(and bed bug eggs), but only if it makes direct contact with them. 1. Before you go to bed, you could spray yourself with a tea tree oil solution in each area of open skin, and see if it makes a difference. Use of scents bed bugs hate appears to be the only strategy that consistently discourages them from your home. According to a paper in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, theyre similar to traps, but they actively draw bed bugs in. Vicks also has a lotion that you can use, however, its very toned down from the original version. Any essential oils should be placed in sachets and tied to your doors, windows, and dresser. The heat and fragrance from Vicks are sufficient to keep bed bugs away from your skin and keep them from biting you. You wont be able to achieve these extremes with a home freezer. Products containing tea tree oil, peppermint oil, or other essential oils have been widely reported to prevent bed bugs bites. So, while their bites might swell up and itch terribly, other people will hardly react at all. Tea tree oil has a nicer smell than rubbing alcohol and far less flammable. But what about the cold? Do Butterflies Like Hibiscus? Pure essential oils can cause skin irritation, so you will need to dilute them with water before you put them on your body. This will help prevent a skin infection and help reduce itchiness. Consumers are told that placing used tea bags throughout their homes and attempting to cover bedding and any open cracks can help eliminate both bed . One common household product that will do that for you is dish soap: mix in a drop as youre making your spray and the oil should disperse in the water. Therefore,it may help to prevent bed bugs from biting you as you sleep. Active menthol and a strong scent from Vicks Vaporub repel bedbugs. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. The more mess thats on the floor, the better it is for a bed bug. Rubbing Alcohol. If the bites itch, apply a corticosteroid cream to the bites. No matter what you do, they keep coming and keep biting. In bed bugs, the scent of vinegar overwhelms their nervous . They arent going to run scared, or move out. Symptoms. The bed bug, which most times is also seeking warmth, signifies that you are producing heat. One thing bed bugs don't like, is strong, minty odors. What it will do is act as a more effective deterrent than Vicks Vapor Rub. White vinegar is a cheaper and more effective alternative to essential oils when repelling bugs. Coconut oil can be an effective natural bed bug repellent, and is gentler on the skin than essential oils or rubbing alcohol. Vicks VapoRub for Bed Bugs. They have been bitten; its just that you cant see the bites. 1 The bite from a bed bug can cause a bed bug rash which is an allergic reaction that makes the surrounding area inflamed, red, and itchy. Give it a go, and theres a small chance that it might have an effect. Of course, this isnt going to stop them from biting completely. , ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs. Unfortunately, bedbugs consume human blood for their food. As mentioned, Vicks has a satisfying effect in repelling these vampires, but does Vicks vapor rub kill bed bugs? For people with a mild bed bug infestation, natural remedies may be enough to stop bed bugs from biting. Bed bug traps are small containers that bed bugs can climb into, but cant climb out of. If you apply spray after spray, week after week, your mattress or furniture will become more and more flammable over time. By wrapping yourself in sheets and comforters, you make it so that the bed bug cant get to your skin in the first place. Homemade bed bug repellents include natural essential oils, rubbing alcohol, coconut oil, Vicks vaporub, and white vinegar. For the best results, wash the sheets using tea tree oil . Deet is the common ingredient found in bug sprays and its part of what gives bug sprays their strange scent. When applied, menthol feels cool and has a minty smell. Human skin naturally emits a scent called sweat. By vacuuming every week, you will stop the majority of bed bugs ever reaching the point where they might be able to breed. Tuck the pajama shirt into the elastic waist of the pants, so that they cant get in that way, either. Alternatively, you could use thinner sheets, so that they dont keep you warm, but they do keep you wrapped up. Thats why we advise something safer. By dragging the mattress through the rest of your house, youre making the problem much worse. 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. Aside from killing bed bugs, it also stops them from being able to move around as theyd like to. Now, bed bugs are cold-blooded, which means they dont create their own body heat. You don't have to rub it all over so just focus on dabbing it on your ankles, wrists, neck, and inner elbows. 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. You can buy an encasement for this if there are bed bugs in here, too. The idea here is to physically prevent the bed bugs from being able to reach you. By contrast, decongestant tablets and nasal . Rubbing alcohol does kill bed bugs, but it has drawbacks. 1. Examine your sheets. These bed bugs will re-infest your new mattress as soon as they can walk there. Mosquito Repellent Plants. You might not be able to get a good nights sleep if you have bed bugs. For ideal cough suppression, rub some Vicks VapoRub on the chest and neck, place a warm, dry cloth over the head while positioning yourself in an upright or standing pose. Getting a new mattress only makes sense on the surface, because its worse than useless in reality. The second is to physically prevent them from being able to reach you, try as they might. Theyre just going to head somewhere else. Vicks Vapor Rubs potential for toxicity, Swelling in the throat, constricting your ability to breathe, Turn on the vacuum and suck the air out of the plastic-covered pillows and mattress until they are fully compressed, Seal it immediately after withdrawing the vacuum hose. While most bugs arent exactly cuddly, keeping them as pets lets us learn so much and get closer to the insect world. The same applies at the other end of the scale, in that you need genuinely extreme cold temperatures to kill a bed bug. This will stop them from getting in that way. Does Vicks Rub Stop Bed Bug Bites? 