The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Cinnamon
Posted by Anne (Las Vegas, Nv) on 11/30/2012
★★★★★
I told my apt mgr that i needed a new sofa, they gave me one from another apt instead that had bed bugs in it.
they were driving me crazy. tried spraying it with rubbing alcohol, but did't help much.
bought a new sofa and mattresses with a cover covering both of them (it's just impossible to put a fitted sheet over both of them) but bugs evently got on those.
i read about the cinnamon. put an entire bottle all over it, and then realized it was nutmeg. so i added cinnamon over it and haven't had a bite since
first put some of the mixture all over the mattress and then put on sheet and put mixture all over that. and no more bites.
before you do this you might invest in one cover that covers both mattresses.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jessie (Long Island, Ny) on 10/31/2012
★★★★★
Traveling this summer my husband and I stayed in a hotel that had a five star rating, and I was bitten by bed bugs. To releive the itching and burning I used Apple Cider Vinegar. It worked miracles immediately!
Wintergreen Alcohol
Posted by Richie (San Jose, Ca) on 10/19/2012
I have a great way to avoid bites on your bed at night while you deal with thier eviction.
Think of your bed as an island. First make sure it is clear of bugs (those white covers for box springs and mattresses work nice. Need to be brand new! ).
Okay, place a tupperware container under each leg/post and have it filled (at least half way) with water. Done! They cannot get to you at night. I have many in my room, but none "walk" across my island "moat". Works nice.
Cinnamon
Posted by Agnes (Vancouver, Bc, Canada ) on 10/16/2012
More information is needed in regards to length of time of this expriment. Bed bugs have been known to live up to a year without food. They also feed on dead skin cells in between feeding on blood so it is possible that, though they have stopped feeding on you, they are still active in your unit.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Finally Relief (Springfield, Mo) on 10/01/2012
★★★★★
Finally, Relief! I tried everything from professionals to every home remedy I found on the internet, but nothing worked until I combined plans. It was impossible to treat everything as I have a large home and there are too many places for them to hide and impossible to treat it all. If this is your case, then the only way to get relief is to starve them to death. First, disassemble your bed(s) and liberally spray the frame, headboard, footboard with a good egg/adult bed bug killer like Bedlam (available at Amazon). It's expensive, but it works. Next, invest in box spring, mattress, and pillow case covers that are bed bug proof. Again, expensive, but necessary. You will never get them all out by vacuuming, etc. (1st stage bed bugs can fit inside a needle hole along the seams, so you have to seal them in) Last, purchase heavy bottomed "rocks" glasses to place under EVERY leg of the bed, including any legs touching the floor from the bed frame. The glasses I used were from WalMart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Libbey-Claret-Old-Fashioned-Glassware-8-Piece-Set/20742172) You get 8 glasses for 13.00. Make sure you use heavy bottoms. Nothing, I mean NOTHING! Can touch the floor except these glasses. No dust ruffles, long spreads, etc. Launder all linens and dry on a high heat at least an hour. When you put the bed back together, keep it at least a couple of inches away from any walls.
At this point, the bed should be free of bugs and the only way for more bugs to get back onto your bed is up the legs, but they are unable to climb glass. I had relief the first night, and haven't had a bite since. It's been 4 months. I know some of these items are pricey, but you will lose your mind and more money trying to get rid of these. If you have problems other than in the bedroom, use this method of cleaning and spraying the any furniture and raising it onto glass. The key here is keeping them from getting to you to feed. Do not wear clothes or bring any other items into bed with you unless they have been heat treated or you could reintroduce the bugs that way.
Silicon Dioxide
Posted by Xnan (New York, NY) on 08/25/2012
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Wrong! This is an irresponsible post! SILICA is in Diatomaceous Earth, NOT Silicon Dioxide!! DE "is almost pure silica (with some beneficial trace minerals); under a microscope, it looks like shards of glass (glass is made from silica). DE is totally nontoxic. There is no buildup of tolerance like there is to poisons because the method of killing is PHYSICAL, not chemical. On any beetle-type insect that has a carapace, like fleas and cockroaches, the DE works under the shell and punctures the body, which then dehydrates and the insect dies. "
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Dee (Jeffersonville, Indiana) on 08/02/2012
You can buy food grade DE from a pet supply store like Fedders Supply, under $15 for 4 lbs. Good luck with the bugs, I'm 9 months rid of them so far so good.
Hair Dryer
Posted by Valentinetti0 (Jaipur, India) on 06/23/2012
Step 1) use high heat hair fryer.
