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12 Proven Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Benefits And Uses

Food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is a common ingredient in a wide variety of foodstuffs, household, and personal care products.

Diatomaceous earth helps prevent insect infestation, in grains, pet foods, and a wide range of dry goods.

This all-natural, white powder is safe and even beneficial for consumption. It is also extremely handy for use to repel and kill pests like bed bugs and roaches in the home, agricultural and industrial settings.

12 Proven Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Benefits And Uses

In this article, we will introduce and discuss versatile, useful DE and provide some good advice on how you can use this fabulous, affordable product in your home and garden. Read on to learn more.

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What Is Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth?

Food-grade diatomaceous earth powder is very absorbent and slightly abrasive. It makes an excellent dietary supplement because it consists mostly of silica, which is the main component of human and animal musculature, ligaments and cartilage.

This all natural, sedimentary mineral is made up of the remains of ocean dwelling, one-celled plants called diatoms, which are sometimes called the “ocean’s spiny honeycombs.”

You may also hear DE referred to by different names such as:

  • Ancient Treasure
  • Miracle Mineral
  • Dinosaur Dust
  • Fossil Shell

Living diatoms (single-celled algae) emit silica and produce lime-carbonate. Diatomaceous Earth is what’s left of them after centuries of being compounded into the surface of the earth as chalky, clay-like skeletal remains.

This substance is called diatomite. It is present beneath the surface of the earth as thick, white, silica-filled powder and found in abundance all over the world, and anywhere you find mining in action.

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How Does Diatomaceous Earth Work?

Silica works as an antioxidant in your body by fighting damage caused by free radicals. It is broken down to become a colloidal form in your system and detoxifies your blood because it carries an electrical charge capable of attaching to harmful toxins and free radicals. Particles of silica neutralize free radicals’ electrical charge and whisk them out of the body through normal elimination processes.

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, silica works to eliminate aluminum and other heavy metals from your system. This is important as it helps to reduce aluminum availability in the gastrointestinal tract, making it possible for you to absorb valuable nutrients more efficiently.

“The oligomeric, high-aluminum-affinity form of soluble silica reduces aluminum availability from the human gastrointestinal tract. [source]”

Silica (orthosilicic acid to be precise) is found throughout the human body. It should be abundant in the:

  • Tendons
  • Kidneys
  • Bones
  • Aorta
  • Liver
  • Nails

Studies have shown, and common sense indicates that an abundance of silica in the diet adds up to a wealth of good health. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging published a study suggesting that a deficiency of silica could cause myriad problems for human health, including:

  • Low collagen production
  • Mineral unbalance
  • Reduced cartilage
  • Vertebral damage
  • Abnormal growth
  • Skull deformities
  • Bone deformity
  • Joint pain

The body also uses silica for storing calcium and other minerals in the soft tissues, organs, and joints. This helps ward off:

  • Osteoporosis
  • Brittle nails
  • Bone spurs
  • Weak hair
  • Arthritis

… and other problems caused by calcium deficiency.

How To Use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth?

This substance has many different applications. In a coarse form, DE is used in water filtration. In its fine, food grade form it can be used in food manufacturing and cosmetic products.

It is also an excellent supplement that strengthens bones and helps fight off free radicals. Additionally, it makes an effective natural pesticide and pest repellent because its extreme drying properties which dry out the fats and collagen in insect bodies and kill them off quite efficiently.

You’ll find DE commonly used in thousands of everyday health, nutrition, personal care, pet care, lawn, garden and home care products. Some common uses of diatomaceous earth include:

  • In prescription and OTC medicines and supplements
  • In building materials, paint, and rubber products
  • As a preservative and anti-caking agent in foods.
  • As a mild abrasive in cleaning products
  • Bedbug and general pest control
  • Water filtration and purification
  • Pet Health, Care & Nutrition
  • Foods & Beverages
  • Rodent Repellent
  • Dental care
  • Skin Care

Forms of DE include:

Granulated diatomaceous earth: A raw material made by crushing silica. This food grade powder is safe for human consumption.

Micronized/Milled diatomaceous earth dust: This very fine form finds use in manufactured pesticides and insecticides.

Calcined diatomaceous earth: This heat-treated and activated type of DE is used in explosives and also in water filtration.

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What Is In Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth?

What Is In Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth?

