Home Remedies for Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes are small insects that play an important role in the circle of life. However, and as with many other insects, humans have come to find them annoying and we like to exterminate them from our lives without consideration to their important role in existence.

Yet, If you are one of the people aware that mosquitoes are both beneficial and dangerous for the human race and for the most part like to have their population balanced in a natural manner, acquiring our mosquito bandito product.

Of course, there are other things to consider. For example, even with the decrease of mosquito population in your home, you are bound to experience the itchiness of a stealth attack from a mosquito. Mosquito bites produce tremendous itchiness as the mosquito’s saliva injects you with anticoagulants.

Sadly, there is no way to prevent mosquitoes from happening in your life. They will happen to you and your lifestyle. And you will find yourself scratching your skin off after one or several has taken a liking to the taste of your blood.

 

Do need to just suck it up?

No, there is no need for you to “suck it up” and hold on like a damned prisoner waiting for the itch that is caused by the mosquito bites and welts to diminish. There are a number of things you can use in order to prevent and avoid these form being such a drag.

For most people, having antihistaminic medications, otherwise known as “anti-itch” over-the-counter medications are basic things to have in your home next to everyday cooking oil and headache medications. However, undoubtedly, there are times when even in the most prepared homes there could be that no medication is at hand.

Other situations that might trigger a similar situation could be picnics and by-the-pool days. Vacation times often are situations where you have to experience all the itchiness potential of mosquitoes but lack the tools to reduce it.

In all of these scenarios, while it might not be possible for you to carry the anti-itching medication around with you for any number of reasons, there is -almost always a kitchen or a drugstore around. Additionally, there are a few items that for the most part can be carried alongside you in almost any situation.

Nonetheless, it is always advisable for you to treat carefully when speaking about home remedies and advice from sources that are not medically trained. It is important to mention and clarify that “medical training” means that doctors should be the only ones whose medical advice can be taken without concern.

Their education and years of experience allows them to advice and prescribe medications, remedies and correct those that are wrong. Therefore, if you at any point feel that whatever you are doing or taking is causing you discomfort or causes other problems, always suspend immediately and consult your physician.

• Ice Packs
• Garlic
• Ammonia
• Tea Tree
• Alcohol

Ice Packs

Ice can be from ice cubes in your freezer or even any of the ice-cold packs that are filled with gel that are often available in many drugstores (some brands even give them away as promotional products). Place the ice pack over the skin for a period no smaller than 5 minutes.

Be careful as exposure to cold for long periods of time not only causes discomfort, but it can also damage the skin and produce burn marks. It is advisable as well to use a cloth in between the ice packs and the skin. Make sure that the cloth is NOT wet, if you use a wet cloth, the damage to the skin can be similar and should be avoided.

If you happen to be outside or do not have any ice at hand, you can replace the ice or cold packs for a cold bottle. Juice, soda or even water can work. A glass bottle is a better idea than plastic but, in situations where there is a need to solve the problem, plastic will do.

If you are using ice packs replacements, the time of exposure is the same.

The ice packs and cold will numb the area and prevent it from itching for a short while. This will come in handy if you are outside or out of antihistaminic medication.

 

Garlic

This condiment has a known property of reducing itchiness in mosquito bites as well as over-riding venom from insect bites from a wide variety, including vampires.

Among the many benefits garlic can provide into a person’s dietary intake you can find:

• It’s is highly nutritious.
• Helps the digestive system
• Rich in vitamin C and B
• Boosts the immune system
• Lowers LDL cholesterol
• Lowers Blood pressure
• Helps detoxify some heavy metals from the blood
• It seems to be helpful in battling bone problems

But these are not the only benefits of the garlic. It is a commonly known fact that garlic also repels insects from biting you. Mainly mosquitoes.

Of course, the stench you will exudate after eating garlic will also repel the rest of your family away from you. Therefore, many folks prefer to buy “deodorized” garlic tablets that promise to provide the same benefits without the repelling scent; yet there seems to be a close connection and efficiency linked to the scent and the effectiveness of the garlic.

If you do not stink, you won’t lure them away. There is one more benefit you can get from garlic. If you get bitten by a mosquito, you can cut a clove in half and rub it into the bite welt and the itch will go away.

Once again, you will smell heavily to garlic, but there is nothing that can be done against this smell. The benefit is that, as the juice of the garlic dries off in your skin, you will smell a little less.

If you are using garlic, be careful as there are people who are allergic or have powerful reactions to garlic and, as such, should avoid even the smear of garlic cloves on their skin.

 

Ammonia

 

Ammonia is commonly used in household cleaning products and is considered a dangerous chemical that must be stored in containers that are chemical-proof and that are not of food products such as soda bottles. It is also a chemical that should be placed away from the reach of children.

However, there are some people that believe that ammonia is the perfect solution to counteract the itchiness caused by mosquito bites. It is important to take notice that ammonia will burn the skin and underlying flesh

Ammon is has a penetrating strong odor and it will sting and hurt as it is applied. The burns in the skin will render brownish-red scars that will not fade in time. Furthermore, if ammonia is applied to the skin for a sufficient time, it will disintegrate the skin and flesh and leave an indented scar.

Consequently, it should not be used to prevent or stop the itching of mosquito bites or any other insect bite that can cause itching.

Tea Tree

This has been a remedy that has been popular for quite some time. In essence, the essential oil from the Tea Tree is mixed with a carrier oil which normally is mineral oil or even a sunflower oil that has little essence and is considered neutral.

Just a drop or two of this essential oil mixture is applied to the mosquito bite site and rubbed into the skin until full absorption. This has been claimed as one of the most effective resources. However, opinions pro and against are still too varied to make an educated stand.

Alcohol

The most popular form of this substance in the fight against mosquito bites is gel. By using gel alcohol, you can stop the itching of the mosquito bite. However, it depends greatly on the type of mosquito you have been bitten by.

The darker the mosquito or the bigger the welt of the bite, it will be less effective. Alcohol might be the best and safest alternative to use when there is no proper medication available or you just want to avoid using medicine to fight mosquito bite’s itching.

Alongside Ammonia there are other products in common households that are also considered effective against the itchiness of mosquito bites though there is no conclusive evidence of this fact and instead they could potentially make things worse.

• Aloe Vera
• Baking Soda
• SAlt
• Essential oils
• Lemon Juice

In some cases, these remedies will cause additional itching and in others they can cause sunburns and even stains on the skin. There are also reports that there are people who are mildly to severely allergic to the use of these products in their skins.

Therefore, prior to using them, consult a physician or select an alternative.

What should you do when you call a bed bug killer?

Having bed bugs in your home is not an easy feat.  While having bedbugs is not a synonym of dirtiness nor neglect of your home and overall health and sanitary behavior, for many it is still a disgraceful event that causes both shame and embarrassment.

Once you realize that you have one individual, the time to take action begins.  The sooner you prevent this individual to gather with more or lay eggs, the sooner you can get rid of both the problem and the potential infestation.

Why can’t I treat my problem myself?

There are many products in the market are more than suitable for the extermination of bed bugs.  Many of these are safe enough to be applied by the homeowner himself with no additional knowledge, experience or equipment.  Sadly, while most of these do work, they have a brief success span; this means it is quite feasible for a few individuals or eggs to go unharmed and this will cause a new infestation.

There are other commercial products that are indeed very good and that they can be applied also with a minimal amount of equipment and by people who lack experience.  These products are excellent and do the work; the problem lies in the lack of experience from those who apply them. 

Their lack of experience will provide a safe heaven for bedbugs to lie hidden and let the effect of the bedbug killer diminish.  In other cases, this lack of experience will miss on laid eggs and the result will be the same as in the first case…

Finally, there is one last kind of bedbug killing products in the market.  These are indeed sold to the public even though they should not.  These products are highly efficient but, at the same time, they are very dangerous for both humans and pets.

These products do require special equipment and it would be recommendable to have both experience and knowledge.  Nonetheless, the places where they are sold rarely make comments or notes on the matter.

As a clear consequence, people who buy these products end up applying them in their homes without the proper care or training and can cause serious health issues, sickness and even death to the residents of the home, be that they may be humans, pets or even plants.

But some of them do work, right?

Some products that you can buy in any of the home-related products, gardening and insecticides work.  Some of them are better than others and there are those that are plain duds. 

Since there is no real way to make sure that any individual spotted in your home has “just walked in” and that “it has laid no eggs around”, the safest way to tackle a noticed individual is to spray your home yourself as a first countermeasure.

It is advisable though that once you have tried and failed, approach the specialist.

 When to approach a specialist?

The decision should and is always yours.  For some people the best time to call them is at first sight.  They do not trouble themselves with the application of any insecticide when they see a bed bug crawling around in their home.  They just find a specialist and have them deal with the potential problem.

In the aftermath, they will randomly spray their house with insecticide to prevent new infestations.  Others prefer to wait and see if their labor yielded fruit and there is no new bed bug sighting in their home; if there is, then that is the time for them to call the specialist.

So it is entirely up to you when to call the specialist. 