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. To apply Vicks VapoRub to a mosquito or other itchy insect bite, wash your hands thoroughly, then clean and dry the area around the bite as well. Regularly vacuuming your mattress and bed frames is a simple way to reduce a large number of visible adult bed bugs on the surface. This might seem disgusting, but the alternative is to spread bed bugs around your home, which is a terrible choice. Homemade bed bug repellents include natural essential oils, rubbing alcohol, coconut oil, Vicks vaporub, and white vinegar. Apply the rubbing alcohol to exposed areas of your skin before you go to sleep to keep bed bugs away. Thats why you might be covered from head to toe in itchy red bites, while your partner looks untouched. Bed bugs can detect us because of the carbon dioxide we exhale. To wash your bedding, follow the following guidelines: The point of this procedurerather than just picking up the bedding and taking it straight to the machineis to stop any bed bugs from being spread around your house. Most people apply Vicks to their bodies to ease congestion or joint pain. But without this outer layer, theyll very quickly dry out. But you must keep in mind that you need to apply a generous amount of Vicks VapoRub on the bite prone areas of your body. To know more, you can read our post about what to put on your body to prevent bed bug bites. Vicks and bed bugs. These have been formulated using the most insecticidal essential oils plus other ingredients to ensure a high kill rate (as high as 90% in some cases). Putting a bed bug through a washing cycle will kill themso, any bed bugs caught up in your bedding when you wash it will be killed. So how can you actually stop them? Does Leaving the Light on Deter Bed Bugs? Enjoy the website! Bed bugs are naturally averse to some of the potent odors and chemicals in Vick's Vapor Rub, specifically, the camphor smell culled front eh eucalyptus oil, menthol, and thymol.Does Vicks help bed bugs? The problem with the spraying method is that oil doesnt mix well with water, so you wont get a good spread across the mattress. Now, this might be uncomfortable in the heat of summer. Compared to Vicks Vaporub, these products are more effective and last longer. Your neck, shoulders, undersides of the knees, and soles of feet are some of the areas. Does Vicks rubbing stop bed bug bites? Not only does it seem to be a time-consuming process but also a messy one likely to yield minimal results. Using Vicks VapoRub on areas prone to bed bug bites, such as the neck, knees, lower back, belly, and elbows, can help you avoid getting bed bugs. Non-homemade chemical products are formulated using insecticides like DEET and typically have stronger bed bug repellent properties. I caught them in a hotel while on vacation. The reason is that it doesnt last very long and it doesnt address the underlying issue by actively killing bed bugs. Thats because its toxic on contact (which is why many people will get a rash if they apply tea tree oil neat). Itchy. 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)! There are plenty of products you can put on your body that repels bed bugs and prevent bed bug bites. Again, theres often water inside that theyll drown in. These each contributes to its unique and distinctive scent. The following components are also highly potent and can be found in Vicks Vaporub: thymol, nutmeg, turpentine oil, camphor, eucalyptus, and cedar leaf oil. If they smear or spread, they are likely bed bug excrement. Treating your bed with Vicks: Reasonable or not? You want a nice, even spread across your skin. Remember that even though you do not eat in bed, your sheets will be dirty with grime and dead skin cells, which roaches love! by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) last updated - February 11, 2020. There is a such thing as too much of a good thing. Bedbug bites are usually: Inflamed spots, often with a darker spot in the middle. Another all-natural approach to stop bed bugs from biting is dryer sheets. If theres one thing a bed bug cant stand, its the smell of Vicks vaporub. Soothes Mosquito and Bug Bites. Headache - To soothe a headache, apply a layer of Vicks under the nose and allow it to sit for some time. It contains several essential oils on its own, including eucalyptus oil, turpentine oil, and cedar leaf oil. They can hide underneath nearby furniture rather than under the mattress, of course, but in combination with traps around the feet of your bed they wouldnt be able to climb up. Why it works: Vicks VapoRub contains cedarleaf oil, which is a natural insect repellant. The number of bed bug bites youre getting per night is a good indicator of how large your infestation is. Strong scents are repulsive to bed bugs, and will stay away from them. So, rubbing alcohol is an ineffective way to eliminate a bed bug infestation. Vicks VapoRub a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest doesn't relieve nasal congestion. Step#4 - Wear Clothes That Covers Almost All Your Body To Prevent Bed Bug Bites. Lavender repels flies, moths, and mosquitoes. 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. All rights reserved. Vicks can also relieve itching from bug bites, for instance, mosquito bites. Are Bed Bugs Worse in the Summer or Winter Months? Bed bugs hide in your bed frame and the seams of your mattress during the day, and only come out at night to get a blood meal. Then try . What gives? Does Vicks Rubbing Stop Bed Bug Bites. Bed bug control can be a long and intensive process, and bed bug infestations often require drastic treatment. Do Natural Remedies Get Rid of Bed Bugs Permanently? Unfortunately, the stuff stinks even worse indoors than it does when you spray it on outside, around the BBQ. Preventing bites is important, if to give yourself a little respite as you try and deal with your bed bug infestation. Using Vicks VapoRub may help relieve cough and congestion. Vicks doesn't persist long enough to be effective as a repellent. Take the mattress outside, and remove the mattress encasement. . Move the bags out carefully to prevent spreading bed bugs to additional rooms. Categories: Articles, Videos. However, Vick's is more of a preventative, keeping bed bugs away rather than destroying them or affecting their eggs, both of which need to be done. : Reasonable or not ( BASc, BFA ) last updated - February,... 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