The breakdown of high-quality food grade DE is as follows:

  • 3% magnesium
  • 19% calcium
  • 5% sodium
  • 33% silica
  • 2% iron

Trace minerals include:

  • Manganese
  • Zirconium
  • Titanium
  • Copper
  • Boron

Using Diatomaceous Earth As A Nutritional Supplement

The food grade diatomaceous earth health benefits are mostly attributable to the fact that it consists of about 85% amorphous silica.

In the past, it was possible to consume plenty of silica in the everyday diet; however, with today’s hybrid and genetically modified foods and the fact that a great deal of growing land has been overused and/or become toxic, this is no longer possible.

This is quite unfortunate because ample silica consumption is essential for the proper care of bones, cartilage, tendons, teeth, nails, skin and even the bloodstream. The body’s vital organs (e.g. lungs, liver and heart) need lots of silica to perform correctly.

Taking diatomaceous earth as a supplement improves the body’s ability to process and use calcium. It also helps improve mineralization of the bones. It helps with cartilage development to help protect joints and slow and prevent the aging process.

Get Stronger Teeth, Bones, and Joints

The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging published a study in 2007 stating that silicon in the diet is essential for healthy bones and connective tissue. This 30-year study found that adding silicon (such as that found in DE) to the diet has positive, measurable effects on bone mineral density and the strength of connective tissues.

Although the results of the study were not entirely conclusive, it seems clear that adding diatomaceous earth to the regular diet can have substantial, positive effects on skeletal strength and function. In fact, use of DE may even be helpful in prevention and treatment of bone problems such as osteoporosis.

Detoxify & Strengthen Your Gastrointestinal System

Diatomaceous earth can be a critical part of an intestinal cleanse. It is very useful in soaking up and sweeping away heavy metals and other toxins. Consuming DE regularly can help eliminate intestinal worms, intestinal parasites and dangerous microorganisms. It also helps improve digestion, sweeps toxins from the digestive tract and improves elimination.

Silica naturally increases your body’s ability to absorb minerals. Because silica is a water soluble substance, it moves through your system quickly to eliminate toxins while improving the absorption of vital minerals.

DE not only helps remove poisons from the system but because it stimulates collagen production it helps heal the gut by supporting tissues and cells in replication and rebuilding.

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How To Use Diatomaceous Earth

Adding just a small amount of DE to your daily diet can reap big benefits regarding detoxification, regular elimination, bone and joint support and noticeable improvements in the health of your hair, skin, and nails.

How Much Diatomaceous Earth Should I Take? A glass with a spoon

How Much Diatomaceous Earth Should I Take?

Begin with just a little. Try adding a half teaspoon of DE to your 12 ounces of water, juice or other liquid. Mix it in vigorously and drink it down quickly before it has a chance to absorb very much liquid.

After a week or two, you can increase the amount you are consuming if you wish. Work your way up to three level teaspoonsful gradually in half-teaspoon increments.

DE is not tasty. It is gritty and chalky and doesn’t have a flavor. This is why it’s smart to take it with lots of water, juice or a soft food that will disguise its texture and flavorlessness. If you don’t like taking DE in liquids, you can also mix it in with:

  • Applesauce
  • Smoothie
  • Oatmeal
  • Yogurt

It’s best to take your DE with lots of liquid at least an hour before or after a meal. It’s alright to consume small amounts of soft food with your DE, but don’t take it with a lot of different foods. Remember to drink at least 12 ounces of liquid with each teaspoon of DE you consume.

Don’t exceed a tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of DE per day. It’s best to divide this dose in half. Take one and a half teaspoons morning and night.

When consuming diatomaceous earth, be sure to stay well hydrated. Remember that it is a very drying product and can have some uncomfortable effects if you are not drinking enough pure, filtered water.

When taken with ample liquids, DE can act like fiber in the digestive tract. It absorbs toxins and passes through the system, toning as it goes.

Very little DE stays in the body. It improves overall nutrition by improving the health of the gut and improving the body’s ability to make proper use of nutrients. Our gut holds 85% of the immune system; a healthy gut adds up to a healthier immune system and greater resistance to viruses, bacteria, parasites and other natural threats to health and well-being.

Follow these steps to safely use DE to supplement your nutritional program, boost your immune system, heal your gut and provide effective detoxification.

12 Health Benefits Of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Although you may experience some short-term negative effects when you add DE to your health routine, if you keep at it, you will enjoy some very positive long-term effects. Among them are:

1. Great hair: Silica is a common ingredient in high priced hair care products. Supplementing your diet with silica will help improve the condition of your current hair and may even help grow new hair if hair loss plagues you.