 

Are home insect repellents any good? -part 2

Rosemary

This plant belongs to a set or variety of plants that humans like to have planted (either on pots or directly on the soil) in their homes for their fragrance. 

In addition, this plant’s essential oil has a lot of uses both in the cosmetic and medical industries.  Originally from the Mediterranean region is now a worldwide location plant.  Mainly considered a herb, this plant can grow up as big and tall as a tree with all the same characteristics and remain small like a bush or petite as a herb.  

This is the most likely reason for the rosemary to be such a well-liked plant. In terms of medical and health issues, rosemary is used for memory improvement, indigestion, arthritis-related pain, hair loss, and a plethora of other conditions.  Some have a solid medical investigation that backs them up while others have been debunked and a few others are still in the realm of “maybe” as they have been transmitted from friends, coworkers, and well-intentioned advisors. 

In terms of food, rosemary is used as a spice that gives a musky taste to most foods.  It is particularly well used in broths and concoctions.  In perfumes, it is, evidently, used for its fragrance and you can find it both in perfumes, creams, and soaps.

Regarding insects, it is believed that the mere fragrance will suffice in detouring insects from your garden and yourself.  In the use's case of the essential oil for application to the skin, be it human or non-human living being; it is a necessity to dilute the oil in an excipient oil such as soybean, avocado, almond or similar oil as the use of the rosemary essential oil directly can cause a rash, and other skin conditions.

When you decide to use rosemary as part of your home-made insecticide recipe, always consult with your physician and/or veterinarian.  The exposure to some essential oils can be hazardous to the elderly, children, people with health conditions, and pets. 

Tea tree

In the past years, the tea tree gained momentum and fame.  It was used for almost everything, from “cancer miraculous remedies” to “skin-perfecting solutions”.

While this plant, the “tea tree” provided sailors from the XVIIIth century with nutty scented tea, it is not the same plant from which black and green teas are made from. 

Tea tree is mostly applied directly to the skin, though there have been reports by individuals who state that the tea tree essential oil has produced rash and unconformities.  

Tea tree’s abilities make it an insect-bite healing oil rather than an insecticide or an insect deterrent.  But as with the Rosemary essential oil, tea tree is best used with a dissolution oil such as almond or even mineral.

Always check with your physician or veterinarian before applying the tea tree oil dissolved or undissolved to prevent health issues.

 

Cypress

 The cypress essential oil. is one of people’s favorite oils for people to have in their homes. This particular essential oil has been regarded as the perfect assistant to get rid of moths and other unwanted insects in your home.  It is logical to use this essential oil as an ingredient of homemade insecticides.

Cypress oil is often used to deter insects at camping insecticides.and verandas.  While it is not recommended that you use it to anoint your skin if you still plan to use this essential oil in areas that might be in contact with your skin or that of your family... Then consult your physician or your veterinarian.

 

 

Rose geranium

 

Another essential oil that is very popular in the use of home-made insecticides for both deterring and avoiding insects is the Rose Geranium.  This essential oil is both used for healing, cosmetics in terms of scents and home use such as the insecticides we are discussing today.

The scent of the rose geranium is very much like its name:  A strong rose smell. 

Mostly the rose geranium essential oil has been used for alternative medical uses, whether these uses have success or if they have been medically proven or disproven is not a part of this site.  What we are interested in is the insecticide and insect repellent properties of the essential oil. 

Rose geranium apparently has anti-inflammatory properties which are something to be sought when seeking relief on insect bites such as mosquito bites.   On this matter, it is also believed that rose geranium has analgesic properties that will soothe and numb the bite area.  However, it is also believed that the essential oil does not have such properties, and it is the reaction of the brain to the strong Rosey-scent of the rose geranium acting up.

What about preventing the bites? In 2013 rose geranium essential oil was first tested in terms of tick repellent activities and the study seems to prove that this essential oil is effective in particular against the lone star tick. 

This effectiveness hasn’t been proven or disproven against any other insect such as bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and other ticks.  Nonetheless, it might be worthwhile to include this essential oil in your home-made insecticide recipe.

Of course, and as always, before using the essential oil as an ingredient and/or applying it to your clothes, surroundings, and body as well as using it on your loved ones (including pets) consult first with your veterinarian or physician as this essential oil, like so many others, also has a negative side.

Bergamot

This essential oil comes from the rinds of the citrus bergamia, which is a citrus fruit and is commonly used to flavor the Earl Grey Tea.  Its origins are rooted in the Southeast of Asia, though it is now currently cultivated everywhere in the world as the consumption of the Earl Grey Tea and other products that also use bergamot is widely spread.

Bergamot is not used as much as an insecticide as you would like it to be.  However, it is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and, since they also know it for its scent, it is sometimes used as a perfume for homemade preparations.

 Besides its anti-inflammatory properties, bergamot essential oil also is known for its analgesic qualities.  As a result, it is not recommended for any insecticide or insect deterrent home-made concoctions yet, if you like the smell of the bergamot you can add a few drops of this essential oil into your preparation.

If you plan to use it as a soothing agent to treat insect bites (even those that sometimes get pus in them such as often happens with mosquito bites) then you would need to make a preparation with bergamot essential oil and a carrier oil such as almond or mineral oil.

Regardless, it is imperative for you to contact your physician or veterinarian if you plan to use bergamot oil in any concoction near or on the body of your family and pets.

Lemon

This essential oil is one of the easiest ones to get, so much so that you can acquire some of it yourself at home.  This essential oil is harvest through cold-press process on the peels of fresh lemons.  Much like as you would squish a lemon peel for a martini or a highball. 

This essential oil traditionally has been used to scent concoctions and to flavor meals and beverages.  The uses and benefits of the lemon essential oil as many and as varied as people who swear on them are active. 

However, whether this essential oil works as people believes is still to be researched and verified.  Nonetheless, there are a few things that have indeed been proven about this essential oil. 

Lemon essential oil can be used as an analgesic as it changes the way our pain receptors capture the information that we are–at that moment- in pain.  Yet, this does not work for everyone and it can be that in some individuals the opposite effect comes to pass.

Nonetheless, there are problems with using lemon essential oil directly on the skin.  This essential oil creates phototoxicity, which means that it can stain the skin if you apply lemon essential oil and then expose yourself to the sunlight.

The phototoxicity can vanish in a few days OR it can remain a permanent mark on your skin.  In addition, as the sun blemishes the skin a feeling of burning can sometimes happen. 

Carrier oils

Carrier oils are oils that you can apply to your skin or the skin of your pets and loved ones without worrying about any harmful reactions or chemical burns on their skin.

We will discuss them in another post, but for the time being let’s state them as the part that’s used in home-made insecticides, insect repellents, and insect bites ointments. 

These are of the utmost importance as their role is to “dilute” the essential oil and make it safe to apply to your skin, garments, and surroundings.  An excellent rule of thumb when mixing essential oils and carrier oils is to add 12 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil. 

Before mixing make sure that the essential oils, as well as the carrier oils, are both active and not rancid. In addition, it is imperative that you keep both carrier oils, essential oils, and the resulting concoction between them away and protected from sunlight.  

This is usually accomplished by storing the oils in a dark-colored bottle.  The darker the bottle, the better.  Still, it is important that the oils are kept away from sunlight and heat sources. 

And just as we have said with every essential oil in this post, before using any of them, consult your physician and/or veterinarian to ensure that they are safe.  

 

How to Check for Bed Bugs

Finding bed bugs early is the best form of prevention. If you stop bed bugs from becoming a problem early on, you will save yourself thousands of dollars, get sleep without being bitten, and keep your sanity. Checking for bed bugs is a more complicated process than you might imagine, so don’t go into it blind without knowing the tips that could make all the difference.

How to check for bed bugs? To check for bed bugs, you must know what to look for, where and how to check, and find where the issue originated in your home, so you can eliminate the root of the infestation and avoid having a wide-spread colony of bed bugs.

It is essential to know the following when tackling a bed bug issue in your home:

• What bed bugs look like
• The symptoms of bed bugs in your home
• How to check your entire home correctly
• How to confine bed bugs and prepare for treatment
• Post-treatment work to keep your home clean of bed bugs

It will be far less costly for you to tackle your bed bug issue as soon as you notice them. Knowing how to accurately identify the signs of a bed bug infiltration in your home is crucial. This guide will teach you how to identify bed bugs, how to find them, eliminating the issue, and preventative measures for making sure the bed bugs never come back.

How to Check for Bed Bugs

It is a very unsettling feeling to think that you have bed bugs cuddling with you at night. It is a complicated issue to resolve, which is why many families see them appear many times despite repeated desperate attempts to kill them all completely!

Since they are so difficult to kill, you need to understand bed bugs and take a closer look at what you’re up against. In this guide, we will break down the steps of checking for and getting rid of bed bugs, which are:

• Understanding what bed bugs look like
• Knowing the symptoms of bed bugs in your home to be sure it is a case of bed bugs
• Checking your entire home including less obvious places
• Confining the issue and preparing your home for treatment
• Treatment resources and guides
• Post-treatment work to keep your home clean of bed bugs

What Bed Bugs Look Like

Bed bugs are small reddish-brown insects that are visible to the naked eye. However, the eggs are a bit harder to spot because they are white like the mattresses they are laid in.

