Can Termites Get in Your Bed? & How to Get Rid of Them?

Imagine that you come home tired from work and take some rest on your bed and only then you can see a swarm of termites passing by you.

Since termites love cellulose, they can damage not only the wooden bed but also your expensive bedsheets and cotton mattresses. Because such fabrics which contain cellulose are prone to termite damage. Such as cotton, flax, hemp, ramie, jute, and rayon.

Although termites are not harmful to humans, they still have the ability to bite humans. But their sting is exactly like the sting of a mosquito, which disappears in a day or two.

You may see a slight red mark or bumpy red mark at the place of the sting, which may cause itching.

If you have a termite infestation on your bed, then I will not suggest at all that you sleep on the bed. Because termites will not let you sleep peacefully.

But if you do not treat it on time, it will infest the other furniture and structure of your entire house.

Now you will be thinking, how you can get rid of termites in your bed?

In this article, I will share with you the most common signs of termites on the bed. And some of the best effective natural methods that will help you to get rid of termites from your bed.

Also, you will get to know important tips about how you can protect your bed from termites.

Signs of Termites on Bed, Mattress or Bedsheet:

I will tell you two types of signs here, first those you will see on your wooden bed and secondly those you will see on your mattresses and bedsheets. These signs will help you spot a termite infestation on your bed.

Loose Falling Wood From Bed:

Termites suck cellulose during they munch the wood of your bed. It causes your wooden bed to get hollow out from inside.

In the beginning, you may not see the infestation because they are hidden inside the wood, and by the time you realize it, it has eaten up a lot of cellulose and damage can be seen as the loose falling wood of your bed.

Hollow Sounding Wooden Bed:

Whenever a termite infestation occurs on your bed, it eats all the cellulose of the wood inside, which reduces the strength of the wood. And it causes a hollow sound on the ply of the bed when you tap on it.

Water Bubbles on Ply of Bed:

The place where the termites infest, they retain moisture there through their excreta. Because termites cannot survive without moisture. Due to the moisture in the infested area, you see water bubbles appearing on the ply of your bed.

Pinholes on Bedsheet or Mattress:

As I mentioned earlier, termites not only eat wood but can also infest your bedsheets and mattresses. Because cotton, rayon, ramie, jute, flax, and hemp are some of the fabrics in which cellulose is found. And termites love eating cellulose.

When termites start sucking cellulose out of these, you may start to see tiny holes in your bed sheets or mattresses. These holes are called pinholes in the language of pest control.

Discarded Wings on Bedsheet or Mattress:

When space and food become less available in the existing colony, the adult termites come out in search of the new colony and they also do mating at that time. During this process, they discard their wings.

If you see tiny discarded wings on your bedsheet, it could be termites. In such a situation, it is not necessary that the termites are in your wooden bed or in the bedsheet or mattress. It can also be on the walls or ceiling of your house from where it can infest your bed.

Sawdust Mounds on Bedsheet or Mattress:

Since termites have wood particles in their stomach, their excreta also looks like sawdust when it gets deposited in one place. In such a situation, you may see small sawdust mounds on your bed sheets or mattresses.

Termites never attack directly on bed sheets or mattresses. First, they may attack your wooden bed, walls, ceiling, or old cardboard or trash lying in the room.

So it is very important to know from where the termites are spreading on your bed.

Now if you get any of these signs, then make sure that your bed is infested with termites. Now I will tell you how you can get rid of it effectively with the help of natural methods.

Natural Methods to Get Rid of Termites from Bed:

If the infestations are in your wooden bed or on a mattress or bedsheet, you can easily get rid of them naturally so now let’s get to know some natural methods.

Sunlight:

Termites thrive in moisture and sunlight is the best natural method for eliminating moisture. Whenever you see signs of termites on the bedsheet or mattress or wooden bed, then immediately keep it in the sunlight and leave it there for at least 4-5 hours.

This method will only work if the termite infestation is only in your bed. If it has spread to the rest of the furniture or walls or ceiling then cannot prevent termites from coming back to your bed.

Vinegar:

Many people are confused about whether vinegar works on termites or not? Let me tell you that, only vinegar that contains acetic acid works on termites. And acetic acid is found in white vinegar.

Normally consumable white vinegar contains 3-4% acetic acid whereas to kill termites you have to use white vinegar with at least 15% – 20% acetic acid which is only meant for cleaning purposes and you can’t consume that. This cleaning white vinegar is easily available online on Amazon.

To use the white vinegar on termites, you just have to take half a cup vinegar and two lemon juice, mix it well and spray it on the infested area.

Sodium Borate or Borax Powder:

Borax powder is used for laundry, a type of boric acid is found in it, which is a great weapon to kill termites. You can also use it as the vinegar method or you can sprinkle the borax powder directly on the infested area. This method also works in the same way as Vinegar.

Orange Oil:

Orange oil has a d-limonene content which is helpful in eliminating termites. The d-limonene content of orange oil acts in such a way that it draws moisture out of the termite’s body, which leads to the termite’s eath. You can directly spray it on the infested areas.

There is a Howard orange oil that can be used on the wooden surface of the bed. I recommend you this because it does not dry the wood finish of your bed and eliminate termites effectively. Also, you can use it on bedsheets and mattresses.

What is The Best Way to Get Rid of Termites from Bed?

Now you must be thinking that out of all these natural methods, which is the best way. So I would say that white vinegar, borax powder, and orange oil are the best ways to get the termites out of your bed. Because you can use these three on your wooden bed as well as on mattresses and bedsheets.

But we cannot avoid sunlight, if you do not have sunlight in your house, then I would recommend that you must keep a dehumidifier, otherwise the risk of termite infestation will always remain in your house.

How to stop termites from coming back to the bed?

Here I will tell you that if you have removed termites from your bed or have bought your new bed and you want that termites do not come on it, then I will tell you some ways so that termites will never come to your bed.

Keep your Bed/Mattress/Bedsheet away from moisture:

Termites only thrive in moisture if you have brought a new bed and accidentally got it wet, then put it in the sunlight at the same time or you can spray the vinegar solution on the wet surface.

Keep the bed away from the damp walls:

Very often it is seen that termites come most on damped walls and if your bed is adjacent to that damp wall then it can spread on your bed as well.

Do not keep old cardboard, newspaper or trash around the bed:

Whenever you keep old trash, cardboard, or old newspaper around your bed, then the chances of termites coming are the highest. Try to keep this kind of stuff away from your bed and keep the bed as clean as possible.

Use a dehumidifier in your home:

There is the highest termite risk during the rainy season or in homes where there is no sunlight. A dehumidifier keeps your entire home away from moisture and termites and also other moisture-borne problems.

Wash bedsheets in borax powder:

The borax powder contains boric acid which is one of the best natural termite repellants. When you wash your bedsheets with it, the risk of termites getting on bed sheets or mattresses is greatly reduced.

Conclusion:

Whenever termites are seen on your bed, mattresses, or bedsheets, then treat them immediately because this is such a bug that spreads very fast. And you will not even know when it has damaged the other expensive furniture in your house.

I would suggest that you do not use any chemical repellants on your bed, mattress, or bedsheet as they can spoil your expensive wooden bed. All the natural methods mentioned in this article are very effective and safe, you can use them.