2. Glowing skin: DE helps promote collagen production to give you a clear, smooth, healthy complexion.

3. Strong, healthy nails: Your nails need silica content to stay strong and flexible. If you have been bothered by weak, brittle nails, adding DE to your daily supplement routine can help resolve this problem.

4. Better nutrition: DE helps flush toxins out of your system. Furthermore, increased production of collagen helps your gut lining stay healthy and strong, improving your body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients for overall glowing good health.

5. Improved metabolism: Healthy collagen production also supports efficient metabolism. When your body makes good use of the foods you eat by converting them efficiently into energy, you will find attaining and maintaining a healthy weight easier.

6. Flexible, pain-free joints: Silica and collagen help promote the production of cartilage to pad your joints and make moving easy and pain-free.

7. Reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels: Taking DE on a regular basis helps sweep away bad cholesterol and lowers hypertension.

8. Enjoy a resurgence of energy: Although you may feel a bit down initially when you first start taking DE, once your detoxification is complete, you’ll experience more energy and enthusiasm for life than you have in the past.

9. Regularity: DE improves digestion and bowel movements. It is an excellent, natural laxative you can use on a regular basis.

10. Stronger bones and quicker healing: Fight osteoporosis and avoid and treat bone fractures. Taking DE can help your bones heal faster and better after injury.

11. Fight infection: Consuming DE can be helpful when fighting off intestinal infections such as those caused by E-Coli and other bacteria. It can also help fight off systemic yeast infections. DE absorbs and sweeps away all of these noxious intruders.

12. Super Detox: DE is superb for regular, overall detoxification. It contains a very powerful chelation agent that sucks up a wide variety of chemical toxins and improves liver and colon function.

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Listen To Your Body

The FDA recognizes diatomaceous earth as safe. Silica is a mineral naturally found throughout the body, so adding it to your diet and daily health care routine should produce few, if any, adverse side effects and a wealth of benefits.

When you first begin taking it, you may notice some unusual side effects. The reason – because DE promotes positive changes in your gut health. When you take DE, any yeast in your gut will die off.

Toxins swept up and eliminated. Although these are good things, you may experience flu-like symptoms, headache, and fatigue while this detoxification process is underway. Be kind to yourself.

  • Incorporate DE gradually.
  • Eat a balanced, whole foods diet.
  • Drink LOTS of pure, filtered water.
  • Get plenty of sleep and manage stress well.
  • Practice deep breathing to help facilitate relaxation and detoxification.

Pay close attention to your body’s response to DE. You may not wish to take it every, single day. Many people find a ten days on/ten days off schedule effective. It’s good to give your body a break from the drying effects of DE.

Brushing Teeth With Diatomaceous Earth

Using Diatomaceous Earth As A Personal Care Product

DE is not only an excellent substance for use as a supplement, but it is also a great addition to cosmetic and personal care products. It has mildly abrasive qualities and can impart some strengthening and nourishing values when used as a tooth powder or a component of toothpaste. It also makes a good facial scrub when combined with water and essential oils.

You’ll find DE often used in commercial personal care products such as facial scrubs, toothpaste, body powders and more. You can use DE, essential oils, and other natural ingredients to make your own safe, effective, affordable personal care products. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Brushing Teeth With Diatomaceous Earth

DE Toothpaste Recipe

Combine:

  • 4 tbsp food grade DE
  • 2 tbsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp Bentonite clay
  • 1/4 tsp green Stevia powder
  • 6 tbsp coconut oil, softened
  • 15 drops of peppermint or spearmint essential oil

1. Shake all dry ingredients together in a glass or plastic container. Do not use metal containers or implements because the Bentonite clay will absorb traces of the metal.

2. Gradually add the melted coconut oil and essential oils. Use a plastic fork to stir them together until smooth.

3. Store the mixture in a non-metal tub with a tightly fitting lid in a cool, dark place.

4. Apply a small amount to your toothbrush using a plastic applicator (e.g. the handle of a plastic spoon). Brush teeth as usual.

Whiten Your Teeth

If all this sounds like too much work for you, know that you can also just use a combination of DE and baking soda in equal amounts as a weekly teeth whitener if you wish.