Bed bugs go through six stages in life, which can be seen in the picture. They begin as eggs that are small whitish-yellow specks that will be about the width of 2 grains of salt (1 millimeter).

Next, they are nymphs, which can be broken up into five stages. In each of these stages, they will grow about 1 millimeter in length through nocturnal feeding on their host. They require a blood meal for each stage of their development and then will molt their skin to grow larger.

 

By the 5^th feeding, at around one to two months of age and depending on how optimal your indoor climate is, they will become full-grown adults measuring between 4-6 millimeters in length.

By this stage, you should be able to see them without a magnifying lens, but the eggs are the real issue to deal with. Many who are fighting bed bugs say they continue to purge their home only to have a new colony hatching every two weeks and re-infesting their home!

With each female being able to lay an average of 350 eggs in her lifetime, this is a cycle you want to end earlier rather than later.

Knowing the Symptoms of a Bed Bug Infestation

The signs to look out for that could indicate you have a bed bug problem include:

 

• Itchy red marks – This is obvious. If you’re waking up from being bitten every night, it’s probably not mosquitoes. The indications of it being bed bugs will be that there will be many red bites, often in clusters, straight lines, or zig-zag patterns. The bites are not poisonous, but these parasites can leave humans with marks that are quite irritating and, if left untreated, could lead to infection. You may notice them mostly on your shoulders and arms because those body parts are often left exposed while you’re sleeping.
• An unpleasant odor – Perhaps you aren’t covered in bites, but you are noticing an odd smell. The beg bug pheromone will have a funky aroma, almost like a wet towel. In large numbers, the smell will be quite powerful and undeniable. It may also be an indicator of bed bugs in a hotel room if you smell it upon walking in.
• Seeing bugs – The last sign is visibly seeing bed bugs on your bed.

The Process to Check for Bed Bugs

Now that you know what you’re up against, follow these steps to begin the hunt for these creepy crawlers:

1. Put on gloves to prevent biting. This is an essential step, so they don’t latch on to the clothes you’re wearing and hitch a ride around the house.
2. Know what to look for by understanding what bed bugs look like. Bring some magnifying lenses to be sure you’re spotting all the eggs.
3. First, you will strip the sheets and check there. Remove the comforter, sheets, and shake them all out outside before searching the bed.
4. Put the bedding into a tightly tied garbage bag or plastic sack to confine the issue while you’re doing your search.
5. You’ll be looking for small reddish-brown dots and clusters of eggs. You’ll also be looking for dark blood spots, stains, and excrements on the bed.
6. Check the bed with a flashlight and magnifying glass and swipe the entire bedding with a credit card or paint scraper. You will quickly see if anything is scraped up.
7. Check under the mattress cover and any mattress pads as they like to hide deep in the layers of your bed.
8. Slide the bed out so you can check on the side of the mattress that hits the wall. Bed bugs like to hide near the head of the bed rather than the foot, so flip over your mattress to check if they’re on the underside of your bed.
9. Now that you’ve scoured the mattress and bedding, you’re going to check between the wooden beams and foundation of your bed, as well as the rug or carpet beneath it.
10. Search the perimeter of the room because bed bugs can hide anywhere that is as wide as a credit card.

These are the general steps to take when searching your bed but don’t make the rookie mistake of stopping there.

Check More Than the Bedroom

This is an issue that leads to recurring cases of bed bugs - Don’t assume that they will only hide in your bed! If you clean the bed with something that deters them but doesn’t kill them, they will hop over to another spot. This is why intensive measures need to be taken and not just quick fixes that will only make their immune systems stronger.

The other places you need to be checking for an entire sweep of your home include:

• Check your pet’s beds - Always check here as pests, ticks, and fleas tend to gravitate to pets and their bedding. Wash all pet bedding in hot water with bleach and check weekly for improvements.
• Check rugs and carpets – This is the first spot that the colony will jump to when leaving your bed. If you’ve sprayed lemongrass but nothing toxic, they will find a new neighborhood to reside in and spread across your entire home throughout the carpets.
• Check the curtains – They are also not afraid to move high and scale your drapes, so check both sides of your curtains as well.
• Check baseboards – Bed bugs find tight spaces that are underutilized and quiet to hide in. They may be hiding right in front of your eyes in the most obvious places.
• Check your reclining chairs and living room – Although they are nocturnal, these bugs are known for hiding where you rest. Because of this, you need to check everywhere that you sit or sleep, including between the cushions and under your couch.
• Check screws – They can also hide in the screws of wooden built shelves, dressers, bedside tables, and desks. Check the underside of each of these and even inspect the tiniest holes in screw tops.

If the problem persists, you may need to check behind electrical items and outlets, behind wallpaper, or by taking apart your bed. These are desperate measures that you don’t need to worry about unless the issue continues, and you still can’t find the bugs.

If your bed bug issue is this bad, it may be time to hire a professional to handle the problem for you. They have the chemicals to do it right the first time if you invest in a quality pest control agent with high reviews and high success rates.

Confine the Infestations – Pre-Treatment

Now that you’ve checked the entire home thoroughly, you’ll want to confine the colony and either suffocate or deny them blood. This may sound morbid, but they are feasting on your body at night.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns, “Jumping straight into control is tempting, but won’t work. Preparing for treatment is essential to getting successful control. It will also help by making it easier for you to monitor for bed bugs that haven’t been eliminated. This preparation should be conducted whether you are doing the treatment yourself or hiring a professional.”

Wash all the bedding and upholsteries in your home with warm to hot water and bleach. The best option to use will be Clorox because it has a high concentration of sodium hypochlorite, which will kill bed bugs.

Keep everything in plastic bags while you’re going through your home and treating it. This way, the bugs don’t hop from one fabric item to the next while you’re doing the laundry. You’ll want to wrap up all sheets, towels, pillows, children’s toys made of fabric, clothing, or any other fabric that could be harboring bugs.

Remember to gently place them in a secure plastic bag or trash bag. This is because if you throw them around, rip your sheets off, or do something abruptly, they may all come flying off before you can confine them.

Since they are attracted to warmth, if you are comfortable with leaving the bags outside in cold weather for a while, winter may be an excellent time to help your cause.

Keep in mind that if you’re in an apartment building or hotel room, it will be harder to prevent this because bed bugs can move between the wallpaper peelings, electrical outlets, or other crevices. This means they can happily move between apartments, and your neighbor's infestation could become your infestation.

If you can’t get the bugs off an item – like a mattress which can be challenging to clean, experts recommend you throw it away and eliminate it from your home. It’s a harsh reality but also the most recommended solution.

Bed Bug Treatment to the Rescue!

Now, if you’re reading about checking for bed bugs, you’re probably looking to treat the issue and find solutions! Well, you’ve come to the right place as this guide will be your one-stop-shop for all things bed bugs.

The ways to get rid of your infestation once you’ve correctly located and readied your home for treatment are:

• Vacuum everything – Now that you’ve cleared the home of fabrics to wash, suck up these vampires with your vacuum and throw the vacuum bag away outside of the house when you are done.
• Put baking soda down, and then vacuum everything again – The baking soda will absorb the blood from these creatures and dehydrate them. Once they’re dead a day or two later, you can vacuum and reassess the issue.
• Use heat - Bed bugs hate extreme heat. You can melt them with your hairdryer or a fabric steamer that reaches over 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• You can also freeze the bags of fabric you’ve confined the issue to or bake them in your hot car in the peak of summer. Be sure all bags are sealed for either of these solutions, but the extreme heat or extreme cold will kill bed bugs. Leave the bags in extreme temperatures for around 4-7 days for full effectiveness.
• Spray essential oils like lavender, peppermint, and tea tree oil on the infested fabric — around 15-20 drops in a spray bottle of warm water.

If this sanitization of your home is not fixing the infestation, it may be time to call in a professional. These bugs are often able to become immune to pesticide treatments, so always read reviews to hire a quality pest control worker.

Preventing Bed Bugs from Ever Returning

Taking steps to prevent the bed bug infestation will be the most cost, time, and energy effective method of dealing with these pests. The best treatment is prevention, so don’t get lazy once you think the problem is solved, or it may come back in full force!

Some measures you should take to keep your home clear of bed bugs permanently are:

• Don’t buy secondhand – When it comes to secondhand items, the truth is that you don’t know where it came from or why it was donated. Perhaps it was thrown out because it has bed bugs. Never purchase used mattresses, luggage, or furniture.
• Always inspect hotel rooms – A quick search of your hotel room can make sure you're not bringing any bed bugs home with you.
• Wrap your luggage – Some people wrap their luggage in plastic wrap while traveling to be sure no bed bugs hop into their carry on during the night. This may seem extreme, but it’s an excellent method for prevention.
• Seal cracks in your home – Make sure nothing can creep into your home by spraying treatments on the cracks, doorframes, baseboards, and wallpaper seams of your home.
• Do seasonal inspections – An inspection of your home every few months could help you spot the issue before it grows into a full-fledged infestation. Plan on checking your home at least four times a year or up to once a month if you want to be diligent. You can even do a check of your mattress each time you wash your bedding.

