Ammonia against bedbugs is one of the most effective methods in the fight against “uninvited guests.” Toxic drugs are not an option for insect baiting for everyone, but ammonia is an accessible, inexpensive, and practically safe way to solve the problem.
To confirm the effectiveness of ammonia in the fight against parasites, it is worth understanding the principle of action of the composition, its pros and cons.
It would be a good idea to learn how to use ammonia correctly to ensure results.
Rules of application
There are several options for using ammonia against bedbugs:
- Pour into small vessels and leave where parasites are most common. It is important to place containers in such a way that they remain out of the reach of children and pets.
- Add ammonia to a container of water to wash floors. They also add a little denatured alcohol to kill bedbugs and use kerosene. The composition is poured into the cracks. A cotton swab soaked in the substance is placed inside the sofa, in the closet, bedside table, under the mattress.
After the anti-bedbug alcohol has been used for its intended purpose, the exterminator must leave the premises (it is better to go outside).
Otherwise, a person may experience a migraine, dizziness, and difficulty breathing . It’s a good idea to rinse your mouth with clean water, wash your face with soap, and wash your clothes.
The principle of action of ammonia
An aqueous solution of ammonia has a sharp, specific odor and is irritating. If a person has lost consciousness, a cotton swab soaked in ammonia is brought to his nose. When inhaling vapors of the substance, receptors in the respiratory tract are irritated. This leads to an increase in pressure and increased breathing, and the person comes to his senses.
Ammonia solution is used in three ways:
- Inhale the vapor (a cotton wool soaked in the substance should be brought at a distance of 5-7 cm from the nose).
- Ingestion.
- External use.
The substance is dangerous even when inhaled from a cotton swab - care must be taken and do not allow the patient to inhale the vapors of the solution for more than 2-3 seconds. Otherwise, the body may stop breathing in an attempt to protect itself from the poison, which is extremely dangerous.
Are they afraid
Answering the question of whether bedbugs are afraid of alcohol, we can answer unequivocally in the affirmative. The substance does not kill pests, but only drives them away. Parasitic organisms do not like the strong smell of the substance.
For bedbugs, ammonia is a significant irritant; it does not allow them to continue living in the apartment - the insects try to leave their previous habitat.
In some cases, only active movement of insects between rooms is observed.
Perfumes
Create your own perfume against bedbugs and other bloodsuckers:
Natural repellent recipe:
Using a clean 120 ml spray bottle, fill it halfway with distilled or boiled water (cooled to room temperature). Add 30 mg of vodka (as a preservative), then about 50 drops of essential oils.
- 10 drops lemon (or a mixture of lemon and grapefruit or lemon balm/lemon verbena)
- 10 drops mint
- 8 drops lavender
- 5 drops geranium
- 3 drops vanilla
- 3 drops cypress
- 3 drops rosemary
Alternatively: 3 drops patchouli or 3 drops myrtle
What you need to know before processing
Ammonia against bedbugs should be used with caution. Before starting treatment, it is necessary to remove all residents and pets from the apartment (house) (the composition is lethal for pets). Only the person who intends to carry out the treatment remains in the affected area.
When using ammonia, it is important to maintain the proportion of components: water and alcohol in the composition. Recommended dosage: 3 tbsp. l. per liter of water.
Tea tree oil
Natural insecticide and antiseptic. At the same time, it “drives” bed bugs out of the apartment with its sharp, pronounced aroma and disinfects the room after them.
Most people find the smell of tea tree oil to be specific, but not unpleasant. Therefore, treatment is not a reason to leave the premises. The exception is people with special sensitivity to fragrances (the smell often causes persistent migraines) and allergies. They will have to go somewhere for 2-3 hours and then undergo thorough ventilation.
When bed bug nests are found, place a few drops of pure tea tree essential oil near them. For preventive treatment of an apartment or “general” spraying, an emulsion (18-20 drops per half liter of water) is sufficient. During the process, the liquid must be shaken frequently and intensively - essential oil does not dissolve well in water.