To do this, just shake equal quantities of the two powders into the palm of your hand. Add 3-6 drops of oil of peppermint or spearmint if you wish.

Rinse your toothbrush with warm water and dip it into the DE/baking soda mixture.

Brush your teeth as usual. Rinse thoroughly.

Don’t do this treatment more than once a week as baking soda and DE are both abrasive. Using them undiluted can be damaging to your tooth enamel if you overdo it.

Diatomaceous Earth For Skin Care

Your imagination is your only limitation when it comes to using DE for health and beauty. You can combine it with almost any skin care product or mask for added benefits.

You can use pure DE as a facial exfoliator on a weekly basis. To do this, just wash your face as usual, but add a few shakes of DE to your regular cleansing product. Mix in the palm of your hand and wash as usual.

You can also add DE to any face mask recipe for added detoxifying and oil reducing benefits. Just add between 1/2 to 1 level teaspoon to the mix when you prepare your mask.

DE is also a great addition to any standard soap recipe. It adds exfoliating and detoxifying properties to your homemade soap.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

DE For Pet and Livestock Care

The mildly abrasive qualities of DE also make it valuable as a natural de-worming product for pets and livestock. Animals who receive regular doses of DE in their feed have stronger teeth and bones and healthier, more attractive skin and coat.

To use as a de-wormer, add a small amount to your pets’ food on 10 days on ten days off schedule. Determine the amount you use by weight and type of pet. When starting out, build up the dose in increments just as you would for yourself.

CATS: For cats ½ teaspoon of DE daily should be an adequate dose. You can mix this into canned or wet food in individual servings, or you can add it to a full bag of dry kibble by determining the number of servings per bag and then doing the math. Naturally, you’ll need to transfer the bag of food to a covered tub or tote so that you can mix the kibble and DE powder evenly.

DOGS: For dogs, the amount of DE you use will vary depending on the size of the dog. Small dogs and puppies over three months of age are fine with a half teaspoon. You should increase this amount by half teaspoon per 50 pounds for larger dogs. Add DE to canned/wet food or dry food as described for cats.

FLEAS: Use DE as a flea powder for cats and dogs. Sprinkle it over your pet’s body and around his or her bed to desiccate fleas in their tracks. Add it to cat litter to increase absorbency and reduce odors.

LIVESTOCK: In livestock, DE can be a definite boon in terms nutritional supplementation and pest and parasite management. One study conducted by the Oxford Journal of Poultry Science with laying hens found that those receiving a supplement of DE experienced increased egg production and effective parasite control.

  • Hens fed DE experienced fewer infections and less parasite infestation. They put on weight and laid more eggs with harder shells and larger, more nutrient rich yolks.
  • DE can be used as a dust bath for chickens and other poultry. Chickens and birds, in general, like to take dust baths to help cool the body and deter lice and other external parasites. Providing fowl with DE as a dust bath helps reduce external parasites and gives the birds more opportunity to ingest Diatomaceous Earth during regular grooming.
  • Feed stores stock burlap sacks of DE for purchase. Hang the bags in the barn for horses, cattle and other livestock to bump up against naturally. Doing so releases a fine mist of DE over the animal’s back, head and neck. Animals quickly learn to self-treat with DE to keep flies away.
  • Adding DE to livestock feed kills internal parasites and makes manure less attractive to flies. For livestock recommended dosage varies greatly from species to species. Consult your veterinarian for the exact dosage for your animal.

Industrial Uses of Diatomaceous Earth

FILTRATION: DE is an excellent water purifier and it is used in a number of different water filtration products. It can filter even the very finest particles of contaminants which might pass right through paper filters. For this reason, It is often used in tap water and pool filters and in filtration products for aquariums.

The Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology published a study reporting that DE is effective in absorbing approximately 80% of viruses, bacteria, algae and heavy metals commonly found in tap water. Using DE for filtration results in pure, clear, sparkling water, and it purifies water and kills viruses, bacteria, and algae that may be lurking.

DE is also used to filter ingredients for commercial products such as:

  • Honey
  • Sugar
  • Syrup
  • Wine
  • Beer

AGRICULTURAL: A broad range of garden products incorporate DE because of its ability to fight pests and enrich the soil. DE adds to the overall quality of the soil and helps prevent soil nutrient depletion. It makes an excellent soil additive that helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients and improves oxygenation of the soil.