In Conclusion

You now have the knowledge you need to get rid of a bed bug infestation. You also have the resources to prevent them in the future! There are many solutions to bed bugs, so don’t stress out about the issue and be more proactive by putting that energy into solving the problem.

 

Baby Bed Bugs and The Bed Bug Life Cycle

Bed bugs are something most homeowners are terrified of and rightfully so. These pests can multiply more quickly than most expect and before you know it, it can take over the entire home. Identifying the bugs at every stage is important to stopping the outbreak before it is too late.

Baby bed bugs and the bed bug life – how to stay ahead of an infestation. Bed bugs are nocturnal, reddish-brown insects that feed on the blood of humans and practically any other warm-blooded animals. They are wingless, flat-bodied, and love to hide in floor cracks, beds, furniture, and carpeting.

Like most bugs, bed bugs begin life as an egg but within two eggs hatch into an immature bed bug. Immediately, these baby bed bugs begin to eat anything with warm blood that they can get ahold of. They soon will reach adulthood and begin to reproduce as well, leading to even more babies and an even larger infestation.

The Life Cycle of the Bed Bug

As mentioned, just like all other bugs, the bed bug goes through a life cycle from egg to adulthood. Knowing the phases of the bed bug life cycle is important if you do see them around your home, so you can attack them at every stage. The basic life cycle of a bed bug is:

1. Egg – The bed bug’s life begins as an egg, which is similar to grain and milky white in color. The female bed bug lays between one and five eggs a day, adding up to around 500 eggs in her lifetime. They can be laid singly or in clusters, making them easily hid in cracks or crevices. Most eggs are only 1 mm in length, similar to two grains of salt.
2. Nymph – The baby bed bugs are called nymphs and arrive within two weeks of the egg hatching. They pass through a series of five molts before reaching maturity, starting much smaller than an adult bug. They look extremely similar to the adults but are not yet sexually mature. The nymphs are yellowish-white in color, with older nymphs appearing more reddish-brown.
3. Adults – As nymphs, the bugs need a blood meal to molt and at room temperature, they can become adults within five weeks. Once adults reach maturity, these bugs will make weekly feedings. Bed bugs can live from around four to six months but can survive in cooler temperatures with no food for up to a year.

Stages of Bed Bug Nymph Growth

Baby bed bugs are similar to adults in terms of their general body shape. They do not go through a traditional metamorphosis like many other bugs but do grow in stages.

• Upon hatching from the egg, the nymphs are extremely tiny and white. This makes them difficult to spot, especially on white sheets or white bedding where they will blend in.
  
  
• These baby bed bugs go through five juvenile bed bug stages. The first two or three are considered their baby stage and they remain much smaller.

 

• Once they reach the third stage, they are around a third of the size of an adult bug and a third of the width. The fourth stage gets them to about half of the size of the adult and upon completing the final stage, they are fully grown.

Color Changes in Baby Bed Bugs

Since bed bugs hatch out a white to an off-white color, they very closely resemble a grain of rice. They are also a similar color the eggs themselves, both of which can be extremely hard to spot with the naked eye. Their color quickly begins to change upon eating because they use the blood they drink to grow.

You may notice that some of the baby bed bugs seen around your home have a red lump in their abdomen, which is where thy store blood upon feeding. They digest this food over time, allowing them to shed and grow larger. Over these phases, they begin to turn brown instead of the white color.

This brown shade is a result of the bug using your blood as nutrition. Each stage throughout this growth leads to them turning browner and browner. As an adult, they are completely brown from consistent feeding on blood.

How to Find Baby Bed Bugs

Many have the misconception that they cannot get a bed bug infestation because they live in a single-family home, but these bugs can get carried in from practically anywhere. While most bed bugs are found in hotels or other housing options, they most affect regular families. If you have any signs of bed bugs, it is time to search for them, and looking for baby bed bugs is key.

Adult bed bugs can be difficult to find, but these nymphs are almost impossible to spot on your own. You need to look in certain areas where the bugs frequent to find any juvenile bugs and take care of the problem. To search for baby bed bugs, you should:

• Look for Groups – One thing that makes bed bugs easier to find is they like to live in groups in places referred to as harborages. They are typically in these harborages under mattresses, bed frames, or other bedroom furniture.
• Check Common Areas – Cracks and seams are easy places for bed bugs to hide and a favorite place for them. They can also hide in places you may think to look, like folded clothes or even headboards.
• Try to Find Shells – Baby bed bugs are the only ones who shed their shells, which is why you may find them lying around when you have an infestation. Any shells you may find are a sure sign of juveniles being present.
• Grab a Magnifying Glass – As mentioned, baby bed bugs are very difficult to see with the naked eye, and grabbing a magnifying glass is your best bed on finding them. You may even be able to spot some eggs with a little help.

If you have noticed any signs of bed bugs, there is a sure chance that you have babies present. It only takes one female to reproduce if she has mated, and one female can leave hundreds of babies behind. You will surely find eggs and nymphs with a bed bug infestation of any size from only a few to hundreds.

Can you Have Baby Bed Bugs with No Sign of Adults?

It is essentially impossible to have a baby bed bug without an adult present. Baby bed bugs do not travel and often remain in their centralized location until they reach adulthood. If you do not have signs of several adult bed bugs, you should know that there is at least one adult female that has laid eggs.

There is always a slim chance that the female bed bug has laid eggs and died from other reasons, but this is not a common occurrence. However, some adult bed bugs are better at hiding than their juvenile counterparts. If you do see baby bed bugs, there is a high chance that an infestation is already happening, and any babies you do not get rid of will grow older and begin laying eggs.

Within a month of hatching, babies can begin laying eggs of their own, and an infestation can grow rapidly. It is important that you begin treating the bugs as soon as you spot any in your home, no matter which stage of development they are in. The smaller the infestation, the easier it is to rid your home of the bugs.

What Can Be Sprayed on a Mattress for Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small, oval, brownish insects with flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. They cannot fly, but they can quickly crawl across floors, walls, and ceilings spreading mayhem from room to room or to the neighboring apartment.

 What can be sprayed on a mattress for bed bugs? There are several aerosol and dust that can be sprayed or dusted onto a mattress to rid it of bed bugs. They include:

• Cimexa Dust
• CrossFire Insecticide
• Bedlam Plus Aerosols
• CrossFire Aerosols
• Temprid FX Insecticide
• Steri-Fab Bed Bug Spray

 

Dust actually lasts longer than aerosol sprays, but with the crack and crevice tips on the aerosols, they are better able to penetrate into the smallest cracks where bed bugs like to hide. The best idea is to use both aerosol sprays and dust to make certain to kill all the insects and their eggs. This article will examine the procedure for ridding oneself of bed bugs and the best way to make sure they remain exterminated from the bedroom for good.

 

 The Procedure Before Beginning to Spray for Bed Bugs

 

After discovering that bed bugs have infiltrated a home, homeowners need to act quickly to contain the infestation to just one room. To do this, they must follow several steps before attempting to spray to treat the problem.

 

• Identify the depth of the problem
• Remove infested items
• Treat with insecticide

 

An examination of each of these steps will help to understand what to do.

 

Identify the Depth of the Problem

 

The first step to treating for bed bugs is to get an idea of how many bed bugs there may be in, on, and around the mattress. This examination will tell you whether one can treat their own bed bug problem or if a professional exterminator is needed.

 

Remove Infested Items

 

These items may include clothing, stuffed animals, cloth dolls, other items that inhabited the bed where the bugs were found. The items that can be placed in bags and treated should be washed in extremely hot water and dried on high heat to make certain the bed bugs are dead. Items that cannot be treated with heat must be placed in plastic bags and sealed closed for a year.

Tip: Bed bugs can live in extremes of temperature and go without eating for many months. Placing items that are infested outdoors in the cold of winter, even in sub-zero weather, will not kill them.

 

Treat with Insecticide

 

It is vital to treat the room where the infestation occurred with strong insecticides. This includes not just the mattress, bedsprings, and frame of the bed but furniture, curtains, carpets, and even inside electrical outlets.

 

Where to Spray for Bed Bugs

 

It isn’t enough to spray insecticides willy-nilly or all over a mattress to kill bed bugs as there are other places and a method for doing so. Places besides the bed to spray liquid insecticides or aerosols include:

 

• Around the inside of closets, door frames and doors
• Around and under the bed
• Along the baseboards near the bed
• Drawers from furniture and the inside of cabinetry
• Where the bed touches the floor
• Chairs, and underneath chairs
• Loose plaster
• Molding on the top and the bottom of the room
• Around the windows

 

Although spraying mattresses seems a reasonable thing to do when infested with bed bugs, coating them with toxic chemicals if the infestation is bad will only put humans in peril.

