Will Bleach Kill Bed Bugs
Will bleach kill bed bugs? Homeowners often struggle to get rid of pests like cockroaches and termites by spraying toxic chemicals. The good news is there are effective home remedies that kill ants, roaches, and other hard-to-get rid of pests such as bed bugs.
One such home remedy is bleach – a product specifically designed to tackle tough dirt and germs. Still, can it help homeowners eliminate the challenge to eradicate pests like ants?
For example, many homeowners often don’t realize when it comes to getting rid of hard-to-get rid of insects like bed bugs on hard surfaces because bed bugs aren’t nearly as easy to get out of your home as they may seem at first.
They are notoriously tricky creatures which makes them harder than you might imagine in some cases to eradicate from your house completely.
In addition, many bed bug treatment products do not work in the long term because this particular genus feeds on blood, unlike most other bugs.
Will Bleach Kill Bed Bugs
Bleach kills bed bugs, but it also kills other insects and organisms that can be present in various home environments, including rugs, upholstery, carpeting, and even clothing.
This is because the active ingredient in liquid chlorine bleach known as sodium hypochlorite ruins a bed bug’s respiratory system by making it difficult for the insect to absorb oxygen, suffocating them and effectively killing them over time.
In addition, bleach essentially clogs their breathing tubes or air holes, allowing them less access to breathe.
What Are Some Ways To Spot Bed Bugs On Hard Surfaces?
To find signs of bed bugs:
- Look for dust mites or tiny bed bug eggs and shells in the crevices between hard surfaces like mattresses or nightstands.
- Look at spots where it would be challenging to check using even a credit card, like the spaces between wallboard and floorboards.
- Use a flashlight to spot gaps that could hide insects that tend to avoid light.
- Inspect areas where the gap between the wallboard is smaller than your credit card, a little too close for you to insert one end into the opening just by slightly lifting on a corner of the wallboard and peeking underneath it with your flashlight.
Gaps less than 0.5 cms don’t always show up if you position yourself directly across from them. For such hard-to-see spots, it’s best to get down on all fours and aim from alongside (at an angle) with your flashlight while checking until they are directly underneath the gap – so long as it’s above knee level.
Which is the best way to kill bed bugs on hard surfaces?
The best way to kill bed bugs on hard surfaces is by cleaning the area with a steam cleaner. This can help prevent infestations of bed bugs that may be hiding in crevices, cracks, and other small spaces in your home or office.
In addition, it can eliminate both the adult bed bugs and any eggs they might have laid! Plus, you won’t need to use harmful chemicals that can cause irreparable damage to surfaces and lead to further health issues.
Vacuum cleaners are a convenient and affordable alternative if you don’t own one. However, you must remove the bag immediately after vacuuming because bed bugs can contaminate it and get dumped back into your living quarters when you clean out your vacuum cleaner bag later on.
Another way to keep your house protected from floor crawling insects like lice or fleas is by using a steam mop with an extending handle to reach into hard-to-reach cracks where pests that feed off filth would be most likely to hide.
Is it possible to kill bedbugs on hard surfaces with white vinegar?
Both white vinegar and alcohol are good at killing bed bugs. These chemicals can make a tremendous homemade bed bug spray when combined with water.
The addition of water helps the mixture stick to surfaces and soaks up into fabric, helping to kill any hidden or inaccessible critters hiding in cracks and crevices.
Suppose you’d like to create a natural insecticide solution (i.e., one that is harmless for your environment and doesn’t leave toxic residues) but don’t want to get it all right.
Why not use homemade insecticidal soap? It won’t require any mixing and gives excellent results.
Conclusion
Will bleach kill bed bugs. Bed bugs can survive for two to three months without a blood meal as long as it is on a hard surface. Then, they wait in tiny crevices and work their way into the gaps of your furniture and other surfaces where they are challenging to detect. You can treat them with bleach, but it may damage your flooring or other surfaces. Heat treatment, which is 100% effective in killing bed bugs, is the only real solution to get rid of an infestation if you have one on a hard surface. It will release no dangerous chemicals upon your surroundings, and it will not cause harm to you either.
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