NOTE: Neem Oil and Diatomaceous Earth Best Control Of Aphids

From the Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection “Neem in combination with diatomaceous earth ranked first to alleviate the adverse effects of aphids on artichoke plants and to improve the vegetative growth and bud yield, followed by neem alone, while diatomaceous earth alone came almost at the end.”

CLEANING: Because of its mild abrasive properties, it is used in pressurized liquids designed for power washing the exterior of buildings. In the home, it makes a safe soft-scrubbing product for delicate surfaces.

Using Diatomaceous Earth For Home Pest Control

DE is considered a safe household product for use against insects and rodents in the home. It’s drying properties and sharp edges cause insects to dry up and die of dehydration. It is effective insect control against a broad spectrum of household pests including:

  • House Dust Mites
  • Cockroaches
  • Bedbugs
  • Fleas
  • Ants
  • Spiders

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

DE used as an insect control agent is a tried and true practice. Professional pest control companies have been using silica gel to eliminate and repel pests for more than 50 years. Silica gel and DE work in the same way. The sharp edge desiccates insects by removing the thin, waxy coating that protects the insect exoskeleton and helps preserve moisture.

RODENTS: Although DE does not kill rodents, but when combined with powerful essential oils they work to repel them. Soaking cotton balls in essential oils such as peppermint and lemon is an ages old method of discouraging incursion by rats and mice.

If you use DE instead of cotton balls, the scent will last longer, and you can “recharge” your mixture with plain water when it begins to lose its smell.

To make your rodent repellent, simply combine:

  • 1/8 cup of very warm water
  • 6 drops of essential oil
  • 1 cup of diatomaceous earth food grade

In a 16 ounce tub or jar with a tightly fitting lid, mix the warm water and the essential oils. Gradually stir in the DE to make a thick paste.

Dole out your mixture a teaspoonful at a time in empty jar lids placed strategically in areas where rodents are known to travel.

The scent should deter any passing rats or mice. If you begin to see signs of them again, perk up your mixture with a little water and a few more drops of essential oil.

INSECT CONTROL: Drive fleas, bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), and other pests from your carpet. Use the powder as a carpet freshening powder before vacuuming. Sprinkle it over your carpet and brush it in with a broom. Allow it to sit for several hours before vacuuming up with a shop vac. Do this once a week to discourage pest invasion.

GARDEN PESTS: Sprinkle DE powder around your yard and garden to deter pests. It also has antifungal and anti-parasitic properties that are helpful to plants.

Is Diatomaceous Earth Safe?

Silica is found throughout the environment and life on earth. As such, DE is entirely innocuous in environmental terms. It is non-toxic to humans and mammals, aquatic invertebrates and fish. It is also safe for birds of all sorts.

When consumed and handled properly, DE has shown no adverse side effects even in long term use; however, you should avoid inhaling it or having it come in contact with your eyes.

Do not allow children or pets free access to DE as it can be irritating to eyes, nose and throat. According to the National Pesticide Information Center avoid inhaling even small amounts of DE as it might exacerbate or cause respiratory problems.

Replace Dozens Of Products In Your Home

Where to Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

  • Amazon
  • Walmart
  • Home Depot
  • Lowes

You can buy Diatomaceous Earth food grade online, at your local health food store or animal feed store. Just be sure to get food grade DE, and you will be perfectly safe to use it for yourself, around the house and garden and for your pets.

Diatomaceous Earth is inexpensive and can help with a wide variety of problems from killing and repelling pests and parasite control to detoxifying your bloodstream and intestinal system. DE is effective against negative agents such as:

  • Parasites
  • Bacteria
  • Rodents
  • Viruses
  • Insects

It is safe and easy to use, and when you supplement your nutritional routine with DE, you can improve your digestion, reduce gas, odor and bloating, improve liver function and absorb harmful toxins.

Perma-guard diatomaceous earth is the largest supplier of food grade DE or fossil shell flour. You can get your diatomaceous earth products from them or from your local garden center.

Clearly, when it comes to usefulness, Food grade diatomaceous earth is simply tops. It is a natural, safe, affordable, readily available substance that can meet a wide variety of health and wellness, household, gardening, pet care and pest control needs. Using diatomaceous earth is a smart way to save money, improve your health and live well!

10 Natural Ways To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home

Most of us despise spiders, it is almost like we are genetically programmed to be afraid of these tiny little creatures that crawl to the crack and crevice and the corners of our homes at times.