 

Keep the Infestation from Spreading

 

It is vital to inspect all around the treated room for signs the bed bugs have not been eradicated. These places to check include:

• Headboards
• Bedside tables
• Ceiling/wall junctions
• Loose wallpaper or paneling
• Wherever you find a crease or crevice near where a person sleeps
• Baseboards, mattress seams, and personal belongings

If the homeowner finds either the characteristic brown spotting or shell casings that have been shed by adults during molting, then the room is not free of bed bugs, and the infestation continues.

However, even if no bed bugs are found during a thorough investigation, homeowners need to stay on their toes because it only takes one pregnant, mated bed bug to start the trouble for sleepers all over again.

The Physical Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation

 

Bed bugs are messy eaters and leave behind several signs that they have been present. By knowing these clues, homeowners can be better prepared to act quickly to contain the problem to just one room and save on exterminating the entire home.

 These clues include:

 

• Shed bed bug shells
• Fecal spots on mattress and bedding
• Bed Bug Bites

 

A closer look at these three signs will help identify the problem.

 

Shed Bed Bug Shells

 

Bed bugs shed their shells as they eat blood and grow with each feeding leaving behind a hard exoskeleton or shell. Each bed bug molts five times, and as the infestation grows, so do the number of shells lying about. The shells resemble the bed bugs in appearance but are actually only bits of the insects.

 

Fecal Spots on Mattress or Bedding

 

The fecal matter of bed bugs is full of blood and will leave behind a dark brown blood spot on the mattress, bedding, and nightclothes of their host. These stains resemble smears and can be black in color. This is because the bed bugs are excreting digested blood, their only source of food.

 

Bed Bug Bites

 

While a portion of people who are bitten by bed bugs show no symptoms at all, up to 70% have a reaction similar to chiggers or mosquito bites, leaving a nasty, itchy mess on the skin of bed bug victims.

 The symptoms of a bed bug bite include: 

 

• Raised, red welts
• Burning and itching
• Bed bug bite rash across a localized area
• Straight lines of multiple bites

 

The only way to rule out other physical reasons for these symptoms is to go to a physician and be examined. However, it may be cheaper and more advantageous to check the bed of the affected person first to see if there is a bed bug presence.

 

It Is Better to Allow Professionals to Handle Bed Bugs

 

While it is understandable that homeowners want to treat for bed bugs themselves, the truth is that it is much better and smarter to allow a professional exterminator to do it for them. This is especially true if the homeowner opts to use a pest-control bomb or fogger that they can buy at their local department store. These bombs do not work and can expose families to toxic chemicals.

 Most over-the-counter aerosol insecticides are not effective against bed bugs either. This is because many of these products contain pyrethrin or a type of it as the main ingredient, and those compounds act the same way as DDT, and bed bugs have become resistant to dying from them.

 While spraying a bed bug or two with an over-the-counter aerosol spray may appear to kill the ones you sprayed, there are thousands you cannot see that has not been touched and live on to keep the infestation going.

 It is beyond difficult for anyone who is not a professional exterminator to kill a bed bug infestation because they are so prolific and great at hiding.

 So, if in doubt, call a professional exterminator as many homeowners do every year.

 

How to Get Rid of Wasps, Yellow Jackets & Hornets

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are a real hazard that homeowners sometimes must manage. The stings from these creatures are painful and in some cases, deadly.

 So, how do you get rid of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets? There are many methods including homemade remedies and commercial preparations, to apply to the nests of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets to kill them and keep them away. Also, preventing an infestation of these insects can end the need for killing them.

 This article will offer an in-depth examination of how to identify wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets approach to killing or controlling them, and also the steps to take to make a home pest free.

 

Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets are in the Same Order

 

The first step to ridding a home of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets is understanding what they are and their habits. All three insects are wasps, just with different methods of preying on their food sources and their outer appearance.

 Wasps belong to the order Hymenoptera and are the third largest of all insect orders with over 115,000 species. Besides the various forms of ordinary wasps, this order of insects includes yellow jackets, and hornets are closely related sub-groups within the wasp order.

 One way to tell any member of the wasp family, including yellow jackets, from bees is that most wasps have a narrow waist separating their thorax (the end section of the insect) from its abdomen. Another way to tell is that wasps appear shiny and smooth while bees appear fuzzy.

 Unlike bees, wasps do not die after one sting and, despite a few exceptions, one sting will not cause a person to die. However, attacks from wasp with stings over thirty or forty times due to a swarm attacking the unsuspected person who runs across their nest can be fatal. The same can be said of yellow jackets and hornets, and the pain and the danger they bring to a home are the main reasons to rid the home of these pests before someone gets hurt.

 

Killing Wasps

 

There are several diverse types of wasps ranging from mud daubers to those who prey on the pesky worms that destroy tomatoes in a garden. However, all wasps are aggressive and will become angry if provoked, causing painful stings.

 There are two methods to kill wasps, each with its own form;

 

• Using commercially prepared insecticides
• Using materials around the home

 

We shall examine both ways to kill wasps and the pros and cons of each method.

 

Wasp Pest Control Using Commercially Manufactured Chemicals

 

Using chemicals, as was mentioned at the beginning of this article, is a highly effective way for homeowners to rid themselves of all members of the wasp family, including wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.

 The first order of the day is safety. Not only will the homeowner need a ladder and the chemicals they are going to use, but also a full set of protective gear for their bodies.

 This equipment should include:

 

• A long-sleeved shirt
• Long pants
• Thick work gloves
• Closed-toe shoes

 

Some people prefer to wear a full beekeeper suit, but these can be expensive, and while they offer some measure of safety beyond dressing correctly, they are not, in most cases, necessary.

 There are three stages to killing a nest of wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets, including:

 

• Drenching the nest
• Dusting the nest
• Removing the nest

 

The following is a closer look at these three stages.

 

Drenching the Nest

 

After locating the nest through observing the insects, prepare the chemicals that will be used then wait for nightfall when wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are asleep and much less active.

 Next, assemble your chemicals, including a concentrated liquid insecticide such as Cyzmic CS with water into a hand pump sprayer and a can of pyrethrin aerosol to spray any wasps that emerge from the nest. Always mix chemicals according to the directions that come with them.

 Spray a 2-3 square foot area around the nest, then adjust the nozzle to a pin stream and spray the insecticide mixture directly into the interior of the nest.

 Spraying around the nest will prevent the wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets from reestablishing a colony and kill any that try.

 

Dusting the Nest

 

Homeowners can dust a nest that does not appear to be active any longer to make certain the wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets are gone for good.

 Choose insecticide dust labeled for wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets and load it into a hand duster following the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Apply the dust liberally to the direct entrance hole of the nest and move quickly away in case any wasps still reside there. If no wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets appear, dust again and once again move back quickly.

 Continue dusting the nest until the entire nest is covered with dust. Depending on the size of the nest, it may be necessary to re-dust to make sure the colony cannot reestablish a nest within the old one.  

 

Removing the Nest

 

Once the nest has been treated, and all the insects are dead, you may successfully remove the nest. Place the nest into a double-lined trash bag, seal it, and dispose of it properly. Homeowners can also place the nest into a bucket of soapy water first as an extra precaution to make certain there are no living wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets still alive in the structure.

 If the nest is inaccessible or the homeowner simply cannot remove the nest, retreat it with insecticide every fourteen days until all the immature insects inside have been killed.

(YouTube Video)

 

Wasp Control Using Substances Around the Home 

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets can be killed without using costly and dangerous chemicals by using substances found around the home. These mixtures can be sprayed around the home, in the yard, and in the garden without harming children or animals.

 First, gather the ingredients. For this recipe, you will need:

 

• Large bowl
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups of sugar
• Wisk or stirring utensil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, liquid dish soap
• Clean, 2-liter, plastic, soda bottle
• Clean, 16-ounce spray bottle
• Heavy string
• Scissors

 

Next, combine 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water into a large bowl. Wisk or stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. This mixture will attract insects.

 Second, add 1/4 to 1/2 cups of liquid dish soap into the mixture and stir gently to prevent bubbles from forming. The dish soap will act as a degreaser to begin the dissolving of the insects’ outer shell plus inhibiting their ability to fly so that they drown faster in the solution.

 Third, pour 4 cups of the mixture into a clean 2-liter soda bottle and put the remaining mixture into a 16-ounce spray bottle, adding an additional 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap plus 1/2 cup of water to fill the spray bottle.

 Next, place the 2-liter bottle of the mixture on the ground in an area easily accessible by the wasps but away from where household activities can disturb it. Homeowners can also tie a strong string to the neck of the bottle and hang it from a tree branch or fence post. Remove the bottle cap to allow the wasps to be attracted to and trapped within the bottle.

 Use the spray bottle containing the stronger mixture for when there is a sighting of wasps in the backyard or other places on the property. Homeowners can also spray small nests by saturating the nest thoroughly with the solution until the wasps stop moving.  

 Unfortunately, the wasp trap will attract and kill other insects, including ones that are beneficial to a garden.

 

Treating When the Nest Cannot Be Located

 

If homeowners can’t find the nest or if it is located underground, treating the areas where the wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets have been seen is vital to eliminate the nest. The following method will not completely eliminate wasp colonies but will reduce the population of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets to a manageable level.