Preventing apartment infestation
In order not to wonder how to get rid of bedbugs at home, you should pay attention to preventing the appearance of bedbugs.
Measures to prevent the infestation of an apartment by parasites include several points:
- Carrying out regular cleaning: washing floors, cleaning furniture, washing household items.
- Identification of gaps, cracks in the wall, filling them with a sealing compound.
- Inspection of any pieces of furniture delivered from store warehouses and other residential premises.
- Elimination of sanitary and technical defects.
- Carrying out preliminary disinfestation at the time of moving into a new apartment.
- Using a vacuum cleaner when cleaning hard-to-reach places.
- Carrying out timely repairs in the apartment (house): wallpapering, eliminating cracks and crevices in the walls, fixing baseboards.
- Regular washing of linen and household items.
- Awareness of the main signs of pest infestation: bite marks, remains of dried shells, visual contact, dead individuals.
Compliance with these measures will help prevent the infestation of insects and relieve homeowners from fighting parasites.
How to look normal even with a hangover
So, you can already keep your head straight. It's time to make an effort and get to the mirror, get scared and take care of yourself.
- Have another glass. Water, just water. First of all, not all the hangover has gone away yet. Secondly, you look so bad precisely because your skin lacks this very water. Forward.
- Wash and shave. Especially if after returning home you did not have the strength or problems with coordination prevented you from carrying out hygiene procedures.
- Take a bath. Soaking in a warm bath with sea salt for 20 minutes is priceless.
- Make an oatmeal mask or use a ready-made scrub. You need to remove dead skin cells and increase blood circulation a little.
- Make a compress with green tea. Brewed tea bags are a good remedy for bags under the eyes.
- Apply light makeup. The key word is easy. Even out your face tone with transparent products, no sculpting. Mascara is enough for eye makeup and gloss for lips.
Advantages and disadvantages
Ammonia for bedbugs in an apartment, like any folk remedy, has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
They are shown in the table below:
| pros | Minuses |
| — the composition is practically harmless to health, since it is characterized by a low level of toxicity - alcohol is available. The product can be purchased at a pharmacy (in a small container) or at a gardening supply store (in large quantities) — it is possible to choose any volume of the substance (from 10 to 500 ml) - ammonia has a strong smell, but dissipates well — the composition does not leave marks on the surface of furniture and other objects | - no effect of alcohol on eggs protected by a compacted shell — impossibility of damaging the respiratory organs of parasites - relative effectiveness of the product: some insects may remain immune to the composition and continue to reproduce |
We are talking about a fairly effective folk remedy; it is able to demonstrate the expected result with an insignificant pest infestation.
If we are talking about a large population of insects that has settled in an apartment, it is worth turning to supportive methods of controlling bedbugs.
Critical temperatures
Unlike many other household parasites, bedbugs are quite resistant to low temperatures, and in modern homes it is not possible to lower the temperature in the room so that the parasites die without consequences for electrical appliances and piping. Bedbugs become more passive even when the temperature drops to 10°C; when the temperature drops, the bedbugs hibernate and can withstand temperatures down to -10°C for a short time, and at temperatures below -20°C the parasites die within a few minutes. If the living space cannot be frozen to such a temperature, then it is advisable to hang bedding and clothes outside on cold winter days so that the parasites die.
Bedbugs are more sensitive to high temperatures and die at 55-60 °C. Of course, you can’t walk around the house with an open flame looking for bedbugs, but you can use steam generators that are used to humidify rooms. Steam should be applied to the bed and nearby furniture and carpets, and also try to find the lair of parasites and destroy it.