However, why squash them when you can simply prevent them from entering your house in the first place?

You do not need to install mosquito nets everywhere for that, and even if you did, the chances are these intelligent crawlers would still find their way into your house. That being said, these 10 natural ways repel spiders out of your home – for good!

natural-ways-keep-spider-out-of-home

The Power Of Peppermint Oil!

While some of us may be fond of peppermint gum or peppermint tea, this certainly does not apply to our fellow spiders. As a matter of fact, one of the most efficient long-term pest control solutions to make sure spiders steer clear of your house is to simply spray (10-15 drops) of peppermint essential oil mixed with water in a spray bottle.

After making this solution, simply put it in a spray bottle of a window-cleaning solution (you previously emptied, of course) and start to spray it around the cracks, crevices, corners and the entrances to your house. Some of these house spiders include:

  • Wolf spiders
  • Hobo spider
  • Black widow spider
  • Brown recluse spider

Not only will it keep the above spiders along and other pests away, but it also smells very nice! More on using peppermint oil for spider control here.

citrus-spider

Lemon Peels Always Do The Trick

If you do not like the smell of peppermint oil yet you are a fan of citrus fruits like lemons or oranges, then you can always do the same trick but with lemon peels this time.

Lemon and citrus peels do a good job in repelling spiders. Simply put, rub some lemon peels on the baseboards, the bookshelves as well as the window sills. You can also soak the essential oils in warm water and transfer it in spray bottle for easier application. The peels are guaranteed to keep spiders at a safe distance!

Cinnamon Scent

We all love cinnamon, be it in our food or in the air. Did you know that some cinnamon candles are a great way to keep spiders away?

These candles are very inexpensive and the chances are that you will find them at the local shop – however, if you do not, then you can always opt for cinnamon oil and put it in the special essential oil burner. Regardless of the chosen way to disperse the smell, it is important to make sure that your entire house smells of cinnamon, as this is known to be one of the most efficient natural spider repellents!

Tobacco

You do not need to be a smoker to know that tobacco keeps spiders away without too much effort.

If you are allergic to strong scents and essential oil or the options described above simply do not appeal to you, then you can always use some tobacco as an efficient and natural spider repellent. Simply mix it with water and spray it in different areas of home just like you would spray the peppermint oil solution mentioned earlier.

cat-hunting-spiders

Cats

Cats those furry four legged friends can be great spider deterrent! They love to hunt and when they see a spider crawling on the floor… it’s game on!

Vinegar Is Yet Another Efficient Natural Spider Repellent

Although most of us use it as an ingredient in the kitchen or for minor medical ailments, white vinegar can turn out to be your best friend when it comes to keeping spiders away.

Just like cinnamon, peppermint or the citrus peels, spiders hate the smell of vinegar as well – combine it with a bit of water and spray it around the corners of your home. Some household mix vinegar with baking soda for a stronger pest control solution.

Different Essential Oils

In addition to peppermint and all the other essential oils described above, you can also use lavender oil, citronella oil, tea tree oil as well as neem oil to get rid of spiders quickly and naturally.

The thumb rule when it comes to making a good natural spider repellent is to remember the fact that they hate very strong scents, especially those that appeal to us.

You can simply combine some of these essential oils with warm or lukewarm water and spray the solution in different areas of the house, especially along the spider openings around the door cracks, window sills and window frames.

Install Weather Stripping And Tight Fitting Screens

This is yet another efficient and cost-effective way for house pest control and to get rid of spiders.

If you do not already have door sweeps, weather stripping as well as mosquito nets installed around your windows, then perhaps you should consider buying some.

These are great for keeping the arachnids, their spider webs and all sorts of bugs or crawlers away from your house – however, if you opt for the tight fitting screens, then make sure to also install them over all the vents and windows that surround your house.

Plant Trees In Your Back Yard

Did you know that some trees and plants act as natural insect repellents and keep spiders, mosquitoes and all the other insects away from your home?

Eucalyptus is one of these plants, and the best thing about the eucalyptus tree is that it requires minimal maintenance and you can enjoy its pleasant smell and effects as a spider repellent for years.

Control Spiders With Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Food-Grade Diatomaceous earth also helps control spiders, bugs, ants, fleas, cockroaches, spider mites, earwigs, and other crawling insects indoors and outdoor. Apply this natural repellent to cracks, window sills and crevices where spiders may hide.  Always use Food Grade diatomaceous earth as it is safe for people and pets. [source]

Coconut Oil And Water

Last, but not least, another great natural spider repellent recipe consists of one part coconut oil, two parts water. Just mix the solution and spray it across the main spider entry points.