 First, mix an insecticide with water according to the manufacturer’s specifications and fill a hand pump sprayer. Next, apply the solution to areas where wasps congregate, including:

 

• Overhangs
• Shrubs and bushes
• Around light fixtures
• Eaves
• Around door and window frames

 

Spraying areas where wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets love to build their nests, homeowners can control any that decides to try to populate these areas.

 

Baiting for Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets

 

Baiting a home for wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets will quickly control these invasive pests.

 Depending upon what type of insect the homeowner is dealing with, there are several types of bait. For instance, a yellow jacket may prefer sweet bait, while certain hornets prefer the scent of and taste of meat.

 After choosing the bait that is needed for the infestation homeowners have at their home, it is necessary to mix the bait.  It is best to use a disposable spoon or a measuring spoon that you can simply discard after use. 

 Important: Make certain to dispose of the spoon or measuring spoon properly and NEVER return it to the kitchen for reuse.

 Once the bait is added to the bait stations, hang them around the outside of the home every 5-6 feet off the ground fifty feet apart in the yard. Make sure to hang the bait stations where children and pets cannot reach them.

 Check the bait stations every few days to see if the bait has been consumed or if it is rotting. Replace the bait as needed with new until the pest problem is under control. 

 

The Costs Involved in Removing Wasp, Yellow Jacket, and Hornet Nests

 

It depends on what is it that you decide to do to remove the wasp nest.   If you choose to relocate it or hire a professional the cost will vary accordingly.

 If you decide to destroy any life in the wasp nest then the cost also varies according to what type of insecticide you choose to use.  

 When planning or calculating the cost for this process remember to consider any tools that you might need such as protective suit and gear and disposable tools.

 There are also dummy nests that can be purchased that deter the establishment of a new wasp nest by appearing to be full of an established colony. There are diverse types available online.

 

Hiring a Professional to Remove a Nest of Wasps, Yellow Jackets or Hornets

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets can infest some very unusual spaces, including inside the walls of the garage and underground. To remove these nests, it is better to hire a professional exterminator.

 The costs for removing each type of wash, yellow jacket and hornet vary depending on the site of the problem and the type of insect being removed.

 Wasp removal is a one-time pest removal, and it can cost between $300 to $1000 depending on the area where the home is located. Professional exterminators can go places and do things that  homeowners cannot, such as:

 

• Reaching hard to get nests in attics or walls, high up in a tree, or under eaves that need extra equipment
• Have and use equipment including ladders, protective gear, and other tools
• Utilize chemicals in professional strengths including residual chemicals that kill pests that are not inside the nest when it was treated

 

Professional exterminators can and do safely remove the nests of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets from the home, making it safe once more for the homeowners and their families.

 

The Damages a Nest of Wasps, Yellow Jackets, or Hornets Can Do To a Structure

 

While homeowners may think that wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets nests are only a danger because the insects can sting humans and their animals, this is not quite true. These insects can and do cause extensive structural damage if not controlled.

 For instance, yellow jackets can cause structural damage if their nest is built inside a wall or in the attack because they will eat through the wood in trusses and drywall to expand their nest. Also, to keep warm and raise their young, the nests of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are moist, and this moisture can and does damage drywall and invites the growth of mold.

 That is one of the main reasons that the nest should not just have its occupants exterminated, but it needs to be removed.

 However, if the nest a homeowner finds is already empty and dried out, removal is not necessary, especially if it is wedged between two walls or inside an attic space. Simply leaving it to the elements will find it disintegrated and illuminated soon enough.

 

Why Homeowners Should Not Attempt to Treat for Yellow Jackets Themselves

 

Yellowjackets are one of the most aggressive of the wasp family and will stop at nothing to defend their nests. No matter what method you choose to treat, homeowners are subjecting themselves to the danger of inciting a swarm attack upon their person and endangering anyone or thing that is nearby. In fact, they will chase people or animals they feel are attacking them for up to a mile.

 A brief list of senseless and dangerous remedies homeowners should not try including:

 

• Bug sprays
• Gasoline poured into the nest entrance
• Attempting to pour a bleach and ammonia mixture down the entrance to the nest
• Dumping boiling water into the entrance of the nest

 

The reason these remedies are dangerous is that they all involve having close contact with angry and aggressive yellow jackets. However, any insect such as wasps and hornets will react the same if attacked by a homeowner using any of these methods.

 There is also the chance that the pesticide the homeowner has chosen might not work well. Most of the chemical bug killers on the market today are mainly repellents and are not formulated to destroy flying, stinging, wasps.

 

Two Reasons Not to Kill Wasp Family; the Wasps, Yellow Jackets, or Hornets

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are normally docile creatures that are beneficial to farmers and gardeners alike. These small creatures are not normally aggressive unless their nest is disturbed, then they can become a dangerous swarm with stings that are painful and can become deadly.

 Killing each type of insect in the wasp family concerned with this article, the wasp, the yellow jacket, and the hornet is very possible. Yet, first, it might be valuable to understand a little more about wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets so that an informed decision can be made as to how dangerous the insects truly are to a homeowner’s property versus how valuable they are to gardens and yards.

 There are two enormous reasons to allow wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets to remain in the yard or garden. They are to help control pests and to pollinate.

 

Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets Help Control Pests

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are highly beneficial to gardeners and farmers in that they feed their young on insects that would otherwise damage crops and ornamental plants. They also eat insects such as the house fly and blowfly larva so that a homeowner’s home would be less likely to be bothered by these filthy invaders.

 Controlling wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets sometimes become necessary as although they are not normally aggressive, they can come into conflict with humans over their choice of foods such as juices, sodas, and other sweets.

 

Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets are Great Pollinators

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets actually help pollinate plants. They are not as effective as honeybees because they lack the hairy legs of a bee, but with the growing shortage of honeybees in the world, these little creatures may be our last line of defense against failing crops. 

 It is because of their ability to pollinate that many believe a nest of wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets should be relocated instead of destroyed. There are a time and a place to destroy a nest, but if it can be conserved, it should be.

 Wasps have been known to pollinate such crops as melons, spinach, and all manner of flowering plants.

 To remove a nest, wait until the queen leaves the nest and fill in the hole where she emerged with dirt to prevent her reentering the nest. This means having a great deal of patience and doing some detective work to watch for the queen’s activity.

 

Avoiding Contact with Wasps, Yellow Jackets and Hornets

 

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gives the following tips to avoiding contact with members of the wasp family to prevent the need to kill the nests of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.

 

• Don’t leave outside lights on any longer than necessary at night because the light will attract insects and the wasps that eat them.
• Do not squash a wash as doing so will cause the dead wasp to release a chemical alarm signal telling other wasps to attack
• Avoid leaving sugary and meat snacks in open containers
• Keep garbage cans well sealed and as clean as possible
• Pets should be fed indoors or in screened porches
• Make sure to plug the ends of playground equipment to prevent wasps from building a nest in them

 

It is important to remember that wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are not enemies of humanity; they are acting purely on instinct and not out of malice when they build a nest or attack. To brutalize them because we are invading their space is both criminal and disgusting.

 Other tips PETA states is to remember that killing one or even a dozen wasps will not cure the problem a homeowner may be having as wasps live in colonies. Where there are those dozen, there are hundreds of thousands left in the nest.

 If homeowners or their family members do encounter a wasp, yellow jacket, or hornet in the yard, do not panic. Do not swing or swat at them as doing so will make them think they need to defend themselves, and that means stinging.

 If a wasp enters the car while it is going down the road, PETA urges drivers to pull over to the side of the road and stop if possible. Then open the car windows or doors and wait for the insect to leave. If the animal is having problems finding its way out, then gently coax it using a piece of paper to the window or door.   

 

Ways to Keep Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets from Inhabiting Your Home

 

Benjamin Franklin once stated in 1736, “A pound of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same holds true for keeping a wasp, yellow jacket, or wasp infestation from happening inside the walls or the gardens of a home.

 Homeowners have at least three things they can do to prevent wasps from building nests in or near their homes, including:

• Using a Clove-Geranium-Lemongrass Oil Blend
• Using Peppermint Oil
• Patching Up Cracks

 

Homeowners need to consider these preventative steps as outlined below.

 

Using a Clove-Geranium-Lemongrass Oil Blend

  

 According to research published in the Journal of Pest Management Science, a mixture of clove, geranium, and lemongrass oils repels wasps. Homeowners need to apply this oily mixture using several drops mixed with water and dish soap with a spray bottle, coating outside the home where wasps are likely to build their nests. Some of these areas include under eaves, porch roofs, and any other ledges or crevices.

 

Using Peppermint Oil

 

Homeowners can use peppermint oil as a natural wasp repellent for hard to reach areas around their homes or use EcoSmart Organic Wasp and Hornet Killer to target established nests.

