Table of Contents
| CALAMINE LOTION W/ ZINC OXIDE |
| CINNAMON |
| DIATOMACEOUS EARTH |
| HAIR DRYER |
| MULTIPLE REMEDIES |
| REMEDIES NEEDED |
| SILICON DIOXIDE |
| SOAPY WATER SPRAY |
| WINTERGREEN ALCOHOL |
Bed Bug Remedies
"A bedbug (or bed bug) is a small nocturnal insect of the family Cimicidae that lives by hematophagy, that is by feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts.
The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is the best adapted to human environments. It is found in temperate climates throughout the world and has been known since ancient times. Other species include Cimex hemipterus, found in tropical regions (as well as Florida), which also infests poultry and bats, and Leptocimex boueti, found in the tropics of West Africa and South America, which infests bats and humans. Cimex pilosellus and Cimex pipistrella primarily infest bats, while Haematosiphon inodora, a species of North America, primarily infests poultry." (Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
CALAMINE LOTION W/ ZINC OXIDE
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[YEA] 04/06/2011: Stephanie from Toledo, Ohio: "I stayed at a hotel in New Orleans for a conference and was bitten by bed bugs all over my face, arms, legs, and chest. (We caught one and were able to take it to the front desk so it was definately bed bugs.) It took several days for the welts to appear, but when they did, they were bad. I looked on-line for 2 weeks to find help to reduce the swelling, redness, and itching. During those two weeks the bites continued to look and feel worse. I looked and felt terrible. I tried witch hazel, aloe, coconut oil, camphor, hydocortosone creme, antibiotic cream.. Nothing worked.
Someone mentioned Calamine lotion (make sure to get the one with Zinc Oxide in it) and within 24 hours of using it the swelling was gone, the redness was less than half of what it was, and it itching stopped. After 2 weeks the bites are finally healing instead of getting worse!!!! Thought I would share it here. Thank heavens we knew what happened and were able to treat our stuff with heat upon returning home so we didn't bring them home with us!!"
Replies[YEA] 11/28/2011: Daniel A from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "This is great stuff..!! The store brand worked wonders with just one application. Must use the calamine w/zinc oxide. My skin cleared overnight after having been bitten by bed bugs. To get rid of them I grinded some silica gel crystals (the kind that comes on cat litter) and powdered the whole apartment with a garden duster. The roaches in the kitchen died within a couple of hours. The bed bugs died also within a couple of weeks due to their habit to hide. Once the powder gets on them, they can't shake it off and it cuts their bodies and sucks all the water off of it. Once powdered they die in a couple of hours as promised. I recommend these two effective methods to anyone. The powder can be a hassle, and is like powder glass, so it may scratch you; but once the pests are gone, it is easily picked up with a vacuum cleaner."
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CINNAMON
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[YEA] 03/19/2011: Joan from Ferndale, Wa: "I sprinkle powdered cinnamon on my oatmeal every day, and include it in every recipe that it works with. The bedbugs don't bite me anymore. They have all died of starvation. I figured that if bedbugs hate cinnamon, then why not get it into me, to make it even more effective. It's tasty, and good for you, too. I ingested some cinnamon every day for about three months to totally get rid of the bugs. WARNING: We're only talking about the powdered cinnamon that you buy from the spice shelf at the grocery store. (NOT the concentrated oils in Rest Ease which would be highly toxic.)"
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09/12/2010: Pipi from Lakewood, New Jersey: "Cinnamon took away my ant problem. Ants hate the smell of cinnamon. I told my friend, who had a problem with ants too, about it, and she sprinkled some cinnamon in the place where they were coming from. The ants didn't come back. My other friend had a cockroach infestation in her home and I figured if cinnamon could work on ants why wouldn't it work on cockroaches. A few weeks later she came back to me and she was like "you know, Pipi, I think your cinnamon worked because I haven't seen a cockroach since I put it out." I was really happy for her. Anyway, a lot of people in my town are having problems with bedbugs and I really think cinnamon could work to eliminate them. I mean, if it could work on ants and cockroaches why wouldn't it work on bedbugs. If you're having a ant or cockroach problem figure out where they are coming from and sprinkle cinnamon in that place. For bedbugs, maybe you could sprinkle cinnamon directly on the mattress under the sheet. I don't know if that might ruin the mattress. I guess whatever you feel is right, do. If you get results with bed bugs let me know: pipsqeack@gmail.com"
Replies10/14/2010: Teresa from Ft. Wayne, Indiana replies: "Also cucumber peelings work to get rid of ants. I thought that my mom was joking when she told me to peel a cucumber and throw small slices in the corners of rooms but it worked great and after 12-24 hours not an ant in sight! You'll notice in 3-5 days when the cucumber slices dry up and need replaced because the ants will come back."
