Things You'll Need
Rubbing alcohol
Vaseline
Nail polish
Tweezers
Paper towel tubes
Cotton balls
Permethrin
Vacuum
Odorless insecticide spray
Insecticide dust
Bed bugs and ticks are notoriously difficult to get rid of. However, the alternative is to simply allow them to infest your house and garden. You can take a step by step methodical approach to rid your home of these pesky creatures. A number of natural methods are available for getting rid of ticks and bed bugs, however, you may end up having to use insecticide in the end, which is the tried and tested method for removing the infestation.
Ticks
Step 1
Dab a small amount of rubbing alcohol on the ticks. If the tick does not release after a few minutes, use a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick at the skin level and pull until the tick is removed. Do not pull the tick from the back end or apply heat to it. This can force disease organisms into the wound. Place the tick in an alcohol solution to kill it. Vaseline or nail polish can be substituted to coat the tick before removing it with tweezers. Ensure that the head of the tick is removed at the same time.
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Step 2
Fill a few paper towel tubes with cotton balls dipped in permethrin around your yard. Mice will attempt to nest in the tubes and any ticks on the mice will ingest the permethrin and die. The mice will be unaffected by the chemical.
Step 3
Wash all bedding and clothes in hot water to eradicate ticks from your home. Steam clean rugs and sofas. Vacuum all floor areas.
Step 4
Use crack and crevice pesticide applications and treat under the edges of rugs and furniture to kill indoor ticks. Fogging for ticks is ineffective.
Step 5
Spray and dust kennels and outdoor resting areas using pesticides labeled for tick eradication treatment.
Bed Bugs
Step 1
Thoroughly vacuum baseboards, beneath area rugs and between carpeting and walls for bed bugs. Make sure to change the vacuum bag outside.
Step 2
Distribute a combination of odorless insecticide spray and insecticide dust over the areas vacuumed as well as mattresses and box springs. Use a general purpose spray, such as Suspend SC, which is water safe for fabrics, over all carpets and furniture. Use a solution such as Bedlam Insecticide on mattresses and stuffed toys. Dust any area small enough for bed bugs to enter and hide, including inside seams and joints of the bed frame.
Step 3
Steam clean your floors and carpets if possible. Extreme heat is the best method for killing bed bugs.
Step 4
Leave infested materials such as mattresses and linen out in the sun for a few hours. The heat of the sun can kill bed bugs and is a more natural method of eradication. However, insecticides are a more reliable solution.
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