Have you been observing bedbugs in leather shoes lately? Know all about it by reading this short yet detailed article with some go-to remedies.
Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown insects that thrive on the blood of animals or humans. They are a huge nuisance and can infest your furniture, clothes, and upholstery. They usually come out during nighttime and bite, giving red rashes on the skin. Travel is one of the most common causes of bedbugs as they easily hitchhike on people, clothing, luggage, or other personal belongings. You usually never realize that you have a bedbug infestation until they start biting you and have spread in your furniture. Bedbugs typically hide in tight, secluded, and dark places but can also live on your clothes, making them even more challenging to get rid of.
Reasons for Bedbugs in The Home
Bedbug infestation is not an uncommon thing, and it is essential to maintain the house well to avoid a huge bedbug infestation. As mentioned earlier too, the primary cause of bedbugs is travel. They can easily travel from one place to another by hitchhiking on the luggage, purses, or bags made with soft or upholstered materials. Besides, it is easy for bedbugs to move within apartments, especially the ones covered with carpets. It is also a common thing for bedbugs to travel with clothes. Another reason for bedbug infestation is second-hand furniture. Always check second-hand or rented furniture thoroughly before you move anything inside your home.
Can Bedbugs Survive on Leather Shoes?
Even though the name suggests that they are found on the beds or mattresses, bedbugs can find their way and hide in your clothes, carpets, furniture, and even shoes. They can infest the shoes if they are not being used regularly or are close to where the bedbug infestation has happened, i.e., near the beds or couches. They try to find fabric material, making them easier to move and lay eggs.
Although they can stay in shoes, surviving on leather shoes is not easy for bedbugs. The material makes it difficult for them to stick and lay legs and move. This makes them more vulnerable and easy to spot.
Saying this, if you use the shoes often and do not let them stay in one place for months without cleaning, the bedbugs won’t remain in the shoes, especially the leather ones and will probably get crushed as soon as you wear them.
As a precautionary measure, you can also try placing your shoes in plastic boxes or wrapping them with plastic if you don’t plan to use them soon. This will prevent bedbugs from reaching the shoes.
DIY Remedies To Get Rid Of Bedbugs
1. Vacuum
If you spot a bedbug infestation, the first measure should be to vacuum the whole house. This includes all the couches, boxes, shelves, mattresses, and other nooks and corners of the furniture.
2. Wash The Clothes With Hot Water
Laundry all the clothes, bedsheets, and other fabrics in hot water. Steam them in a dryer to get rid of the bedbugs. A sudden change in temperature will cause the bedbugs to move away or die.
3. Heat Treatment
You can try some topical treatment by using hair dryers, keeping them in the hottest setting for killing the bedbugs and their eggs. This can be useful for couches, which cannot be washed but is effective for a small area, and need precautions in terms of temperature settings to avoid burning.
4. Cold Treatment
Wrap the clothes and other fabrics, such as fabric shoes, in a plastic bag, and deep freeze them for at least a day. This will help get rid of bedbugs.
5. Borax
A popular cleaning ingredient, borax, can kill bedbugs by suffocating them. Sprinkle a generous amount of borax over infested places and let the bedbugs die of suffocation. Make sure you properly vacuum the borax afterward because it is toxic and should not be inhaled too much or ingested.
6. Rubbing Alcohol
Another treatment for killing bedbugs is rubbing alcohol. It can instantly kill bedbugs but should be used with caution because of its high flammability.
7. Tea Tree Oil
Make your own DIY spray to get rid of bedbugs. Take undiluted tea tree oil and water in a 1:1 ratio and spray over the infected areas. It is a natural way of getting rid of bedbugs.
8. Lavender and Peppermint Oil
Similar to tea tree oil, lavender and peppermint oil are also effective in treating bedbugs. Mix some lavender oil, peppermint oil, and water to create a DIY spray and sprinkle it over the furniture, mattresses, clothes, shoes, etc.
9. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth effectively treats bedbugs as it removes all the moisture from their body, thereby killing the bedbugs and suffocating them. However, they do need more extended periods to work and hence might not be suitable for use everywhere, but it helps seal the bedbugs coming from cracks. Sprinkle this powder over the infested area for about two weeks. This will prevent the bedbugs from moving and kill them.
While these home remedies effectively treat a bedbug infestation, one should call for professional help if the infestation is not reducing. Also, some home remedies might affect the fabric on which they are being used; hence try doing a patch test before you try them out.
Precautions To Avoid Bedbug Infestation
- Keep your house clutter-free, vacuuming occasionally and keeping it generally clean and hygienic. Try to deep clean your house every few months to avoid any kind of bug infestation.
- Always wash your laundry and clean your suitcases immediately after coming back from travel.
- Seal any cracks or openings to avoid bedbugs from entering.
- Try not to store anything below your beds.
Now that you know that bedbugs can live in leather shoes and quick ways to get rid of them in general, try any of these remedies to keep bed bugs at bay!
