To treat bed bug bites: Wash the bites with soap and water. Make several passes over your furniture using the steam machine. Vinegar is an acetic acid, which means that while it has very mild acidic properties, it contains a powerful scent and is still capable of corrosion. Rosemary can be burned, and the smoke will help repel mosquitoes. Vicks Vapor Rub repels bedbugs, but only temporarily. Eventually, you dont have enough energy stores left to keep yourself warm. Its a myth that bed bugs prefer living in dirty homes, or somehow prefer infesting poor peoples homes rather than rich peoples homes. Basil is said to be toxic to mosquito larvae. Then, take it back inside. All they can bite are open patches of skin. Lots of essential oils have insecticidal activity. All rights reserved. If you buy a mattress encasement, it doesnt matter how infested the mattress itself is. But according to the Journal of Economic Entomology, it has to be at least 8 degrees or lower to kill bed bugs consistently, and of course, it has to stay at or below that temperature for at least a few days. You can also spray it around your bed to help keep bed bugs away. This means you can use it as part of a clever strategy to kill them, or at least stop them from feeding: place small piles of the stuff around each of the legs of your bed. The active ingredients in Vicks VapoRub are supposed to help open your airways, suppress coughs and reduce pain where theyre applied; but VapoRub also has several other purported uses, including: And, most importantly for us, repelling insects. Tea tree oil has a nicer smell than rubbing alcohol and far less flammable. The number of bed bug bites youre getting per night is a good indicator of how large your infestation is. Treating your bed with Vicks Vapor Rub would probably end up irritating you more than it would deter the bed bugs. A good insect repellent should have a long enough life span to keep insects away continuously. The problem is that bed bugs are more than happy to bite you all over and you cant apply Vicks Vapor Rub all over the body. However, does Vicks rubbing stop bed bug bites? It is said that black walnut tea offers bed bug repellent properties. One known scent that repels bed bugs is the pheromones secreted by the nymphs, or baby bed bugs. To use a steam machine effectively, you should: This works on furniture, but it can work on mattresses too. Preventing bites is important, if to give yourself a little respite as you try and deal with your bed bug infestation. They won't die or disappear. However, what they do like is for your bedroom, specifically, to be messy. The dirt will attract other bugs. Check these out! The biggest drawback of Vicks Vapor Rub, aside from the fact that its not lethal to bed bugs, is it doesnt last long as a deterrent either. Headache - To soothe a headache, apply a layer of Vicks under the nose and allow it to sit for some time. Stephanie is fond of doing all backyard-related work at her home. To deal with your bed bug problem, you have to try to kill every single one. Here are 5 natural products that you can apply directly to your skin to prevent bed bug bites. There are natural insecticides that bed bugs hate. Deet is the common ingredient found in bug sprays and its part of what gives bug sprays their strange scent. No doubt youve tried a few things alreadybut what works, and what doesnt? (How to Use it? The heat and fragrance from Vicks are sufficient to keep bed bugs away from your skin and keep them from biting you. Rubbing alcohol is proven to kill bed bugs (and bed bug eggs), but only if it makes direct contact with them. Bed bug traps are small containers that bed bugs can climb into, but cant climb out of. White vinegar is a cheaper and more effective alternative to essential oils when repelling bugs. Your email address will not be published*. If there's one thing a bed bug can't stand, it's the smell of Vicks vaporub. Tuck the pajama shirt into the elastic waist of the pants, so that they cant get in that way, either. Maybe there are just two or three bed bugs; or perhaps its too cold or too dry for them to feed, digest and mate effectively. There are much better ways to both prevent and kill bed bugs. For more years than I can remember, I've had an allergy to . Black Walnut Tea. Just gently massage a little bit of vicks into your aching muscles and feel the pain disappear. If you have three or more bites each night, then your infestation will be 30 or more bed bugs. Vicks Vapor rub matches that description and is potent enough to drive bed bugs away. 2 /9. Strong scents are repulsive to bed bugs, and will stay away from them. You must have heard about Vicks Vaporub Mosquito Repellent, but you might not know its soothing properties. Theres no guarantee that the bed bugs cant get out by climbing back up the hose again, and coming back to pester you. Lavender, rosemary, citronella, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils work the best. However, be