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Dengarden»Pest Control»Bedbugs
How to Make a Homemade Bed Bug Killer Spray With Vinegar
Updated on May 18, 2019
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Melody Collins more
Melody is a volunteer for the Center for Disease and Control Prevention. She enjoys sharing her personal experience with others.
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Vinegar kills bed bugs but does not kill eggs. It also needs to be reapplied, as it simply kills on contact and does not linger.
Vinegar kills bed bugs but does not kill eggs. It also needs to be reapplied, as it simply kills on contact and does not linger. | Source
Does Vinegar Kill Bed Bugs?
Yes, spraying vinegar directly on bed bugs can kill them because vinegar is a strong acetic acid that can disrupt an insect's nervous system. While this home remedy is safe and effective, it is not a standalone treatment, meaning you won't be able to eradicate a bed bug infestation with vinegar alone. Use vinegar as a natural ingredient to get rid of and even ward against bed bugs until you can come up with a long-lasting solution.
How to Make and Use a Homemade Vinegar Bed Bug Spray
Homemade vinegar remedies for bed bugs are not pesticides, but they are much safer and will work during early infestation. Here's how to make a vinegar bed bug spray:
Purchase white vinegar such as the Heinz Distilled, Walmart, or Kroger Brand.
Fill an empty spray bottle with vinegar. You can use ULINE bottles, UPC bottles, or something from your local Dollar Tree. Tighten the lid securely.
Soak the perimeter around the infested area with vinegar, including cracks and crevices in the walls and tight spaces underneath and between furniture. This way, when you spray the bed bugs, they will scatter into areas soaked with vinegar and die there.
Spray the vinegar directly onto bed bugs to kill them on contact or send them running into nearby areas you just treated with vinegar.
To prevent further infestation, soak all infested surfaces, including window sills, walls, furnishings, mattresses, and carpets. Spray the surface as well as the corners and undersides. You would need to do this every week for several weeks to see a reduction in bed bugs.
Warning
NEVER mix vinegar with bleach. This will cause toxic chlorine gas that can harm your health.
Use an empty spray bottle to make homemade bed bug vinegar spray.
Use an empty spray bottle to make homemade bed bug vinegar spray.
Pros and Cons of Using Vinegar on Bed Bugs
Advantages
Disadvantages
Can be used for short-term relief. The acidic content of vinegar is strong enough to disrupt their nervous systems.
The smell is terrible and long-lasting.
It is cheap and available almost everywhere.
You might not kill bed bugs completely but only push them into hiding.
This method is very safe. You can spray as much as you need and no one will get harmed like they would with toxic chemical sprays.
Some furniture could be damaged due to the low pH of vinegar.
It is safe to use in homes with children, dogs, and cats.
It will have little effect when there is a major infestation.
May have a toxic effect on some reptilian pets.
Read the comments section below to see results other readers have seen. The majority of readers agree that vinegar isn't as powerful as Hot Shot (which I've reviewed), Bed Bug Bully, or JT Eaton, but it's an effective, albeit slow way, of killing bed bugs over time. If you are waiting for a pest-control professional to come treat your home or for bug spray to arrive in the mail, vinegar will buy you some time.
The Results of My Experiment Using Vinegar on Bed Bugs
I obtained a couch from someone with a bed bug problem, and a man with a barn was kind enough to let me do my vinegar experiment there. Here is what I did, and these are the results of that experiment:
We used a 100% solution of pure white vinegar. We filled spray bottles and soaked every inch of the couch. Then we used paper towels to wipe up the excess vinegar and dead bed bugs. This won't work if you can't get every crack, crevice, and surface. (Remember to wear gloves and avoid touching bed bugs because they are stinky, and they may seep blood when they're dead.)
This took three people four hours, but the results were promising. We observed only one small bed bug a week later. We missed the eggs, however. Vinegar has nearly no residual effect and does not work on eggs.
We learned that in order for this to work as the sole treatment, you will need to use gallons of vinegar and reapply every five days, which is not practical because it wreaks.
We also observed bed bugs running away from the couch. One way to kill these bugs after they scatter is to soak the perimeter of the object you are about to spray with vinegar before. Spray around baseboards and windows. Take down curtains and wash them. Spray your TV stand and bookcases. Finally, spray the infested item last. This way, when they try to run, they are going to run into more vinegar.
Conclusion: Using vinegar is not a good long-term solution for bed bugs. I understand that some people have no other choice but to use this method, but I recommend you do whatever it takes to come up with the funds for profession help. Remember, you are not alone. Do not be ashamed and try to hide an infestation. Face it, and do whatever it takes to eliminate the bed bugs.
dengarden.com/pest-control/Does-Vinegar-Work-on-Bedbugs