[YEA] 01/07/2011: Dani from Miami, Fl replies: "I sprinkled cinamon everywhere in the bedroom, and it's been a few weeks. Things look OK."
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DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
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12/15/2009: Raymond from Brooklyn, Ny: "Try Diatomaceous Earth to kill Bed Bugs and Roaches"
Replies05/15/2010: Georgia from Toronto, Canada replies: "diatomaceous earth - I found this in the form at a garden nursery ( so the label said) as silicon dioxide...it was in powder form...do you know if in this form it's supposed to be harmful in inhaled??"
EC: People on the site report taking Food Grade or Medical Grade Diatomaceous Earth, which is different from the kind found in nurseries and pool supply stores.
Re: safety hazards, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Safety_considerations
[WARNING!] 04/15/2011: Don from Gardner, Ma replies: "The only Diatomaceous Earth products you should use inside your home are those that are Human Grade Formula. Many outdoor Diatomaceous Earth products/posions contain added chemicals that can be harmful to humans/pets.Be Safe, Not Sorry."
[YEA] 05/20/2011: Heather from Katy, Tx replies: "We used this with AWESOME results. Get food grade DE (it's relatively cheap), and sprinkle around the beds and baseboards. No type of DE is safe to inhale, you can use a mask if you like, but I didn't bother.... There weren't clouds of it wafting up or anything.... It's like a powder. Bugs were gone that night and haven't come back. It's been over a year, and we're bed bug free. But if you have animals you may want to try a different method, or lock them out of the room if you're lucky enough to only have one room infested. The other grades of DE are heat treated or have additives, and the shape of them has changed so they don't work as well, but they work wonders for pool filtering and agriculture. And the food grade DE is supposed to have other health benefits if you add it to your diet.... Just don't be stupid and snort it.... Very bad for your lungs!"
07/25/2011: Caroline from Houston, Tx replies: "I want to get in touch with Heather from Katy, Texas to talk to her about diatomaceous earth and how she used it exactly. Is there anyway you can give her my email address? Thank you!"
03/26/2012: Teresa from Richmond, Indiana replies: "Having problems with bedbugs. Please help!!! Were did you buy the Diatomaceous? Does the food grade work? Please email me. Do you know if its fast around animals?Thanks"
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HAIR DRYER
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[YEA] 01/07/2008: Stephanie from Chicago, IL: "Bed Bugs Cure- HAIRDRYER! A friend of mine traveled through Africa and brought back bed bugs! I tried to help her for months trying to get rid of these creatures with every kind of spray, buying new mattresses--it was a total nightmare. They were biting her son almost every night--it was disgusting and frustrating. She spent a lot of money and time with all kinds of products and professionals and they would the bedbugs would just return. She was becoming very discouraged and depressed over it. Finally, I read online(after searching for months for a solution) that blowing a HAIRDRYER on the infected areas on high heat would kill them--permanently. Just use an ordinary hairdryer on HIGH HEAT all along the edge of the mattress and carpet, and anywhere you think they could be hiding(usually no deeper than 1/4 inch into the mattress so you just need to heat this up good). Putting the dryer on high heat, blowing the hot air closely for several minutes will kill the bugs and any eggs before they hatch. Do this BEFORE buying a new mattress so your new one doesn't get infected! This is the ONLY thing that actually worked, it's been several months now and no bugs have returned. Don't spend your money on services or expensive solutions that promise results--complete waste of money! Congratulations, you've just found the cure--and it's free!"
Replies[YEA] 10/29/2008: Altaf Hussain from Jubail, K.S.A replies: "Hello, Its 99% true I tried myself before reading this article just 3 months back it really works.
I will add two more steps.
Step 1) use high heat hair fryer.
Step 2) use vaccun cleaner immediately to suck the dead bugs and eggs.( not to forget clean the filter bags of Vacuum cleaner after)
step 3) I used Kitchen cleaner spray (EASE YOUR BAM which is available in grocery store) on Bugs and eggs on infected or hide place and wipe out with rough cloth, on spraying the Buggs egg get carbonize.
try once, it really works.
thanks"
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MULTIPLE REMEDIES
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[YEA] 05/25/2009: Thelma from Brooklyn, NY: "YEA!
I used all the recommended remedies. 1. Hair dryer 2. Vaccuum 3. Soapy suds to get at eggs along wall. Scrub with very rough cleaner, wash clean.
I added ironing (couldn't hurt), I ironed the mattress, blankets quilts. I even ironed the floor a little.
Right now I do not see any bugs. But I intend to check every day for at least a month, and reapply.