 

Patching Up Cracks

 

Wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets love to build their nests in areas that are open and will not invade by making an opening themselves. If homeowners wish to prevent these animals from building their nests in their homes, they need to seal up any tiny cracks, like those around the edges of siding, or where power lines enter the house. They also need to patch up holes in window screens and make sure the covering for the vent leading into the attic is intact.

The best time to do this is to inspect and fix any openings in the late fall after any wasps that may be present have died or in early spring before any wasps that may be in the areas to be examined become active.

If, while doing their inspection, homeowners discover a wasp, yellow jacket, or hornet’s nest inside a wall, they should not wall it off because the insects will chew through the drywall or find their way out through ventilation vents.

How to Kill a Wasp

Wasps are natural enemies of the gardener and outdoor enthusiast with their aggressive behavior and painful repercussions when they’re bothered. Luckily, we have the tools and methods to easily kill a wasp or wasps nest without insect retaliation.

 So, how do you kill a wasp or nest of wasps? Initially, you’ll want to locate the wasp or nest and only disturb it when you’re ready to begin removal. You’ll also want to select a long-range poison or device as to not get too close to a potentially dangerous situation or call a professional if need be.

 Killing a single wasp or killing a whole nest of them involves drastically different approaches. Continue reading for a complete guide on how to deal with your specific wasp problem.

Killing a Rogue Wasp

If you’re looking for some tips on how to kill a single wasp that finds its way into your home, this is the section to pay the closest attention to. We’ll be covering a few methods that you can use to get rid of a stinging pest.

Making an Indoor Wasp Trap

Wasps are similar to bees and other insects in that they are heavily attracted to sweetstuffs. Commercial wasp traps use this to their advantage, luring unsuspecting wasps to a sticky death at the bottom of a slippery container.

 You can achieve the same effect at home with items that you likely already have in your kitchen. Here’s how you can go about making your own wasp trap:

 

• Grab a two-liter plastic bottle. 
• Cut the end of the nozzle off and place it upside down into the empty bottle. Tape it in place so that there are no openings aside from the nozzle opening.
• Fill up the bottle with water a little over halfway and pour in dish soap. Shake the bottle.
• Line the outer and inner part of the entrance to the trap with honey, melted candy, sweetened jelly, or any other sweet, sticky food to attract the wasp.

This method will lure the wasp to and inside the trap, only to have them slip into the soapy water, wetting and coating their wings so that they cannot fly - and eventually drown.

Use a Fly Swatter

Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to neutralize a wasp is to grab a good old fashioned fly swatter and hit it. But don’t go chasing around a wasp - remember, they’re incredibly fast and will defend themselves with a painful blow.

 Instead, try your patience, and sit and wait for the wasp to land somewhere nearby. When the wasp goes to rest, slowly approach it and whack it as hard as you can. Be sure to hit it until visibly dead, as a fly swatter may only stun it for a moment if hit once.

 If you want something heavier and more reliable when put against a wasp, you can use a rolled-up magazine, or a shoe are also great for killing a wasp.

Dealing with a Wasps Nest

Unlike killing a single wasp that wanders into your living room, dealing with a nest full of stinking, aggressive wasps is far more dangerous and requires a bit more planning and strategy for safety.

When to Destroy a Wasps Nest

It’s important to understand wasp behavior before you dive into removing their nest. Believe it or not, there is actually a better and worse time to proceed with killing a nest full of wasps. 

 Wasps are generally more active during the height of the day, around noon and into the afternoon right before dusk. Therefore, the best time to spray a wasps nest is in the early morning or in the evening when the nest will be less active - and less likely to swarm.

What Not to Do When Attempting to Dispose of a Wasp Nest

Before we go through step-by-step how to kill a wasp nest in the next few sections, let’s take a look at what not to do when it comes to destroying a wasp’s home:

 

• Never attempt to destroy a wasp nest with fire. Wasp nests are extremely flammable, which may result in fire damage to your property, or to yourself. Wasps will also viciously attack in this scenario.
• Do not use water or flooding to destroy a nest. Similarly to the above option, flooding a nest, especially if it’s inside a building, may result in property damage. The wasps will also swarm and attack you if you’re nearby as their nest is flooded.
• Never hit a nest with a blunt object. This will drive wasps into a frenzy, and you will be left in a disastrous state.

Step 1: Locate the Wasp Nest (Without Disturbing it)

If you’ve noticed an increase in wasps flying around your home and yard, you likely have a wasp colony nearby. Before anything can be done, you’ll first need to pinpoint the location of the nest. 

 If you’re having difficulty locating the nest, try looking around places like woodpiles, under awnings and in the corners of roofing, or under the porch. Wasps will generally nest in places that have sufficient coverage from the elements.

 Once you’ve found the nest, do your best not to disturb it or get too close until you’re absolutely ready to begin exterminating the colony. 

Step 2: Get Your Pesticide Spray Ready to Use

There are many insecticides that are efficient in destroying a wasps nest in as timely a manner as possible

 However, pesticides often take care of both beneficial and harmful insects.  Due to the many problems in the environment we are at fault in the modern-day and age, it is important that you make sure that you can take care of the wasps with the least possible harm to the beneficial insects.

 Once you have decided what pesticide will you use to treat the wasp’s nest, consider also the interaction with beneficial insects and then remember to suit up.

 After you’ve picked your poison, it’s time to suit up.

Step 3: Dress in Protective Gear 

A swarm of wasps can be highly dangerous and even deadly when a person is administered enough stings and not treated promptly. This is why it is vital that you take at least some precautionary measures to protect yourself in the event of a swarm (or even more than one angry wasp coming after you).

‘Before you go outside to tackle the nest, be sure that you’re wearing a thick, long-sleeved shirt and pants, close-toed shoes, gloves (taped to your sleeves), and a face mask if you want to be extra careful. If things go awry, you still may get stung, but it won’t be as bad as if you weren’t taking precautionary measures.

 If wasps commonly nest around your home during the warmer months, you could also consider purchasing a bee suit for added protection. Bee suits are made with thick fabrics and are an all-body ensemble designed to give you the utmost protection from stings.

Step 4: Spray the Nest with Your Chosen Pesticide

Once you’re geared up, you can now go back to the nest location in the early morning or at dusk, as we discussed earlier, to apply the toxic solution.

 Be sure that you stand at least 10 or so feet away from the nest, and never stand directly under, in front, or to the side of it. Standing too close could risk unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals and wasp stings as they frantically try to escape the nest to survive.

When to Call a Professional to Handle the Problem

Wasps nests can get extremely large if left to their own devices - plus, these insects are opportunists that will seek out and find any crevice in or around your home that they can dwell. This includes inside your walls, sheds, barns, and anywhere else, your family might walk into to be greeted with a sting.

 If you’ve noticed that there is a nest on your property - or worse, in your home - it’s best to remove your family and any pets from the house (or as far away as possible from the nest outdoors) and contact an exterminator immediately.

 While this method of killing wasps will cost significantly more than handling the problem on your own, it’s always best to stay on the safe side and let someone with experience tackle the job.

 Unlike most homeowners, a professional will come geared up in the appropriate attire, carrying the most deadly solutions, and with the training to handle high-stress situations in enclosed spaces that wasps may nest, such as in attics or between walls.

What to do if You are Stung by a Wasp

While quite painful, a single wasp sting isn’t usually much to worry about in terms of emergencies. With a single sting, simple at-home care should suffice. However, as we’re about to reiterate, a whole nest of wasps can be life-threatening - and even only two or three stings can mean life or death for those with sensitivities.

 Remember, a wasp sting contains toxic substances for the sole purpose of debilitating their sting victims. When there is more than one sting (which isn’t that far-fetched of an idea when trying to dispose of a nest), it can absolutely have unexpected adverse effects on health, even sending some individuals into anaphylactic shock.

 If you’re stung by multiple wasps during the process of nest removal, it’s always best to play it safe and go to the hospital immediately. Have someone you trust to drive you and promptly alert them if you begin to feel a delay in your breathing, stomach cramps, an increase in your heart rate, or difficulty swallowing, as these can be life-threatening signs of upcoming anaphylaxis.

Preventing Wasps From Returning

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the wasp or wasps, you’ll need to take preventative measures to keep them from coming back to your property. So what can you do?

Remove Empty Wasp Nests

Firstly, you’ll want to dispose of any abandoned wasp nests that you find on your property, including the nest you just killed off. Aside from the nest you just eliminated, you may want to wait until the winter to dispose of any other nests on your property. This will keep wasps from living in an already built, ready-to-go nest when the weather starts to warm up again.

Dispose of Any Wood Piles or Debris

As we mentioned earlier, wasps like to nest in areas that are not disturbed. Huge winter woodpiles and yard debris provide the perfect place for a wasp colony. To deter wasps from nesting on your property, you’ll want to remove any debris that may house a wasp nest.

 Before you remove woodpiles and debris, take extra care to look around for any signs of new nesting as to not get any nasty surprises.