Similar methods
As “insurance” when controlling pests with ammonia, it is advisable to use the following means:
| Means | Action and application |
| Kerosene | Pests are afraid of the smell of kerosene. It prevents insects from breathing by blocking air transport. The parasite does not die. In order to demonstrate the best effect, the substance must be in its pure form (not diluted) and combined with naphthalene |
| Denatured alcohol (technical alcohol 90%) | The product is effective in the fight against adults, larvae and eggs. Denatured alcohol cannot be used directly in the apartment - only pest nests must be treated. The substance is highly flammable, highly toxic and can cause severe coughing. |
| Vinegar | The basic advantage of such a product is its safety for human health when used externally. The natural component can repel or destroy insects. You will need to treat the surfaces of the furniture with vinegar (you should use a cotton pad or cloth). The substance is diluted with water and used in its pure form. |
| Turpentine | The substance is flammable and toxic. Insects are frightened by the specific aroma of turpentine. Before starting to work with turpentine, you must wear protective gloves and leave the room after using the product. If the chemical gets on the skin, the area should be treated with soap. |
| Vodka | Vodka kills bedbugs on the same principle as industrial alcohol. However, it is less dangerous |
With the help of the given available means, it is possible to ensure the extermination of parasites. Among the most effective means that kill bedbugs are not only vodka, kerosene, turpentine, etc. This list can be continued with less toxic means: camphor oil, wormwood, tansy, etc.
Tansy
In all respects, a “worthy competitor” for wormwood. In any form, it successfully “drives out” not only bed bugs, but also any other insects with a sensitive sense of smell from a house or apartment. It can also be used to prevent the appearance of unwanted “neighbors”.
The main advantage of tansy in the fight against bed bugs is the persistence of the odor. At the same time, it is practically imperceptible to humans. In addition, tansy secretes specific substances that affect the nervous system of insects when inhaled, causing convulsions and paralysis.
Reviews
If you evaluate reviews of the use of ammonia in baiting bedbugs, you can draw a conclusion about the relative effectiveness of the product.
Some representatives remain faithful to traditional methods and note fairly good processing results. Others, on the contrary, consider the measure useless and even aggravating: pests not only do not leave the home, but also begin to actively move around the apartment in search of “shelter.”
The opinion of experts on this matter is clear: it is impossible to get rid of bedbugs using folk remedies, including ammonia, especially if we are talking about a massive infestation of insects. The best option is to use methods exclusively as part of prevention.
When identifying signs of pests living in the house, it is better to immediately move on to the “heavy artillery”.
The most effective method in this case will be professional help from SES employees: they will not only find the cause of the problem, but will also select the most effective pest control remedy for the case.
Thus, ammonia is a relatively effective, practically safe remedy for bedbugs. The smell of the substance is frightening, but does not kill insects. It is important to follow safety precautions before and after using the method. The effect of ammonia depends on the degree of infestation of the apartment (house) with bedbugs.
Alternative or additional means to combat bloodsuckers include: vodka, technical alcohol, vinegar and a number of others.
Conscious and regular prevention against bedbugs will protect residents from unwanted neighbors and save them from searching for solutions to an unpleasant problem.
How to use it correctly?
Ammonia is a necessary aid in any area. This folk recipe helps remove insects with virtually no risk to plants and the human body.
An important condition for working with solutions is the use of protective equipment.
You should remember the safety precautions and use the solution only in well-ventilated areas, wearing gloves, goggles and a mask
What will you need?
It must be remembered that ammonia concentrate can cause burns to the skin and mucous membranes. It is also dangerous to breathe in the fumes as they can cause lung problems. The first thing you need to do is acquire the protective equipment required for safe use. Skin, eyes and respiratory tract should be protected.
Depending on the scale of processing, you need to prepare:
- gauze bandage;
- gloves;
- spray bottle (watering can or bucket);
- water;
- soap base.
Spray
As a rule, it is needed when there is a fight not only against ants, but also against aphids, which they actively spread. With its help you can poison insects on the foliage and trunks of tall trees and medium-sized plants.
Gauze bandage
When using an ammonia-based product, the first step is to protect your respiratory tract. A gauze bandage can prevent steam from entering the body.
Gloves
Also a mandatory element of protection are latex or cotton gloves with rubberized palms and fingers. It is best that their height is maximum.
Bucket
It is best to use plastic containers to prevent ammonia from interacting with metals. The use of buckets will be needed when fighting parasites that destroy the root system of plants.
