Can Lemon Juice Really Help You Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Having an infestation of bed bugs is never a fun experience. Even if you consider yourself the tidiest person around and have a strict household cleaning routine, there's still a chance you could find bed bugs in your home. These tiny bloodsuckers can make their way through your front door latched onto luggage that has been in an infested hotel, traveling on clothing, or from other apartments or condos down the hall from yours. Once you discover the sure signs that your home has been invaded by bed bugs, you can use the potent powers of lemon juice to help repel them.
Lemons have a natural component in their peels called D-limonene, which is used in many organic and non-organic insecticides and pesticides. Its signature citrusy scent helps to get rid of bed bugs. Luckily, D-limonene is non-toxic to humans and other mammals, so you don't have to worry about it harming you, family members, or your pets when using it liberally around the home.
To determine if your home has been infiltrated by bed bugs, it helps to know what to look out for. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if you find red or rust-colored stains on your mattress and bed linens, excrement that looks like tiny black spots, yellowish eggs or egg shells, or of course tiny live bugs, then chances are you have an infestation of bed bugs. Let's find out how to use lemon juice to get rid of them.
How to use lemon juice to ward off bed bugs
One way to eliminate bed bugs is by making your own lemon juice concoction. Simply take a lemon or two and roll them on a counter while applying pressure with the palm of your hand. This will help to loosen the juices inside. Next, cut the lemon in half and squeeze it into a bowl, making sure to pick out any seeds. Pour the juice into an empty spritz bottle, add a dash of dish soap, and fill the rest with water. Finally, secure the top and give it a good shake. Now you are ready to start spritzing for bed bugs.
The first step is to vacuum the areas you believe to be infested with bed bugs. Once you have emptied the canister or tossed out the disposable bag, you can now apply sprays of the lemon juice mixture. Set it to a mist level and spray all over the surface of your bed, bed frame, and the surrounding floor, rugs, or carpet. Then you can leave the lemon juice to settle into the fabrics. To be safe, it would be a good idea to spritz any other surfaces where you might suspect bed bugs can be. This could include furniture, drapes, or the carpet and flooring just outside of the wall of your bedroom. The strong lemon smell is often enough to repel the bed bugs and hopefully eliminate the problem.