Step 2) use vaccum 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 Bugs egg get carbonize.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Darlene (Kewaskum) on 06/22/2012
I buy DE to deworm and delouse my goats and try to keep the fly population down in the barn by sprinkling it on the manure periodically. Periodically I also put in something I'm baking for the family to also keep the humans free from worms. It costs me about $30 for 50# and, yes, it does go a very long way. You might try a feed store to see if they sell it. I don't think I've ever seen it sold in a natural food store, but most of the ones I frequent are small businesses.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Yeag (Louisville, Ky) on 06/15/2012
Replying to Steph. From texas... A few hours after dusting house, the 3 of us were sitting in the floor that was dusted a few hours before & were attacked by the bugs... Of course I killed them with my bare hands as I saw them. I killed about 10 throughout the night... Threw out all the couch covers to be hot washed later & dried.. Around dawn, I put a clean white sheet on love seat, & couch & laid down... It is now 5:20pm EST. & there are no signs of the bugs on the sheets so far... I pray DE works... I picked up a 4 pound bag of DE at Home Depo for $9.. So, I would assume a store similar to Home Depot would be the place for you to buy it cheaper... thanks for your reply...Yeag.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sue (Brisbane, Qld, Australia) on 06/14/2012
I heard a pest controller guy on the radio say that the best chemical free way to get rid of bed bugs is to use a steamer, he said the heat kills them and the eggs. Make sure you get the steam into the seams and creases and vacuum the mattress & pillows after, let them dry completely before putting clean linen back on. Good luck
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Michelle (El Espino, Panama, Central America) on 06/13/2012
Hi there, i'm new to this blog--searching for bp remedies and saw your post. i've heard that d earth or diatomaceius earth will work for bed bugs as well as other things and is non-toxic in the food grade form. i purchased from on the net. its silica powder and very interesting to read about its origins and history. hope you can try it and it works for you--god bless, michelle
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Anonymous (Grateful For Earthclinic!, Usa) on 06/12/2012
Read somewhere that you can sprinkle cinnamon on your matteress. Have also read that after you sprinkle cinnamon on your bed you can spritz it with water. Makes one wonder about cayenne and borax too. Hope the solution and relief come quickly for you!
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Stephanie From Texas (Plano, Tx, Usa) on 06/10/2012
I recently read about food-grade diatomaceous earth for getting rid of all kinds of creepy-crawlies, including bedbugs, fleas, etc.. The great thing is that it is completely safe for use in kitchens, on pets, etc. , and I would assume around small children. According to the ad I read, it can be put on the rails of the bed, dusted even on the mattress, I think, and so on, where it microscopically scratches the soft bodies of the bugs, causing them to dehydrate and die. Apparently it is not an instant fix, but an effective and complete cure, lasting months if not vacuumed away. I sent my daughter the info because her cat has fleas, and the testimonials I was reading indicated it could be rubbed on the animal as well as being worked into the carpet. Directions were given for use against bedbugs, and I made a mental note in case I ever need it. It was being sold for $16 for over 4 pounds, and the folks being quoted said that it goes a long way and lasts a long time. I assume there are a variety of websites that offer it, though I have not found it yet in two or three natural foods stores I have checked locally. Apparently the place to look would be in pet care, but you do want the food grade so that it can be used throughout your home as needed - I'm going to get it for the little ants who sometimes visit my kitchen! I hope you get relief right away, having a little one in the house!
The other thing you might look into is having an ozone machine run in your home, which would kill all bugs, fungus, etc, and not result in any toxicity or residue, but I have only hearsay info about that, and I would imagine it would be pricey.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Yeag (Louisville, Ky) on 06/11/2012
I can not get rid of bed bugs... I just sprinkled diamaceous earth everywhere & they are still here... Just killed 3 adults @ 2:45 am... I tried soapy water, insecticides, & diamaceous earth... No luck!!! ... please post this on your page asap in order for me to get a remedy to kill them...thanks!!!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Fra-fra (Mineral Wells, Tx.) on 06/10/2012 10 posts
Get some DIATOMACEOUS EARTH All-natural flea repellant, insecticide, and health aid. You can buy this at a feed store, or order it on the internet. It is a powder. Just dust it where ever you think the bed-bugs are and it will kill them. Not harmful to humans, but do not breath the dust it will get in your lungs.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Yeag (Louisville, Ky) on 06/10/2012
I killed 14 bugs last night.. I am now trying diatomaceous earth. Started dusting at 10am... Lord, I hope this works... I will keep you all posted... & thanks for the help... yeag
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Yeag (Louisville, Ky) on 06/10/2012
I had a cookout Saturday, June 2d, & someone brought bed bugs into my house & now I have a major infestation... I have killed 30, or 40 with my bare hands, sitting up each night all night ever since... I tried the soapy water, baby powder, 2 different types of insecticides & no luck so far.. They just keep coming in all sizes. I eat cinnamon every day for a year or 2 & they don't bite me, but they are going after my 1 year old daughter, because she is to young to injest cinnamon & I am going nutts... PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Cinnamon
Posted by Yeag (Louisville, Ky) on 06/07/2012
Need more feed back on whether or not eating cinnamon every day really works... I drink it in coffee & tea often & no bed bug bites from recent bug citings.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Teresa (Richmond, Indiana) on 03/26/2012
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
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Heather (Katy, Tx) on 05/20/2011
★★★★★
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!
