Below are the most effective methods, from simplest to strongest.
1. Using Whole Cloves (Most Beginner-Friendly Method)
Whole cloves are easy to use and safe around children and pets.
Where to place them:
Along the edges of your mattress
In corners of the bed frame
Around the headboard
Inside dresser drawers
Behind baseboards (if there is a gap)
In suitcases, especially after travel
Along the skirting boards near the bed
How to do it:
Spread whole cloves generously around these areas.
Make small cloth sachets (even paper napkins tied with string work) and place them inside pillowcases or under the mattress.
Replace them every 7–10 days, as the smell fades.
What to expect:
Cloves will push bedbugs away from your sleeping area, making it harder for them to come near you at night. This is a repelling method, not a killing method.
2. Making Clove Powder Barriers
When you grind whole cloves into powder, their active oils become more intense.
How to prepare it:
Put whole cloves into a grinder or crush them manually.
Make a fine powder.
How to use it:
Sprinkle the powder in the seams of your mattress.
Apply a thin line of powder around the bed legs.
Dust cracks and crevices where bedbugs hide.
Tip: Bedbugs avoid walking through strong-smelling powder lines, slowing their movement and reducing activity around your bed.
3. Clove Oil Spray (Strongest and Most Effective Method)
If you have clove essential oil, you can create a natural spray that bedbugs strongly dislike.
You will need:
