Waking up to find bed bug bite marks on your body will make you consider almost any option to eradicate them. Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). It’s often used in the control of infestation because of its ability to dehydrate and eventually kill some pests.Â
However, does salt kill bed bugs?
No, salt is not particularly useful in killing bed bugs. You’re going to need more than that!
Here are the basics:
- Salt will only repel bed bugs at best, as bed bugs avoid anything that may cause them harm.Â
- Bed bugs are one of the hardest pests to get rid of due to their ability to hide in tiny spaces. They are also able to survive long periods without feeding and reproducing quickly.Â
- Salt’s osmotic effect is ineffectual on bed bugs because of their exoskeletal system and diet, which is strictly blood.
This article will discuss how salt works on pests, why this process is ineffective against bed bugs, and provide alternative solutions to handle a bed bug infestation efficiently.Â
Does Salt Kill Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small insects, measuring around 5 millimeters and barely visible to the human eye. They’re oval-shaped, flat, and rusty brown. They look very similar to an apple seed, and you often only find their husks after they’ve molted or perhaps the stains left by them after feeding.
Bed bugs are crawlers; unlike most insects, they cannot jump or fly. They rely on hosts to get around and hitchhike on personal effects like luggage, second-hand clothing, furniture, etc.Â
Bed bugs are small insects barely visible to the human eye.
Many people recommend tackling insect infestations with salt. When salt is applied, it draws moisture through osmosis from the pest’s skin cells and exoskeletons, dehydrating it to death.Â
Salt can be used to handle slugs, snails, earthworms, and cockroaches.Â
But salt doesn’t kill bed bugs.
Although it works to eliminate slugs, worms, and snails, it is ineffective against bed bugs. Unlike slugs and snails, the bed bug’s exoskeleton and skin do not absorb salt, so it can’t penetrate their internal organs and cause them to dehydrate.
Why Salt Doesn’t Work on Bed Bugs
1. Anatomy
The bed bug’s body is insulated by a hard shell, an exoskeleton made of chitin that serves as protective gear – exactly what crab shells are made of. Throughout the bed bug life cycle, it molts and sheds this shell several times. You’ll often find the husks as proof of an infestation.
This shell prevents salt from acting on bed bugs. And since bed bugs can only ingest blood, they can’t be poisoned with it.Â
Salt can only cause slight discomfort for the bed bug, but it can’t kill it as it cannot penetrate the body and internal organs of a bed bug.
Salt can only cause slight discomfort for the bed bug, but it can’t kill it as it cannot penetrate the body and internal organs of a bed bug.
2. Movement Pattern
Bed bugs hide in cracks and crevices of furniture and other household items. They avoid substances that may harm them and would naturally sidestep the salt if it’s in their vicinity.
3. Diet
It’s important to note that bed bugs only feed on blood. So, they can’t ingest salt, which would poison and eventually kill them.
Bed bugs are drawn to the carbon dioxide we exhale, and any other smells are of no interest to them: the smell of salt is unnoticed by them.
If Salt Can’t Kill Bed Bugs, What Can?
Several remedies ensure these pests are eradicated in the battle against bed bug infestation. Although these methods can help clear them, the avenues that lead to their presence must also be blocked to prevent a recurrence.
Several remedies ensure these pests are eradicated.
Before using any of these remedies, thoroughly vacuum the affected area and environs, concentrating on the corners, cracks, and crevices. As soon as that is complete, you can proceed to use any of the remedies below:
1. Diatomaceous Earth
Unlike salt, Diatomaceous earth doesn’t try to dehydrate the bed bug. Instead, it scratches their protective shell until it peels the coating of their exoskeleton.
Without the coating, the bed bug dries out and dies.
2. Use of Extreme Heat or Cold
Clean your items that could inhabit bed bugs with water as hot as 140° Fahrenheit to the highest setting your machine can handle. This kills off the bed bugs and eggs on the items. You can even use blow dryers or heat guns.
Steam cleaning is quite effective, but make sure the cleaner gets hot enough to kill bed bugs. Otherwise, you may spread your infestation to the next person who rents the cleaner!
You should apply extreme cold to non-washable items by putting them in a sealed bag and throwing them in the freezer. After 24 hours, remove them to remove the bed bug or eggs that exist.Â
3. Make your Bed an Island-made Bed
Move your bed away from the wall and furniture that could be infected. Isolating your bed impedes the movement and hitchhiking of bed bugs.
4. Bicarbonate of Soda
Sprinkling bicarbonate of soda onto affected areas helps to either dehydrate them or cut them because of the abrasive nature of the compound. This has to be done regularly and should work hand in hand with vacuuming to eradicate bed bugs completely.
5. Borax (Sodium Borate)
Borax is a substance used with water to eradicate bed bugs by sprinkling the solution on the affected area and spraying water. The compound works by suffocating the bed bug.
You can also use Borax to wash affected items in the machine to ensure full eradication.Â
6. Insecticides
Two chemicals are mostly used in combating bed bugs: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids. However, some bed bugs have become resistant to them, as bed bugs are known to have an adaptive exoskeleton that can get thicker in time.
You must carefully administer some of these remedies with caution, and potentially harmful effects are taken into account. However, you can hire a pest control professional to handle the eradication to ensure errors are not made.  Â
Preventive Measures You Can Take
Prevention, they say, is better than cure. Instead of finding a cure after emergence, prevent an infestation from happening at all. Adhere to the following regularly to keep your home bed bugs free:
- Vacuum regularly. This helps remove stray bed bugs, eggs, and larvae and keeps the area bug-free.
- Check second-hand furniture. Always check the furniture for any signs of bed bugs before purchasing and bringing them into your home.Â
- Take precautions when laundering. Bed bugs are hitchhikers and can attach themselves to clothes and furniture. You must take precautions to avoid unknowingly bringing them into the house.
Conclusion
Salt can be an effective way to target some insect infestations, but salt does not kill bed bugs.
If you seek to destroy bed bugs, follow the suggested remedies above. But honestly, if you’re able to, hire a professional familiar with bed bug infestations. Bed bugs are tenacious and hard to deal with, and they can take over your life for months or even years.
Good luck!
