under furniture and bedposts. These traps will prevent you from being bitten while you sleep and can even help you determine where these pests hide.
While the mattress and box spring covers will prevent the insects in your mattress from attacking during the night, the traps will kill any mistake that is not in your mattress.
Other ways to avoid infestations in the future include the following:
-Protect your clothes against infestations:
To protect the clothes that you do not use constantly, it is necessary to keep them in vacuum-sealed bags, in this way we avoid that the clothes can be infested in some way.
-Signs indicating the infestation of bed bugs in your home:
Mainly, the first sign we can identify that we have a bed bug infestation are the bites of these insects, which are usually always in rows and also cause itching. If we know what these insect bites are like, it can help you solve your bed bug infestation problem more quickly, because at the beginning of the infestation it is when we can get better results.
-Vacuum your home constantly:
Since bed bugs not only hide in beds, it is of the utmost importance to vacuum your home in a constant way to ensure that all eggs and insects hidden in carpets and furniture are quickly exterminated.
-Avoid Clutter:
Clutter is something we have to avoid at all costs in the home. Clutter gives bed bugs a place to hide.
Bed bugs are capable of being transported by clothes, shoes and even animals. It is also possible that these adhere to us in public places such as buses, cinemas, and restaurants. However, as we mentioned earlier, putting your shoes, coats, and clothes in the dryer for a few minutes is an easy and effective way to keep our clothes free of pests.
Combined treatments or multiple treatments are usually by far the best strategy to exterminate a bed bug infestation and also one of the most recommended.
If we use a combination of home treatments, for example: where we use steam and then use the vacuum regularly, it can help get rid of your bed bug infestation in just a couple of days.
By making use of about two or three methods of treatment we make sure to eliminate bed bugs at home because after each treatment we kill the insects and eggs that the previous treatment could not kill.
It is worth mentioning that if you have a large house and the infestation of bed bugs has been expanded to several rooms in the house, the most advisable thing would be to contact professionals who address the problem of bed bugs and give you a quick solution to it.
