Does Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs? 

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Bed bugs are one of the most disturbing and annoying pests lurking around your home, significantly when they interrupt your peaceful sleep. These tiny bugs hide even in the smallest mattress and bed frames.

Since they are mostly nocturnal, it’s not surprising that they launch their perfect attack during the night. As a solution to these pests, people often turn to the number one cleaning agent of all time, baking soda. So, does baking soda kill bed bugs?

While baking soda can kill bed bugs by penetrating and drying out their bodies, there’s no scientific evidence that it can instantly and completely exterminate these nasty insects. Although it can work occasionally, baking soda is not a guaranteed solution.

However, suppose your bed bug situation isn’t an infestation yet, and you don’t need to call for professional help. Then you might turn to baking soda as a DIY treatment in the meantime. So, for everybody’s peace of mind, we’ll get to the bottom of the question and explore “Does baking soda kill bed bugs?” in this article!

Is Baking Soda Effective in Killing Bed Bugs? 

Due to baking soda’s nature as a moisture remover, people think it extracts every fluid drop from a bed bug’s body, dehydrating them. It also penetrates the external layers of the insect shell and breaks it up, causing internal bleeding and effectively killing the bed bugs.

However, no clear and concrete scientific evidence supports solving a house’s bed bug infestation through baking soda alone. While baking soda cannot give a 100% guaranteed performance of bed bug extermination, it will still prove to trap bed bugs.

How Long Does Baking Soda Take to Kill Bed Bugs? 

With DIY baking soda treatments alone, it’s much more challenging and complicated to predict when all of the bed bugs can be killed and exterminated. Since female bed bugs often lay their eggs in hidden areas or hard-to-reach spaces, there’s yet to be a definite answer on how and when these pests will eventually die off.

However, different home experiments show that baking soda can work a few days later with proper and consistent use of baking soda, such as sprinkling the solution around the mattress.

While it’s a robust and powerful cleaning agent, no evidence claims that baking soda can kill bed bugs instantly. Even if you can minimize the presence of a few bed bugs with baking soda, it will take more time, and the results are not that instant. Suppose you use baking soda to dry out these nasty pests through death by dehydration. In that case, you might wait closer to several days. 

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    How Does Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs? 

    Baking soda can kill bed bugs in different ways. As mentioned earlier baking soda is known for its high moisture absorption, experts believe this solution can suck the fluids inside bed bugs, dehydrating them and eventually causing them to die. 

    In addition, since its texture is coarse, baking soda is believed to be harsh and abrasive enough to cut the inside of the bed bug’s body, leading to injury and death. Finally, baking soda kills bed bugs by damaging or rupturing their internal organs, which eventually kills them. 

    How to Use Baking Soda to Kill Bed Bugs? 

    How-to-Use-Baking-Soda-to-Kill-Bed-Bugs

    Eliminating and killing bed bugs with baking soda might not be the most effective and fastest method since it does not guarantee a 100% solution. However, using it consistently might work well for you. Plus, it would not hurt you to try it! So if you have some baking soda already in your home, here are things that you can do and try: 

    Sprinkle Baking Soda

    Most residents believe sprinkling or spreading baking soda in a thick layer form can exterminate bed bugs after a few days. This is because the solution can either dry out these nasty pests’ exoskeletons or form a barrier they cannot cross or go through. 

    Baking Soda Paste

    Baking soda is one of the popular home remedies for bed bugs when mixed with water and vinegar. To make a paste, you need sufficient water and baking soda. Afterward, apply the mixture to affected household spaces or areas and wait a few days. Eventually, the baking soda will dehydrate and kill the bed bugs. The magic trick behind the method is to vacuum the dry paste after.

    Does Baking Soda Kill Bed Bugs in Carpet? 

    The main idea behind using baking soda to kill bed bugs is that it dramatically helps absorb and draw their moisture. However, this household cleaning agent cannot kill bed bugs inside the carpet in a snap of time or just in the blink of an eye. Using a vacuum to press the baking soda tightly into the carpet might be an adequate remedy. 

    Does Baking Soda Repel Bed Bugs? 

    Does-Baking-Soda-Repel-Bed-Bugs

    Baking soda can repel one or two bed bugs. But, it’s rarely strong enough to eliminate a massive infestation. However, when used correctly and consistently, baking soda helps ward off these undesirable bugs found inside your house naturally.

    Alternatives to Baking Soda for Killing Bed Bugs

    While there is no danger or harm involved in relying on several DIY methods or home remedies to kill bed bugs, you just need to be extra careful and meticulous. Bed bugs lay eggs every single day. In no time, the whole house can suffer from an extensive pest infestation if you don’t respond to the threat of a few bed bugs quickly. Because bed bugs are persistent, here are other alternatives against bed bugs in case you run out.

    Bed Bug Traps

    Bed bug traps will be your ultimate best friend when exterminating all these nasty pests lurking and hanging around your home. These traps are designed to catch all the bugs lounging and staying in the mattress and bed. On top of everything, these traps would not only help you eliminate bed bug infestation; they can be fantastic monitoring tools too. 

    Protective Pillowcases

    Once you are sure your bed bug infestation has finally ended and the traps are empty, it’s time to get new protective covers or pillowcases for your mattress. In the United States, bed bugs made it to the rank of being one of the most common pests. 

    So, it’s unlikely that re-infestation will occur if there’s a female specimen left out. So, by prioritizing and buying protective sheets for your pillows, you can always be one step ahead against these pesky invaders. 

    Diatomaceous Earth Powder

    Aside from baking soda, diatomaceous earth powder proves to be an effective killer of bed bugs. This natural, non-toxic cleaning agent can efficiently dry out and kill all the bed bugs and other nasty crawlers lurking around the home, including cockroaches and silverfish. 

    It is believed that its natural powder possesses properties that can powerfully absorb the oil and fat of bed bugs, causing their death instantly. Sprinkle the powder in affected areas and let it sit for a week. 

    Since bed bugs are flat and tiny, they can easily hide in all the crevices of your floors and walls, so a diatomaceous earth powder duster with an extended nozzle might be valuable and helpful. On top of everything, this extra feature can help you reach all their hiding places and limit the chaos one causes with the whole application. 

    Cleaning Supplies

    Vacuum

    Spreading baking soda around your home and vacuuming it doesn’t only help trap and kill bed bugs but also has the beneficial side effect of removing odors from the areas you vacuum. When using a vacuum, make sure it is a vacuum you can use a bag in so the bag can catch live bed bugs and eggs. Once done vacuuming, seal the bag and dispose of it.

    Vinegar

    The all-purpose cleaner vinegar can is a solution for getting rid of bed bugs. Read our article – Can Vinegar Kill Bed Bugs? to learn how to do it.

    Conclusion

    For a long time, baking soda has appeared to work when fighting and killing bed bugs. However, while it’s cheap and efficient, there are better ways to handle and deal with bed bug infestation than baking soda. While the idea behind this cleaning agent is convincing, it’s far from reality. 

    Most of the bed bugs might manage to grow and thrive, even after using baking soda. That’s why you can use other home remedies provided in this article. But if problems persist, it’s always best to rely on professionals to eliminate these nasty pests forever! 

    To learn more about bed bugs, check our article – “Can Clean Houses Get Bed Bugs?”