Many people want to know whether they can safely remove bed bugs when there is a pregnant woman living in the infested home. Commercially available bed bug sprays are usually toxic and could harm the pregnant woman and her unborn child. So, today, we will discuss some top natural remedies to safely remove bed bugs when one is pregnant and also discuss some effective natural remedies to treat bed bug bites on pregnant women.
Is commercial bedbug spray okay to be used around pregnant women?
“My wife is in her first trimester. We are dealing with a severe bedbug infestation. Is your pest control technique safe for her? Should she leave the house for a few hours during and after you have treated it?”
This is a common question that pest control companies get asked and it is indeed a great question. If you have kids or have an expecting or even nursing woman in the house, you must ensure that the commercial pest controllers modify their treatment around her as well as around young kids, elderly people or pets. Thankfully, some simple precautions can also be carried out to ensure that the pest control is safe around these vulnerable home occupants. The company should use safe formulations based on the extent of the infestation. In general, steaming, vacuuming, heat treating and other natural bed bug removal techniques can be carried out safely. If they plan on using insecticides, the pregnant woman should ideally leave the premises for the duration of the treatment (along with clear instructions regarding the time to stay away from the treated areas).
Fortunately, most pest control products used today are odorless and if you seek services from reliable pest controllers, you should get EPA approved products only. Also, these insecticides are typically applied only in cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide and never outside on accessible surfaces. Once you let the pest control Company know about the pregnancy, the professionals will ideally customize the entire treatment to be safe for the woman and her unborn child.
Steps to safely remove bedbugs around pregnant women
- Start by thoroughly vacuuming the infested rooms using HEPA based filters. This will physically remove bed bugs and their eggs and larvae. You could also tie a nylon stocking to the hose of the vacuum and secure it at the crevice end to act as a pre-filter.
- Box springs in mattresses are the most common harborage areas. So do consider encasing the mattresses and the box springs. This will trap all bed bugs inside these areas so they cannot come out to bite you.
- Use bed-bug interceptors around the legs of the bedding so that they cannot climb up the beds. This will further help you isolate your bed from the bugs hiding in other areas of the room.
- Hire a qualified pest control operator who is knowledgeable in treating bed bugs naturally so that there is absolutely no harm to a pregnant woman in the house. While the professionals are removing bed bugs, leave the house for the duration and enter after a few hours .Make sure to ventilate the areas well. Wear shoes indoors and avoid touching treated surfaces. Wash your hands thoroughly before eating.
- K9 detection teams are also known to safely identify bed bugs and minimize harborage areas.
- While you are using natural remedies for bed bug removal when pregnant, you might have to store away your belongings, clothes etc elsewhere. The best way to do this is use plastic bags. Seal these and have them heat treated before bringing them back. Alternatively, you could place the items in freezers where the extreme cold can kill the bed bugs and their eggs.
10 remedies to treat bedbug bites naturally when pregnant
If you have been bitten by bedbugs whilst pregnant, make use of following natural remedies and solutions to stop the itchiness and relieve pain.
- Apply witch hazel all over the bites. This will reduce swelling, itchiness etc.
- Use soothing gel obtained directly by cutting open Aloe Vera leaves. This gel is known to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and will reduce one’s risk of developing skin infections.
- A paste of baking soda with peppermint oil is another highly effective remedy to help stop severe itching.
- If you have bedbug bites on your back and torso, take a tub bath to which some peppermint oil has been added. This will soothe the itch.
- Apply some hydrocortisone or other topical cortisone based cream to relieve extreme itchiness.
- Apply some Petroleum Jelly to each bite.
- Apply and rub in some meat tenderizer salt to stop pain and itching of bed bug bites.
- If itching is severe, ask your doctor if antihistamine may be right for it. Benadryl is a generally safe remedy to counter itchiness.
- Calamine is another safe lotion known for relieving itching and swelling associated with bug bites.
- Apply some shaving cream on the welts and blisters. This is known to have antibacterial properties and can prevent infection.
Other safe remedies to counter bed bug bites itchiness when pregnant are Tuck® hemorrhoids ointment as well as Clearsil® Acne treatment cream. These can be applied over the bites to stop pain and itching. We hope these steps and remedies help you safely remove bed bugs when pregnant.