aware that theyll choose to feed on any open patch of skin they can find. They Do), Do Butterflies Like Roses? Bed bugs are naturally averse to some of the potent odors and chemicals in Vicks Vapor Rub, specifically, the camphor smell culled front eh eucalyptus oil, menthol, and thymol. They were practically unheard of for a few decades, and when they did rear their ugly heads, exterminators would use DDT and other similarly harmful pesticides to kill them. Bedbugs will be repelled by the mixture of different scents in Vicks Vaporub. Simply smooth coconut oil onto exposed areas of skin before you sleep to keep the bed bugs away (but be aware; coconut oil can cause acne if applied directly to the face)! They feed for about 3-10 minutes and their bodies swell and become bright red. Human blood is the main food source for bedbugs, especially at night. Any lotion that contains essential oils like lavender, peppermint, tea tree, or eucalyptus will smell bad to bed bugs. As you pick it up and move it, theyll almost all try and scatter: finding somewhere new thats safe to hide. If you wish to prevent bedbugs from biting you, its good to note that Vick Vaporub only provides a very short-term remedy. There are bed bugs and many other bugs that are repelled by the smell of vicks vaporub. However, also like Vicks, they dont actively kill bed bugs, at least not so far as killing them all the way to the source. Alternatively, you could pick one of many commercially available sprays. The higher the temperature, the quicker theyll die; higher temperatures are also necessary to heat the insides of mattresses, sofas, and other furniture where they might be able to escape the rising heat. A great alternative to vacuum cleaning is to use a steam cleaner, which well talk about later. Even though it contains mint, Vicks is not intended to be known as a general bug repellent. Heres why. The following components are also highly potent and can be found in Vicks Vaporub: thymol, nutmeg, turpentine oil, camphor, eucalyptus, and cedar leaf oil. Vicks VapoRub ingredients are safe because they are designed to be applied to the body. 2. Application. If you do want to give it a go, it cant possibly hurt. By contrast, just two or three bed bugs will feed far more frequently during the summer. If you use essential oils to avoid bed bug bites, it is important to apply them to your body safely. According to a paper in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, theyre similar to traps, but they actively draw bed bugs in. The following steps can help keep bed bugs away: 1. Now, bed bugs are cold-blooded, which means they dont create their own body heat. Human blood is the main food source for bedbugs, especially at night. 1. These, too, are natural and effective but they can also be quite expensive. If you have a severe bed bug infestation and homemade bed bug repellent isnt enough to prevent bites, chemical products may be your only option. Signs and Symptoms of Bed Bug Bites. Lets examine a few; Bed bugs like cluttered areas where they can hide during the day and then surface at night to bite you. The itch will subside in a few days, and the red bumps disappear in one to two weeks, per the Nemours Foundation . Most people gather their dirty clothes in one corner in a washing basket. Bed bugs thrive in cluttered homes, so make sure to keep your home clean and organized at all times. Adult bed bugs are about 1/4 of an inch long, have flat, rusty-red-colored oval bodies, and look like an apple seed. For people with a mild bed bug infestation, natural remedies may be enough to stop bed bugs from biting. If you already have an encasement, this will prevent the other bed bugs from around the room being able to reach you without coming through the diatomaceous earth first. Which you choose is up to you, and doesnt matter for this purposebut what is essential is that you dilute it with something. Finally, loosen anything worn around the chest and throat so that the vapors can rise up into the nasal cavity without obstruction. Apply a cold compress or ice pack wrapped in cloth for not longer than 20 minutes, and wait at least an hour before reapplying. While cedar leaf and the other Vicks components are potent enough to repel bed bugs, they are not strong enough to kill them. Bed bugs are known to hate essential oils, and the strong, White vinegar has a strong, acidic smell that bed bugs hate, so its a popular homemade bed bug repellent. Even though youre supposed to be able to use Vicks to rub into sore muscle areas, some people are subject to a variety of negative reactions to it. However, bed bugs hate vinegar for different reasons than they hate lavender or mint. Is Vicks good for bed bug bites? Eucalyptus is the primary essential oil that bed bugs hate the most but they also strongly dislike peppermint essential oils and lavender essential oils. Tea tree oil and tea tree oil sprays work on direct contact, so if you can directly hit any bed bugs, theyre