Benefits and Disadvantages of Neem Oil for Bed Bugs

Using a commercially available bed bug insecticide can expose you, your family members, and pets to toxic chemicals. It’s because of this why many who are facing a bed bug infestation prefer to go for home remedies, such as spraying bed bugs and their hiding places with essential oils.

Neem oil is one of the many essential oils that are said to be effective for controlling a bed bug infestation. And now you may be wondering if you should give it a try.

How effective is neem oil against bed bugs?

Neem oil can work as a bed bug insecticide and repellent. Upon contact, it can kill bed bugs, adults, eggs, and larvae alike. Neem oil’s smell is unfavorable for bed bugs, thereby repelling them. Experts say that it is a good idea to combine neem oil use with other bed bug home remedies.

While it is 100% natural and non-toxic to humans and animals, it is still a must that you use neem oil correctly. This is especially true if your goal is to put an end to a bed bug infestation once and for all.

Below, you will come across some of the most important matters that you need to know about using neem oil against bed bugs, so don’t stop reading now.

Using Neem Oil as a Bed Bug Insecticide

It is fairly easy to use neem oil as a bed bug repellent. All you have to do is apply it to areas of your body that are not covered by your sleepwear. If what you have is pure neem oil and you have sensitive skin, dilute it first with a carrier oil.

Go for one with very little to no scent to avoid reducing neem oil’s smell, which bed bugs hate.

When using neem oil as a bed bug insecticide, all you have to do is generously spray it in places where bed bugs hide. They range anywhere from the mattress, box spring, headboard, to the cracks on the floors and walls.

Start by spraying neem oil thrice a day for the first three days. Afterward, spray it thrice a day every other day. You should use neem oil for 18 days straight.

This is to make sure that you will be able to wipe out bed bugs in their different life cycles and also destroy all the eggs.

The minute that you spray neem oil, you will notice one thing: It has a rather strong smell. If you cannot stand the way that it smells, refrain from entering the room for several hours.

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Fantastic for Dealing With Bed Bugs in a Hotel Room

Whether you are about to stay in a sleazy or five-star hotel, it is possible that it may have bed bugs. Some of them may cling to your clothes or hide in your suitcase, which can make it easy for them to start an infestation in your home. This is why neem oil can be one of the best travel companions around.

You can use neem oil in your hotel room as you would in your bedroom. Worry not about staining the sheets or carpet and being charged for it. Light-colored essential oils, such as neem oil, rarely leave permanent stains.

If you are not particularly fond of its odor, you may use neem oil as an all-natural bed bug insecticide before you step foot outside your hotel room to visit one tourist hotspot after the next.

What’s really nice about neem oil is that it’s versatile, especially while you are exploring the sights and sounds of a foreign city or land.

Aside from using it to control bed bugs in your hotel room, you may also use it as a natural remedy for various insect bites that you may get while touring.

Neem oil can make you look gorgeous in your selfies that you will post on social media as it’s also a fantastic skin softener and hair conditioner, too.

If you forget to bring neem oil on your trip, fret not. You can easily get your hands on it from a local health food store or beauty shop.

Related Post: Steps to Bed Bug Proof Your Luggage

Best Neem Oil Products For Bed Bugs

Online, you can come across an assortment of neem oil products. It doesn’t really come as a surprise because neem oil has numerous uses, thanks to its versatility.

When it comes to dealing with bed bugs, neem oil is available in a variety of forms. Some of those that sell like hotcakes are neem oil bed bug sprays, particularly those that are ready to use. There are also neem oil lotions that can repel bed bugs, as well as creams and ointments that help soothe bed bug bites.

Here are some sample products that you may order online for some effective bed bug protection:

Dr. Adorable Organic Neem Oil

The presence of the word “organic” is enough to make any health-conscious person facing a bed bug infestation to immediately go for this product.

Being cold-pressed, it retains the full properties of neem fruits and seeds, including the characteristic aroma.

Speaking of which, the manufacturer admits that its product has a heavy odor, and that is why bed bugs do not stand a chance against it.

Most of those who purchased the product used it for dealing with bed bugs indoors and outdoors. Others used it for beauty purposes.

Aromine Essentials Cold-Pressed Neem Oil

Primarily, the product is for easing minor skin irritations. It is also being marketed for softening the skin and conditioning the hair.

However, the manufacturer adds that its product can be used for controlling a bed bug infestation, too, including one that involves plants.

Outdoor bed bugs are drawn to plants as they provide excellent hiding places, and they emit carbon dioxide just like humans do.

Woolzies 100% Pure Neem Oil

Making this product one of the best sellers online is that it is highly versatile. According to the manufacturer, it can be applied to the skin, nails and hair. It can also be used on pets and sprayed on plants, too.

For eliminating bed bugs indoors, the manufacturer suggests combining one tablespoon of it with one cup of water and half a cup of vodka.

Before purchasing any neem oil product for bed bugs on the internet, read customer reviews first.

You may also see if some of your family and friends have already tried neem oil products for bed bugs — they will be more than happy to tell you which ones work and which ones don’t.

Just Before You Reach for a Bottle of Neem Oil

Neem oil is one of the various essential oils that are proven effective for putting a bed bug infestation under control.

You may use it as a repellent by applying it to exposed areas of your body before going to sleep, although it will need to be diluted first. You may also use it as a bed bug insecticide by spraying it directly on bed bugs and their eggs.

For best results, it is a good idea to use neem oil for 18 days straight to make sure that all bed bugs will be killed, and all bed bug eggs will be destroyed.

Related Questions

Can I add neem oil to regular hand and body lotion to turn it into a bed bug repellant?

What bed bugs don’t like about neem oil is its strong smell. Because of this, it is best to add it to hand and body lotion that is scentless or has a mild scent. Otherwise, the hand and body lotion’s powerful smell may render neem oil ineffective.

Will lighting neem oil aromatherapy candles make bed bugs go away?

Although candles infused with neem oil may repel flying insects such as mosquitoes and flies, sadly, they cannot repel bed bugs. That’s because the odor they give off that bed bugs hate won’t be able to reach the cracks and corners that bed bugs love to hide in.