Eugenol, which is found in cloves, acts as a strong neurotoxin on insects. Direct spraying with clove oil will kill adult bedbugs.
Recipe: Clove spray against bedbugs
Ingredients:
200 ml of cosmetic alcohol (e.g. 70% isopropanol or ethanol)
50–60 drops of pure clove essential oil (clove oil)
(Optional for increased resistance): 30 drops of tea tree oil or peppermint oil
Glass spray bottle (essential oils can damage some plastics)
Preparation and application:
Pour the alcohol into a bottle. The alcohol acts as an emulsifier (dissolves the oil) and improves penetration into the insect’s exoskeleton.
Add the clove oil and shake thoroughly.
Spray directly on visible bedbugs, in cracks in baseboards, or in the cavities of bed frames.
The Inconvenient Truth: Is clove oil enough?
No. A mixture containing cloves is suitable as an immediate contact poison for individual bedbugs found or as a short-term deterrent. However, it cannot eliminate a complete infestation for the following reasons:
No effect on eggs: Bedbug eggs are protected by an extremely durable shell. Nymphs simply hatch after a few days.
Narrowed effect: The pungent odor only kills bedbugs that are directly soaked. Surviving bedbugs often retreat deep into walls, behind electrical outlets, or into neighboring rooms.
Toxicity to pets: Clove and tea tree oils are extremely toxic to cats because their livers cannot metabolize the phenols (eugenol).
What you need to do in parallel (immediate measures):
Heating (deadly for bedbugs and eggs): Wash bedding, textiles and clothing at a temperature of at least 60 °C or freeze for 48 hours.
Steam cleaner: Treat the bed frame, mattress and crevices thoroughly with hot steam (with a nozzle temperature of at least 60-70 °C) with a slow stream of steam.
Professional help: If you have been bitten by bedbugs or find several bedbugs/feces, you should definitely consult a pest control professional. Bedbugs are among the most resistant pests and in 99% of cases they cannot be eliminated with home remedies alone.