The worst nightmare in every household is finding a colony of bed bugs under a mattress or a carpet. Once detected, the infestation must be treated immediately. When searching the methods to kill bed bugs, you will surely come across the question, does ammonia kill bed bugs. We are going to expound on the question with reasonable justifications in this article.
Bed bugs are a real headache and can be called a disaster for a house as they may result in various physical and mental health issues. The bite is painless at the time of happening, but the itchiness and irritations will be displayed within a period of one to seven days. These silent parasites survive on the blood of humans and animals. But these furious creatures can survive for about 70 days without any blood intake. Bed bug infestations are resulted from contact with another infected area or via used old household items.
Does Ammonia Kill Bed Bugs?
Bed bug bites cause allergic responses in some people, and the itching could end in skin infection for some. Bed bug bites also have a higher probability of causing mental illnesses like hypervigilance caused due to trauma of physical suffering, constant sleeping problems, nightmares, anxiety and even depression. There are a lot of hygienic methods you need to follow to keep away bed bugs from ruining the peace of your household and mind. We will be discussing those in later paragraphs.
Does ammonia kill bed bugs? It will be massively advantageous to have knowledge on this question even when you are not threatened currently with a bed bug infestation. Ammonia which is an often used chemical to treat pests in households could also be a successful agent to kill bed bugs and their eggs. When you spray ammonia over these parasites, their outer layer will be destroyed, and the bugs will be dead. But there is no attractive nature of ammonia, and it works only from contact with its body.
When you are using ammonia as the killing agent of bed bugs, remember not to mix any portion of bleach with ammonia. These two elements can react with each other and make a toxic gas, namely chloramines. When you inhale this gas, it may cause cough, nausea and irritations in the eyes, nose, throat, etc. If inhaled in larger quantities, it could even cause death or coma. If you unknowingly mix these two, open all the doors, and windows to allow proper ventilation and call for emergencies.
How to Kill Bed Bugs With Ammonia?
- Collect the things you need first. You will need to purchase ammonia in the pure state. A new spray bottle is needed. Please do not use old spray bottles you used to spray various other chemicals as they may emit harmful gases. You will also need rubber gloves, a magnifying lens to identify the infected areas and plastic bags that can be sealed.
- Mix water and ammonia in the mentioned ratios of the product labelling. Over percentages of ammonia will end in emitting hazardous fumes. Inhaling ammonia will create burning sensations in the nose and airway. Airway damage could occur, and it will lead to breathing difficulties. In the worst cases, there may be lung damage. When contacted with eyes, it can even result in blindness. Inhaling of lower quantities will cause coughing and irritations in respiratory organs.
On the contrary, lower amounts than the required value will make no result. Therefore, read the instructions and mix the exact amounts of water and ammonia.
- If you are going to apply on beds, remove linen and wash those with bleach and hot water. High temperatures like 100°C will kill the bugs that remain in the fabric. Dry the linen entirely before using it again. Use a higher temperature set if you are using a dryer.
- Prearrange a place to sleep if you are spraying in your mattresses and beds because it is strictly warned to avoid using ammonia-applied appliances before it competes for 24 hours.
- To remove the ammonia scent from the area, you need to allow enough air to flow. It is recommended to open all the windows and doors.
- Now the exploring begins! Use your magnifying lens and a torch to identify the infected areas. Observe in your backpacks, handbags, shoes, under the carpets, under the mattress etc.
- You can use a steamer or a hair dryer to detect doubtful areas. This will attract the bed bugs hidden in any corner.
- Spray the solutions in every corner with bed bugs.
- Step out of place, closing all the windows and doors.
- Repeat the process if you still find bed bugs after the first application. Or else you can choose to rely on a professional service provider.
What Instantly Kills Bed Bugs?
High temperatures, around 100°C, are instant killing heat for bed bugs. It could be destroyed if you could keep the affected area or clothes at 113°F for about 90 minutes. If the temperature is 118°F, the bugs will be killed within 20 minutes. If there are bed bug eggs, apply a heat of 118°F for 90 minutes to kill them completely.
Heat treatments present a 90% percentage of being a successfully completed mission. There are infrared heaters available in the market, and those will give results within a few minutes.
Can You Heat Treat One Room at a Time for Bed Bugs?
It is useless if the colonies have spread all over the house. Therefore, treating the complete area of your home at once is the correct way to follow.
Can Bleach Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
Bleach is an efficient agent for destroying bed bugs. The chemical fumes will be intake into the bug’s body through respiration holes in its abdomen, and it will die soon.
Is Vinegar Good for Bed Bugs?
Vinegar is a powerful acid that can kill bed bugs. When applied, vinegar can damage the nervous system of bed bugs and thus make them killed.
Conclusion
If you hesitate about using ammonia to treat bed bugs, this article provides a complete answer to your doubt. Do refer to the guidelines we mentioned here when you are doing it yourself.
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