likely to die. Symptoms. . Bedbugs are usually attracted to the smell of carbon dioxide because it implies the presence of a living host. So why not give it a Hi, my name is Steve Pure essential oils can cause skin irritation, so you will need to dilute them with water before you put them on your body. While Vicks Vapor Rub is a good idea for prevention, thats all it will ever be. Does Vicks rubbing stop bed bug bites? It's useful as a disinfectant and may help prevent infections from mosquito bites if applied right away. However, keep the zipper shut, and it doesnt matter if it takes that long anyway. Vicks VapoRub has been used to treat . Vicks Vapor Rub preceded the essential oils industry by a long shot. It means that the infestation is manageable. Buy a mattress encasement and put it on your mattress before you take it outside. Vicks VapoRub is a common home remedy used to alleviate certain foot conditions, including athlete's foot. You dont want to just focus on the bed frame, the mattress, or the surrounding areas on an individual basis. If you dont have access to most of the suggested remedies, you should try Vicks Vaporub. The third is the simplest: killing them. Active menthol and a strong scent from Vicks Vaporub repel bedbugs. It keeps control of the underlying inflammatory reaction of the skin. Bed bug bites can look like bites from other insects (such as mosquitoes or chiggers), rashes (such as eczema or fungal infections), or even hives. Its largely a myth. (And Wind Chimes). if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'yardpit_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_3',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-yardpit_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');At least once or twice a week, launder your clothes and bedding in high temperatures. Tie the bag up again, and put it in a garbage can outside. If you use it on yourself to ward off bed bugs for the night, you should only use tiny amounts sporadically over your body. What can I spray I bed sheets to keep them away ? She often shares practical tips and friendly expert advice on everything relating to home and yard on this blog. Vicks can repel bed bugs but there are more effective ways of controlling their spread and infestation. This will stop them from getting in that way. Bed bugs are attracted by many things that you might not expect. They also manufacture a lemon scent, and a no mess VapoStick. If they hide inside your clothes and belongings, this increases the chance of you spreading them around your home. Whether any essential oil is potent enough to kill bed bugs is still up for debate, but applying essential oils to your body might stop bed bugs from biting you. The finer the mist, the better the results will be. Its important to wipe away the scent of bed bugs, because bed bugs use scent to communicate and find their way around. Its usually covered at least on top by a sheet of cloth, and often has wheels so that you can move it around. If it's too late to prevent mosquito bites, rubbing VapoRub on the bumps will also . VapoRub is also effective against bed bugs, which it treats not only coughs and colds. They arent going to run scared, or move out. You can buy an encasement for this if there are bed bugs in here, too. 12 Surprising Home Remedies to Prevent Bed Bugs. Ensure that places where you typically rest, like your bed at night, dont harbor bed bugs. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'yardpit_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-yardpit_com-banner-1-0'); Here are the top scents that will keep bed bugs away: Many plants and fruits naturally contain linalool, commonly used commercially in making various pesticides. Rubbing alcohol does kill bed bugs, but it has drawbacks. Take the bag through to the laundry room, and place it inside the drum of the washing machine. They also use scents to mark their trails, so they can find their way around. Wash your bed sheets and other bedding in high temperatures settings (40 - 50C) at least once a week to eliminate all nymphs and adult bed bugs. This is because many essential oils are natural insecticides, and will make bed bugs flee the scene. The strong aroma of menthol turns off most insects. One of the scents that attract bedbugs is of dirty laundry. By wrapping yourself in sheets and comforters, you make it so that the bed bug cant get to your skin in the first place. Vicks and bed bugs. While most bugs arent exactly cuddly, keeping them as pets lets us learn so much and get closer to the insect world. Can Bees and Wasps Sting After it is Dead? Nose and allow it to sit for some time the steam machine elastic waist of the that... Underlying inflammatory reaction of the underlying inflammatory does vicks rubbing stop bed bug bites of the scents that attract bedbugs is of dirty laundry at.. S foot oval bodies, and will make bed bugs use scent to communicate and their. 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