Soap
Typically, soap is intended to help the product stick to foliage and other surfaces. The use of “adhesive” allows you to protect the garden and other areas from uninvited guests for a long time. Any soap, shampoo or dish detergent can be used as “adhesives”.
Water
If you plan to add more than just homemade ammonia to the solutions, you should use boiled water. In this case, ammonia will not give any extraneous reactions.
Cooking methods
In the fight against ants, ammonia must be diluted immediately before processing. This is due to the rapid evaporation of ammonia vapor, which insects are afraid of. First of all, all the ingredients are mixed in water; the proportions are always different. When the mixture is ready for use, you can pour in ammonia. The destruction of uninvited guests is carried out using an aqueous solution of ammonia, which can be bought at a pharmacy.
Against ants
The following proportions help rid the area of pests:
For 8 liters of boiled water you will need 1 tbsp. spoon of ammonia. This solution should be left to sit for 15-20 minutes. When the mixture becomes uniform, it can be used to treat areas with insects. Such a weak remedy can be used during the flowering and fruiting period, since it does not harm the plants.
Against aphids
To save plants from aphid attacks, it is also recommended to treat them with an aqueous solution of ammonia. The following recipe is used:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of alcohol, 2 tablespoons of tar soap shavings and 10 liters of water. Soap can replace fairy or shampoo. At the same time, gardeners say that tar soap enhances the effectiveness of the solution.
- All components dissolve well in water. All affected plants are treated with a spray bottle. Healthy trees can be treated for prevention.
- During the spraying process, you need to especially carefully treat the lower part of the foliage, where the parasite lives most.
Sugar solution
The soap in the spray can be replaced with a sugar solution. To treat plants you will need 3 tablespoons of alcohol, 5 tablespoons of sugar and a bucket of water. Mix everything well and spray using a spray bottle.
Prevention
You can use ammonia against ants in the garden for preventive purposes. To do this, you need to prepare the following mixture: dilute 10 ml of alcohol in a bucket of water and water the plants with this solution weekly. This way you can not only get rid of pests, but also scare them away forever.
Spraying
Spraying with ammonia helps fertilize plants and fight parasites. To do this, it is enough to use a weak solution - 1 spoon of alcohol per 8 liters of water.
In what cases do bedbugs nest in bed?
Although bed bugs rarely live directly in bedding, they do sometimes do so. I have found eggs, larval appendages and fecal stains on the sheets.
From my own experience, I remember three cases when I deliberately left my work suit in the apartment after treatment, for fear of taking “passengers” with me. There were so many beetles, both living and dead, that I had to shovel them. There was a crunching sound under my feet, and every minute I shook off the bloodthirsty bugs. Of course, with this level of infestation, it was not uncommon to see bedbugs nesting in pillows, blankets, and linen closets.
Another situation is when bloodsuckers invade a house where there is a sick or infirm elderly person who is bedridden. The apartment itself may be neat and clean, but since people are constantly lying down, bedbugs have switched to round-the-clock operation. Without feeling threatened, the insects gradually settle closer and closer to your body - for bedbugs it’s like having an apartment in the center of Moscow.
The only way to prevent them is to check your bed regularly and change your bedding every week.
Mustard
Mustard seeds work wonderfully at the initial stage of expelling bedbugs; against bedbugs. They can be bought at flower shops and gardening markets. Place the seeds in a saucepan and add hot, but not boiling, water. Infuse for 20-30 minutes. Pour it into the sprayer, and then spray it in the places where the bedbugs have appeared.
Your victory will depend on your thoroughness. The stronger the mustard concentrate, the worse it will be for uninvited guests. After this, you are guaranteed six months of quiet life.
Corrugated cardboard
There is such an old-fashioned non-standard method of extermination for bedbugs using corrugated cardboard. Bed bugs love cardboard as a hiding place. Place it under the bed and mount it on the wall.
During the daytime, bedbugs will happily settle into cells. Then you simply burn the improvised traps and replace them with new ones.
