July 27, 2021

Bed Bug Bully Review – An Expert Analysis

Bed Bug Bully is a 100% natural liquid form spray that has received some good reviews from online users.

We are always on the lookout for quality pest control solutions, and our interest was definitely piqued by the manufacturer’s declarations that Bed Bug Bully is ”the most effective bed bug removal treatment on the market today”.

It’s certainly a big claim, especially because everyone knows that bed bug infestations can be incredibly difficult to eradicate.

But here at Pest Resources, we like a product that dreams big, and so we decided to take this one for a test ride.

Read on for our in-depth Bed Bug Bully review and product analysis, and to see how it measures up against the competition.

Pest Resources Expert Rating:

“Bed Bug Bully seemed to do a good job during testing, but the jury is still out on whether it is truly a reliable weapon for pest control. 3.5 stars.”

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To explain this rating, here is our in-depth Bed Bug Bully review…

How does Bed Bug Bully work?

The manufacturers claim that this product, Bed Bug Bully, kills both adult bugs and nymphs using an all-natural spray made from plant oils with no toxic effects on humans.

They list a number of endorsements, from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Wall Street Journal, citing research into effectiveness conducted by Harvard and Rutgers Universities.

So did those claims hold water?

The product essentially eradicates bed bugs in two different ways:

First, it attacks bed bugs’ neurotransmitters and stops them from eating and breeding.
Second, it causes a dehydration plague which also stops them breeding and even makes them eat each other.

Where the issue lies, however, is that bed bugs rarely wander around in the open for you to just spray them at will. Furthermore, bed bugs have the capacity to lay 500 eggs during their approximately one year life, so any that remain hidden can quickly replace those ones you managed to spot and spray. As this product has no effect at all on eggs, even if you manage to kill all the live bugs, you will still need to detect and destroy all the eggs if you don’t want your bed bugs problem to just come back.

Where the criticism may not be completely fair, however, is that the product does have a lingering effect that lasts for around a month. This means that it may have the potential to get rid of many more bed bugs than the initial ones you can see, especially if you repeat the treatment every few weeks.

What We Loved:

Completely non toxic formula
No lingering odor.
Effective at getting rid of both adult and nymph bed bugs.
Residual effect for up to a month.
Can be mixed with another cleaning product.
Can be used both indoors and outdoors.

What We Didn’t Love

Only effective when sprayed onto bugs directly.
Does not destroy eggs.
Treatment needs to be repeated regularly.

In a nutshell, this product seems to be reasonably effective in killing adult and nymph bed bugs and is very safe for both people and pets. However, it is only effective on bed bugs who come into direct contact with the spray. It is completely ineffective in destroying eggs and in killing bugs that are buried deep, so there is a big chance of future bed bug problems.

Specs and Key Features

Here are some of Bed Bug Bully’s features which you should take into account before making a purchase:

Easy-to-use spray system

One really positive thing about the Bed Bug Bully is that it is super easy to use. You can either spray it directly onto your bed frames and upholstery as a stand alone treatment, or you can mix it with other products.

We mixed it with our carpet shampooer to kill two birds (or bugs!) with one stone. Bed Bug Bully spray is totally chemical free and non-staining, so it’s safe to use on mattresses, box springs, bedsheets, carpets, curtains, and any other items that need treatment.

Made from 100% all natural ingredients

Like its popular rival, the Eco Defense bug spray, Bed Bug Bully’s active ingredients are all 100% natural oils which have no effects at all on people or pets.

Furthermore, while some other bed bug sprays have a harsh odor which is present for days after treatment, this product has only a very mild scent.

As you can see from this list of main ingredients, unlike the federal insecticide formulas of many liquid form bug sprays, Bed Bug Bully has no harsh chemicals.

Clove oil
Citronella oil
Mint Oil
Rosemary oil
Castor oil
Citric acid

Kills live bed bugs on contact

This product kills any adult and nymph-stage bed bugs which are directly sprayed. This can help to control the growth of a large infestation while you take further pest control steps.

30 day lingering effects

Bed Bug Bully lingers for around 30 days after spraying, so there is a high chance of other bed bugs coming into contact with the spray. The manufacturer recommends repeating treatment every week or so for the maximum effects.

Suitable to use inside and outside

BedBug Bully is effective inside the home and outside, which is useful because infestations can sometimes spread outside when under threat.

Additional Bed Bug Bully products available

There is also a Bed Bug Bully detergent available for ridding your items of bed bugs while at the same time keeping them clean and fresh. You can contact the manufacturer for a free sample.

In-Depth Review

In order to give you the best advice possible, we tested Bed Bug Bully in five key areas.

Company’s Standing
Scientific Evidence
Convenience
Safety
Effectiveness in Killing Bed Bugs

1. Company’s Standing

The manufacturer behind this product is a pest control company called Optimal Chemical Inc. There isn’t a huge amount of feedback or customer reviews on other websites, but there are some hotel chains which report to have been using their products successfully for the last decade or so.

