Tea tree oil for bed bugs – finding an exterminator is expensive, and even when you find one, they use toxic chemicals.
Removing bed bugs can be undulating, especially when you are not sure the best tactic to use.
Most homeowners have tried various essential oils to kill bed bugs. But, does tea tree oil kill bed bugs?
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Bed Bugs – Effective?
The Melaleuca alternifolia plant is the natural source of Tea Tree Oil. The plant has a fascinating smell and contains up to 100 components.
Though highly toxic when consumed, the plant has manifested strong antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial qualities. Have you tried lavender to kill bed bugs?
Tea Tree Oil’s healing capabilities are currently being researched to determine whether tea tree oil is an ideal topical antimicrobial treatment.
Why Consider Tea Tree Oil For Bed Bugs?
Sources state that tea tree oil is almost as effective as chemical insecticides. Also, chemical insecticides are mostly harmful to the human respiratory system.
Tea tree oil has a pleasant smell that you will like. It smells almost like pine disinfectant, only that it is a bit stronger. Check out the pictures of bed bugs.
How to Do Patch Test
Mixing tea tree oil for bed bugs is easy and only involves a few steps. Before you start using tea tree oil, make sure that it is safe for you. You can do this by running a quick patch test.
That way, you can quickly know whether you are allergic to the oil. However, you will need a day or two to get your results.
This is a natural step that entails choosing a patch of skin in an area that is not easily noticeable. You will test the oil on it and see how it reacts.
- Place one or two drops of the oil in your inner forearm. This is the ideal area for patch testing since the skin is highly sensitive and cannot be noticed easily. Also, you will not run out of the oil unknowingly.
- For the test, you can use any dilution ratio. Try to use somewhere between 1-50%. Anything more than that might be too much, and your skin might not handle it; hence, you will obviously get an allergic reaction.
- Place a bandage on the area on which you placed the few drops of diluted tea tree oil.
- Let it dry. If you start to feel irritation around the area, remove the bandage immediately, and wash thoroughly with water and soap.
However, if you don’t feel any irritation within the first 24-48 hours, you are not allergic to the oil. Note that while you might be allergic to the oil, you might still be sensitive to a high concentration of the same.
After running the patch test successfully, you can go ahead and use the oil to kill bed bugs. If you learn that you are allergic to the oil, you can ask someone to do the work for you.
However, if there is no one to help, make sure that you cover your body well, leaving no skin exposed to the tea tree oil during the application.
Related: Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Bed Bugs?
How to Mix Tea Tree Oil for Bed Bugs
You are free to mix the oil to the desired concentration. It is essential to keep it between 1% and 5% since that would be enough to kill the bed bugs and baby bed bugs.
Still, you might consider using slightly higher concentrations since bed bugs are sturdier insects.
Whichever the concentration you decide on, make sure you don’t apply the oil neat. Otherwise, you will also get a reaction. The other thing to know is that it is usually ideal to use carrier oils to dilute essential oils.
These are less reactive oils such as almond oil. Besides, you can get a perfect blend by mixing oil with oil. Though it is possible to mix oil with water, it is not effective enough.
Related: Does Vinegar Kill Bed Bugs?
How to use tea Tree Oil to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
To kill bed bugs using tea tree oil, you need to do more than just spraying your mattress. This makes sense since bed bugs are good at hiding.
Therefore, you need to target the folds of your mattress, bed frame, bedding, and behind the furniture in your bedroom. Naturally, bed bugs like dark cracks and crevices.
For an effective killing of bed bugs, consider clearing your room of clutter and other mess. You need to check the furniture, stuffed clothes and toys, closets, under carpets and rugs, cracks, and crevices.
Tea Tree Oil and Its Effects on Humans
Some reviews reveal just how toxic to humans the tea tree oil can be. Half of them died when a dose of 2ml/kg was given to rats, while half of them recovered. This can also be called a 50% lethal dose.
The same dose of tea tree oil in humans might make them ataxic or lethargic from the observation. In simple terms, they will slur their speech, move involuntarily, and lose control of their normal body functions and movements.
A further study revealed that no human death would occur due to ingesting tea tree oil. However, some reasonable level of poisoning would be reported among children and adults.
Experts also point out that the toxicity of the oil is self-limiting. Therefore, you will not get hurt as long as you know what you are doing.
Make sure that you don’t ingest it, and you must not apply it neatly. However, you can also try using bed bug steamers to kill the bugs using high temperatures.
Conclusion
Tea tree oil can kill bed bugs as long as it is mixed in the right ratio. From the start, you must ensure that you target the regions that the insects use for hiding.
Moreover, you should avoid getting in contact with the oil since it could irritate your skin. The oil contains natural components that can help make your home free from bed bugs.