Make Your Home Difficult for Wasps to Access

If you’ve found wasps in your home, there are things that you can do to keep them from entering so easily:

 

• Always close doors behind you as you or your family walk in and out of the home. Doors that are left open for extended periods of time are an open invitation to the wandering wasp.
• Keep your windows closed at all times, and if you prefer an open window, be sure that you have a protective screen secured to the window frame.
• Check around your home for cracks in the walls, windows, or doors that are exposed to the outside. Wasps can easily squeeze through small spaces. Use a sealant like caulk to tightly seal the cracks.
• Repair gaps in the walls of your home. Wasps are notorious for building gigantic colonies inside exposed walls of buildings. Keeping up the repairs on your home is a surefire way to avoid a painful infestation.

Clean Up Around Edible Vegetation in Your Yard

For those who have fruit trees or berry bushes, it’s a good idea to collect ripe fruit before they fall and remove any fruit that has already fallen on the ground and begun to spoil. Fruit is an extreme attractant for wasps, and yards with fruiting vegetation makes the perfect home for a colony.

And though wasps and other insects are naturally attracted to the trees and bushes, themselves, by removing easy fruit access, you’ll be making life just that more difficult for the wasps.

Outdoor Wasp Traps

Earlier, we mentioned that you could kill a rogue wasp in your home by making your own wasp trap.

 But you can also disperse wasp traps throughout your yard, preferably away from any outdoor seating areas such as porches or decks, as well as away from any flower gardens or vegetable gardens that see a lot of human or pet traffic. 

 There are a plethora of options that you can find online through Amazon or purchase at your local home and gardening store.

FAQ

Q: Is it best to hire a professional or deal with the wasp problem yourself?

A: Of course, if you have any doubts about your ability to properly dispose of a wasp nest, it’s in your best interest to call a professional. However, with a strategy of removal, as we’ve outlined throughout this article, many homeowners should be able to achieve a quick and painless nest removal on their lonesome.

Q: How often should I tend to my yard to keep wasps at bay?

A: Generally speaking, you should always keep your yard relatively free of debris such as woodpiles and remove, or occasionally treat with pesticide (as instructed by the product), any items that wasps could use to build their nest inside. This includes children’s toys (playhouses, slides, covered swings) and storage sheds.

 

Depending on the rate of growth of your vegetation, you should also cut back any fast-growing bushes or plants as to not give wasps an easy nesting place.

 

Q: Do unprovoked wasps attack? Do I have to remove the nest or kill them?

A: A single wasp will not usually attack you if you aren’t making any sudden moves, and it doesn’t see you as a threat - which, you don’t know when or if they will. 

 

A nest can absolutely be dangerous, no matter where it is on your property. Which is why we’ve made it a point to reiterate that fact throughout this article. Wasps are frenzied creatures and will attack to protect their nest. This includes any children or pets who wander too close in play.

 

We always recommend that you kill and remove any wasps nests that you see near your home. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

 

Q: Can I kill a wasp in my home with hairspray?

A: If you’re facing a single wasp, yes. You can use a hairspray to kill a wasp in your home. The reason this works is that the stickiness of the hairspray coats the wasp’s wings and body, making it unable to fly and, eventually, unable to breathe. 

 

Be careful, though. If you miss, you may get the surprise of your life.

Bed Bug Spray- Does it Work?

If you happen to be one of the unfortunate few that experience a bed bug infestation, you know how frustrating and irritating it can be to try to get rid of them without breaking your bank. Hiring an exterminator can cost thousands of dollars, and at-home bombs aren’t that effective. But what about bed bug sprays?

 Does bed bug spray really work? Bed bug sprays work great for killing the bugs that you see on-site and can give you some peace of mind for the night. However, if you want to completely eradicate all of the bed bugs in your home, you have to reach out to a professional exterminator.

 If you are at your wit’s end about getting rid of the bed bugs in your home, here is some information of bed bug spray, if it works, and how you can eliminate these nasty pests out of your home.

Bed Bug Spray- Does it Work?

Bed bug spray is designed to kill bed bugs and the larvae on contact. However, it doesn’t completely solve your issue. Bed bugs can fit and hide in every crack and crevice and lay eggs. So even though you might kill the bugs and larvae that you see, there could be more hiding that you don’t know about.

 Bed bugs hatch and reproduce very quickly, so if you miss even a single egg, you can get an infestation all over again. You can also have them attached and hiding in your home or your clothes that you may not have noticed or treated. That is why you should reach out to a professional exterminator to completely treat your home.

 Bed bug spray is great for getting rid of the bugs around your bed to give you some peace of mind. Most people who experience bed bugs feel like they can’t sleep in their beds or even in their own homes. Bed bug spray can kill the bugs in and around your bed so that you can get some sleep at night. However, it won’t fix your problem entirely.

 You can get bed bug spray pretty much anywhere, for instance, Amazon or Home Depot. Most bed bug sprays range from $10 to $30, depending on the brand and where you buy it.

 In short, bed bug spray does work- but it only temporarily fixes your bed bug problem. If you want to completely get rid of bed bugs, you will have to seek out treatment options from a professional exterminator.

 

Is Bed Bug Spray Safe?

A common concern that many people have around bed bug spray is that it could be potentially harmful to have around children or pets. However, most sprays are typically safe to spray around children and pets. When you are purchasing a spray, make sure that the bottle says that it can be used indoors and is safe to have around children and pets.

 

The Killer Green Bed Bug Spray is a great non-toxic and all-natural bed bug killer. Because it’s non-toxic and all-natural, it’s safe to have around your family, pets, and even your plants. You can even spray it on your bedding or furniture. Killer Green Bed Bug Spray is tested and has a 98% effectiveness rate for killing adult bugs and larvae within minutes.

 

However, not all bed bug sprays are safe to spray onto your beds or furniture, so make sure that the bottle clearly states that it is safe. Most bed bug sprays will also have a light, chemical-like smell, but that usually disappears within a few minutes.

 

How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

Unfortunately, bed bugs can infest your home quickly and can be extremely hard to get rid of. Whenever some people find out that they have bed bugs, they sometimes feel gross or dirty. However, bed bugs can happen to almost anyone. These are a few common ways that people tend to get bed bugs:

 

• They can come into your home from used clothes or furniture that is carrying bed bugs
• They can travel through rooms in buildings like apartment buildings or multi-level homes
• They can attach to your clothing or bags on public transportation or in another building which has bed bugs

 

If you are in a place where you suspect there are bed bugs, make sure to wash and dry your clothes as soon as you

How Do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs?

Unfortunately, most people don’t even know that they have bed bugs until it’s too late, and they have a full-blown infestation. People start to suspect that they have bed bugs when they start to notice small red welts on themselves, specifically when they wake up.

 

Bed bugs bite and feed off of blood and sometimes leave bites that look similar to mosquito bites. However, most people don’t even react to the bites. In fact, that’s why they don’t typically notice that they have bed bugs until it becomes an infestation.

 

Here are a few signs that you may have bed bugs:

 

• Small, red, and itchy bumps on your body that look similar to mosquito bites. Sometimes these are several bumps in a straight line
• Small blood stains on your bed and pillow sheets and your mattress
• You see the shells of the bugs, empty egg sacks, or their droppings on your mattress or around your bed
• You see the bugs themselves

 

If you think you have bed bugs, check-in these spots:

• Underneath your bed
• In between your mattress and box spring
• Around your bed's headboard
• In the seams of your bed, couch, and curtains
• Wall trimmings and door frames

 

Bed bugs are so small that they can hide pretty much anywhere without you even noticing, so use a credit card or something thin to help you scope out these places. Also, use a flashlight to make sure you’re able to see everything. If you don’t trust your judgment, most bed bug exterminator companies will do a free inspection for you by appointment.

 

Other Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

If dealing with the bugs themselves wasn’t frustrating enough, trying to get rid of them is even more so. Because they lay eggs and reproduce so quickly, it’s incredibly hard to kill them. On top of that, most of the time, you can’t even see them, so it’s hard to even know if they are all gone.

 

Here are a couple of other ways that you can exterminate these pests from your home:

 

Heat Treatments

The most effective, but expensive, way to completely get rid of bed bugs is to have your home undergo heat treatment. With heat treatments, the exterminators will use industrial-sized fans and vents to heat your home to up to 145 degrees for a few hours to completely kill the bugs. Bed bugs and larvae die in 125-degree heat, so the extra 15 degrees ensures that they are dead.

 

While this is the most effective and only guaranteed way to fully get rid of bed bugs, it is also the most expensive. Because it takes lots of equipment and a whole crew to exterminate the bugs with this method, it can cost upwards $5,000.

Bombs

At home improvement stores, like Home Depot, you can purchase bed bug “bombs.” These bombs can treat the rooms in your home by using a fumigator to release chemicals into your home. These are the most affordable bed bug extermination method alongside the sprays. However, they are the least effective.

 

These “bombs” release chemicals into the room, which are supposed to kill the bugs and their larvae. However, the chemicals don’t always reach the bugs that are hiding in those pesky places that you can’t even see. When you use this method, you have to make sure that your home is adequately ventilated, so no one in your house gets sick.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Bed Bug Spray does work, but it is not the best solution for permanent removal.  Give it a try, but if it doesn’t work, be ready to try another method.