Can salt put an end to bed bug problems? That’s one of the questions pondered by many who suffered from bed bug bites.

Spotting bed bugs in your house can be utterly distressing and annoying. Bed bugs are horrible insects and can pose serious health problems. If you find reddish/ brown marks on your bed sheets in the morning then it hints that bed bugs are feasting at night.

But before you start sprinkling salt over your home, you’ll want to read what’s to follow.

What Does Salt Do To Insect?

Salt has the natural ability to absorb moisture. This characteristic allows the salt to be an excellent succulent material for absorbing moisture out of the tissue of insects. Salt is particularly known as an efficient remedy for getting rid of snails, slugs, and other alike garden pests.

When salt is sprayed on these creatures or they come in direct contact with salt, salt gets stuck on the outer protective layer of these bugs and absorbs moisture. This causes dehydration and eventually the bugs die.

However, bed bugs are different in morphology as compared to garden slugs. The bed bugs have an outer hard and thick protective layer whereas slugs have a soft outer layer. This means that salt’s effectiveness on slugs cannot be replicated for bed bugs.

Salt cannot kill bed bugs as it can’t penetrate their bodies to destroy them internally because of their hard outer layer. It can, however, can cause discomfort for bed bugs.

Does Salt Kill Bed Bugs?

Salt is proven to be an effective control agent for some insects. But as said earlier, it cannot penetrate the hardened bed bug’s shell. The application of salt on the bed bugs makes them uncomfortable but is not enough to kill them.

What About Epsom Salt?

Epsom salt is a common name for magnesium sulfate. It is used both domestically and industrially to get rid of insects. However, it is not effective against bed bugs.

Better Ways Of Killing Bed Bugs

It’s apparent that salt’s dehydrating capability is rendered powerless by the study exoskeleton of bed bugs. Sprinkling salts on your matters is unlikely to have any effects on bed bugs. Instead, you ought to try out these methods, which are proven to be more effective.

  • Steam cleaning

Steam cleaning is an exceptionally amazing method for getting rid of bed bugs. Apart from being immensely efficient in doing so, steam cleaning is also safe, and toxin-free. Steam cleaners heat the water and the hot steam delves deep into the mattress, sheets, or any kind of foam or fabric and kills bed bugs.

  • Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is an organic, natural, and toxin-free remedy to kills bed bugs. Diatomaceous Earth or DE is available in the form of white powder. It is one of the most widely used methods to get rid of bed bugs as it is economical and is free of harmful chemicals.

  • Bed bug spray

You can find numerous high-quality bed bug sprays on the market. A good quality bed bug spray offers you protection from bed bugs for several weeks. Bed bug sprays are made of active ingredients that are proven to repel or kill bed bugs.