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Raymond (Brooklyn, Ny) on 12/15/2009
★★★★★
Try Diatomaceous Earth to kill Bed Bugs and Roaches
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Zander (Cincinnatti, Oh) on 12/04/2011
We had a bed bug infestation from a guitar case which we had loaned out and retrieved.
We self treated with DE [you have to be VERY careful with this, protect your respiratory system with a respirator, not a paint mask and it must be food grade, not swimming pool filter type] and, at a separate time, yes kerosene. We have an all wood ceiling and floors. We used a nasty, non-natural insecticide in the kerosene and mopped the floors and ceiling with the mixture. Obviously, one must exercise common sense caution with the use of kerosene [as with any flammable liquid], which is the centuries old treatment for bed bug destruction and repulsion [old timers would place their bed posts in cans of kerosene to prevent them from scaling the posts].
A thorough examination of the bed frame and bedding--under mattresses particularly, must be done as well as under lamps, particularly floor lamps, furnishings, book cases, behind switch plates and outlet covers. Remove such covers and paint the backs of each with DE bound in a bit of soapy water. Allow to dry completely before replacing.
We made the fatal error of using bug "bombs" at our first discovery of these creatures which spread them and caused us to have to battle them for months, rather than the day or so it might have taken to eradicate them. The bug bombs spread them. They are much easier to find and eliminate if they are not spread.
The last bed bug we saw was 3 months after the search and destroy measures faithfully followed as described above; however, I experienced what I believed were bite marks for ..... two years afterwards.
I went to extreme measures and actually slept in a diving suit! When "bite" marks appeared inside the covered areas I tried to determine if these were delayed skin reactions to previous bites that had perhaps occurred elsewhere in the home. That was so much fun to wonder about.
After leaving my home for three months, I came to suspect MRSA as the source of the "bite" marks. The marks were typically MRSA like "spider bite" in appearance.
I began a natural protocol for MRSA which included zinc, turmeric and coconut oil. The "bites" then disappeared.
I believe that what I had was MRSA carried by the bed bugs. I would like to confirm with a home test kit, if possible. If anyone has information about where such can be ordered online, I would be truly grateful.
Calamine Lotion W/ Zinc Oxide
Posted by Daniel A (Los Angeles, Ca) on 11/28/2011
★★★★★
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.
Silicon Dioxide
Posted by Karen (Barcelona, Spain) on 09/18/2011
Silicon dioxide is what's in diatomaceous earth... :)
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Angie (Berkeley, Ca) on 08/05/2011
★★★★★
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.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Caroline (Houston, Tx) on 07/25/2011
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!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Hatebedbugs (London, Ontario, Canada) on 05/24/2011
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.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Heather (Katy, Tx) on 05/20/2011
★★★★★
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!
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Don (Gardner, Ma) on 04/15/2011
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
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.
Calamine Lotion W/ Zinc Oxide
Posted by Stephanie (Toledo, Ohio) on 04/06/2011
★★★★★
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!!
Cinnamon
Posted by Joan (Ferndale, Wa) on 03/19/2011
★★★★★
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.)
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Yhwhshalomjr (Hampton, Va) on 02/26/2011
★★★★★
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
Cinnamon
Posted by Dani (Miami, Fl) on 01/07/2011
★★★★★
I sprinkled cinamon everywhere in the bedroom, and it's been a few weeks. Things look OK.
Wintergreen Alcohol
Posted by Brannon Hollis (Chicago, Il) on 11/28/2010
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...
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Leora (London, Uk) on 10/20/2010
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.
Cinnamon
Posted by Teresa (Ft. Wayne, Indiana) on 10/14/2010
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.
Soapy Water Spray
Posted by Harriet (Chicago, Il.) on 10/02/2010
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.
Cinnamon
Posted by Pipi (Lakewood, New Jersey) on 09/12/2010
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:
[email protected]
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Georgia (Toronto, Canada) on 05/15/2010
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??
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Raymond (Brooklyn, Ny) on 12/15/2009
Try Diatomaceous Earth to kill Bed Bugs and Roaches
Silicon Dioxide
Posted by Chris K (London, Ont) on 08/21/2009
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.
EC: 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."
Multiple Remedies
Posted by PR (Houston, Texas) on 05/26/2009
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.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Thelma (Brooklyn, NY) on 05/25/2009
★★★★★
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