Most of the information we found about the company came from Amazon reviews, and it wasn’t easy to find any other reliable consumer or independent accounts. However, that isn’t to say that there is anything to be suspicious of in terms of the company’s reputation. Just that more information is needed to make a fair judgement.

2. Scientific Evidence

This product uses only natural ingredients, which unlike traditional pesticides, are lethal to bed bugs but are totally safe for people, pets, clothing, and upholstery.

There are four natural oils which make up the active ingredients:

Clove oil
Citronella oil
Mint Oil
Rosemary oil

According to the website, these oils stop bed bugs from breeding by blocking their pheromone receptors. This leads to a decline in eggs which means that any bed bugs not killed by contact with the oil will eventually die anyway.

We have to point out that the effectiveness of these natural oils in bed bug extermination has been questioned by various studies, but there is some evidence of antibacterial benefits. However, there are many people who are very pleased with the results, so it may just be that more studies are needed.

3. Convenience

This product is super easy to use straight out of the packet. The spray bottle just requires a quick shake and then you can spray away to your heart’s content. We also liked the fact that we could mix it with standard cleaning products and save ourselves some time.

One issue that we did have with the product is that we left it in our cold garage and it got really cloudy and began to freeze, so make sure you keep it above 60F and you should be fine.

4. Safety

Bed Bug Bully is undoubtedly a very safe product and is 100% non toxic for people and pets. You can even use the spray on your clothes, sheets and mattress.

5. Effectiveness in Killing Bed Bugs

It’s difficult to give a decisive judgement on the effectiveness of Bed Bug Bully because there are so many mixed reviews. We definitely found that it had some positive effects during our testing, but a few people online definitely didn’t have the same experience.

As noted above, we weren’t able to find too much scientific evidence of the effectiveness of natural oils, or a huge amount of information about the company, and yet many online reviewers as well as ourselves found that the product helped to solve our bed bug problem.

It may be that more studies are needed to assess the results definitively, but overall we would definitely suggest giving this product a go.

How Does It Measure Up?

Perhaps the best way to judge Bud Beg Bully in lieu of scientific studies is by seeing how it measures up to other sprays on the market, namely EcoRaider Bed Bug Killer, and Harris Bed Bug Killer.

1. EcoRaider

The first thing we noticed when using EcoRaider’s bed bug killer is that unlike Bed Bug Bully, which was totally odorless, EcoRaider left a definite odor that stuck around the house for hours. This made it impractical for use before bed or when you need to be in the treatment area directly after spraying. However, EcoRaider has no dangerous chemicals, and its active ingredient geraniol is totally safe for humans and pets, so you don’t need to worry about coming into contact with it.

EcoRaider also required contact to kill bed bugs, but we have to say, we found it to be very effective in doing so. Like the Bed Bug Bully, EcoRaider’s spray left no stains on our bed sheets or upholstery, and also required repeated weekly treatments to keep our bed bug problem in check.

At a push, we would say that the EcoRaider was a touch more lethal than Bed Bug Bully. This is perhaps no surprise as geraniol is one of the few non toxic pesticides that has been proven to be effective against bed bugs.

2. The Harris

The first thing we immediately noticed with Harris’ spray is that, like the Bed Bug Killer, it had no odor at all. We were able to spray it directly onto our mattress and clothes and it left no staining at all.

The active ingredient in this bug spray is deltamethrin, which everyone in the pest business has long known is effective against bed bugs. Deltamethrin essentially attacks bed bug’s nervous systems on contact and also has a residual effect.

One issue with deltamethrin, however, is that it has been used for so long that bed bugs are actually developing immunity to it. While previously, it was pretty much a guarantee to eradicate your entire infestation, sure enough we found that there were still some bed bugs very much alive and kicking after treatment.

To Sum It Up…

While many people have had successful results, there is still a lot of research that needs doing into how effective it is at killing bed bugs.

To repeat our expert rating one more time…

“Bed Bug Bully seemed to do a good job during testing, but the jury is still out on whether it is truly a reliable weapon for pest control. 3.5 stars!”

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Finding the best means to kill bed bugs and prevent future infestations often takes a little trial and error, and different people find different solutions effective. If you have a serious bed bug infestation, you will lose nothing in giving Bed Bug Bully a shot!

Bed bug eradication often needs a more holistic approach, so if you are getting mixed results, try using it in conjunction with other bed bug treatments like a steamer or diatomaceous earth (just remember that diatomaceous earth should be used sparingly!)

Whatever works for you, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up all the eggs and dead bugs and make sure that you have both a sealed vacuum bag and an additional sealed bag to store the vacuum itself.

We hope this Bed Bug Bully review has been useful! Happy bug hunting, folks!