It was SUCH a relief to find this method. All I was finding otherwise was poison sprays & dust sprays. I am so grateful"
05/26/2009: PR from Houston, Texas replies: "Hi Thelma, This ia a thought but way don't you try food grade Diatomaceous Earth, plus it is reasonible enough too. Sprinkle it in your bed, mattress, carpet and etc. The DE kills parasites and bugs in your body and garden. I've had good result using it. Just be careful not to breath it. The DE should also take care of the eggs and new ones hatching out. If you try this post on EC so others will know if they should try it."
10/20/2010: Leora from London, Uk replies: "I know this is an old post now, but I was wondering where do you buy Diatomaceous Earth? I'm in the UK and I'm not sure even what kind of store I would try. Thanks."
[YEA] 02/26/2011: Yhwhshalomjr from Hampton, Va replies: "Baby Powder..!! And Bedbugs don't mix
It is the cheapest method that I have found.! And it smells wonderful too.. Just try not to inhale the contents while using this method, can be a little messy but not anbything major that a wet cloth can't clean up... Anad it only cost a "buck" at the local dollar stores :^)
It asphyxiates them, dust the mattress box spring mattress cover and bed covers, this works exceptionally well in a hotel environment, and any transient lodging, this is the first thing I do before I sit down or unpack my things are left at the door or in the bathroom area, foyer, or any hard surfaced area away from the sleeping quarters, the reason is that I carry a trial sized plastic container with a little household bleach with me to sanitize everything just in case. (toilets and shower/tubs)..hope this helps"
05/24/2011: Hatebedbugs from London, Ontario, Canada replies: "Another one that works too is using Dog and Cat Flea shampoo mixture in a spray bottle. This is one that I found out from "Billy the Exterminator" show."
[YEA] 08/05/2011: Angie from Berkeley, Ca replies: "I tried almost every methods that are not toxic and safe. It took two weeks to get rid of bedbugs -- actually I am not 100% sure if they were bedbugs, fleas, or mites. I got more than 70 bites all over my body and my bites look like those bites. Anyway thanks to Earth Clinic for helpful information!
1. Spray the bedbug killers (environmental friendly, non-toxic, safe blend) on fabrics and furnitures.2. Spray the mix of rubbing alcohle, viniger, and eucalyptus oil to fabrics.
3. Spray insectside (non-toxic blend as well) on front yard (especially near the main door)
3. Discard my old comforter and seal the matress completely with vinyl zip cover.
4. Diatomaceous Earth under the bed and under and above the matress -- then I covered matress with two cover sheets to make sure D-earth comes out.
5. Add Borax when doing laundary. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil.
6. Vacuum frequently."
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REMEDIES NEEDED
05/11/2012: Kari from Conroe, Texas, Usa: "I don't have a heavy infestation, I found 4 full grown bed bugs, so I don't really know what that means -___-I was wondering how long I leave the baby powder on the carpet and can I put it on the couches?? what about leather? what would work on that? thanks so much to everyone who has done the research and actually tried everything. I will try a mix of wintergreen spray, babypowder, and hairdryer as I have a 3 and 13 year old. I was looking for a natural way to get rid of them..."
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SILICON DIOXIDE
08/21/2009: Chris K from London, Ont: "i also heard that silicon dioxide also works for bed bugs, they walk throught it and it dehydrates them and they die , but i do not know where to find this stuff."
RepliesEC: WARNING!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_dioxide
"Inhaling finely divided crystalline silica dust in very small quantities (OSHA allows 0.1 mg/m3) over time can lead to silicosis, bronchitis or (much more rarely) cancer, as the dust becomes lodged in the lungs and continuously irritates them, reducing lung capacities (silica does not dissolve over time). This effect can be an occupational hazard for people working with sandblasting equipment, products that contain powdered crystalline silica and so on. Children, asthmatics of any age, allergy sufferers and the elderly (all of whom have reduced lung capacity) can be affected in much shorter periods of time."
09/18/2011: Karen from Barcelona, Spain replies: "Silicon dioxide is what's in diatomaceous earth... :)"
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SOAPY WATER SPRAY
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[YEA] 03/29/2009: Steven from Toronto, Ontario: "Another thing to do with bed bugs is to spray the infected areas with soapy water kills them as well it dry's them up pretty well"
Replies10/02/2010: Harriet from Chicago, Il. replies: "My friend told me about wintergreen alcohol, to put it in a spray bottle and spray everything. Bed frame, rails along the wall and cracks. So far so good."
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WINTERGREEN ALCOHOL
11/28/2010: Brannon Hollis from Chicago, Il: "After reading your posting regarding wintergreen alcohol, I use what I had left over to spray on the every part of the bed and letting it dry. It works!! Also, to it up used the Lysol deinfectant spray as a backup we shall see..."
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