Homemade Tick Repellent Recipe

For most homeowners, ticks are some of the most troublesome outdoor pests. These pests feed off the blood of many different animals. A tick bite can even carry or transfer serious diseases and bacteria, including Lyme disease.

Although you can find a lot of products specifically designed to repel ticks, most of these insect repellent products are expensive. In fact, some of them are even ineffective.

homemade tick repellent recipe

A simple homemade solution can help you repel ticks and save your hard-earned money.

Find out the Correct Way To Remove A Tick here

Homemade Flea and Tick Repellent For Pets

It’s quite easy to come up with a natural insect repellent solution for pets. You just need to add 1 cup of normal water to a spray bottle. The next step is to add 2 cups of white vinegar (distilled).

Ticks tend to hate the taste and smell of vinegar. Thus, they are very easily repelled by this ingredient. You can also use kill ticks using diatomaceous earth.

You also need to add 2 spoons of almond oil, coconut oil or vegetable oil. Both these ingredients contain sulfur. It is another excellent tick repellent.

If you want to make a flea repellent, you should mix 1 spoon of citrus oil, lemon juice or peppermint oil. They can repel both fleas and ticks, while creating a sweet aroma. This way, you will have a scented natural repellent.

You need to spray the homemade insect repellent mixture on your pets dry coat. It is important to keep the homemade bug repellent away from sensitive areas like nose, eyes, genitals and mouth.

When your pet is outdoors for extended periods, you should spray the solution about 2-3 times every day. On the other hand, if your pet is outdoors for just relieving itself, you should spray the homemade flea repellent solution on your dog fur or pet skin just once every day.

There is evidence that in dogs, Neem oil can help with fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites and mange mites.

Tick Spray Repellent For Humans

A basic homemade repellent can be easily made with just a few affordable ingredients in your home. You need to take a spray bottle, and mix 2 cups of clean, distilled white vinegar with 1 cup of water.

It is important to use another ingredient to make sure you don’t smell like vinegar all day. You should add about 20 drops of a sweet bath oil.

Eucalyptus oil can be a good choice. It has a soothing, calm scent that works as an excellent natural tick repellent.

On the other hand, citrus, and peppermint oils give off a bitter, strong scent that can also repel ticks. Other essential oils you can use against ticks include tea tree oil, cedar oil, geranium oil, eucalyptus essential oil and babassu oil.

Once you have properly mixed the solution, you should spray it onto your clothes, hair and skin before going outdoors.

In order to keep the ticks away, you should apply the bug spray solution every 4 hours. You also need to examine your hair and skin while returning home to make sure there aren’t any ticks on your body.

How To Kill Bed Bugs With Diatomaceous Earth & Other Home Remedies

The bed bug problem is on the rise, and it can happen to anyone. These minuscule pests can hide out in the tiniest of crevices in furnishings or clothing. Bed bugs are easy to pick up in public places such as movie theaters, doctors’ offices and any other place where multiple people occupy the same piece of upholstered furniture, one-after-another in the course of a day.

When bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) hitch a ride to your home upon your person, they waste no time setting up shop in your upholstered furniture and bedding. Bedbugs thrive in warm settings. They prefer to stay in soft, porous materials such as:

  • Furniture
  • Bedding
  • Carpets
  • Fabrics

Bedbugs can hide almost entirely in the crevices and seams of mattresses, sofas, chairs and other porous items. They can also hide in the tiny gaps between non-porous parts of various types of furnishings.

Diatomaceous Earth Bed Bugs

Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Bed Bugs? Read On…

If you see signs of bedbugs in your home, you must act quickly to eradicate them. In this article, we will share useful information on the use of safe, affordable food-grade diatomaceous earth powder to kill bedbugs. We will also share some tips to help you avoid having bedbugs re-infest your home. Read on to learn more.

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How To Tell If You Have Bed Bugs?

The first clue of a home infested with bed bugs often show up as personal symptoms such as:

  • Welts or blisters on the skin
  • Itchy, inflamed bug bites
  • Itchy, inflamed rash
  • Skin infection

Bedbugs are blood-suckers, and naturally, they like to have a steady supply of food. That’s why you’ll often find them in beds and bedding. Sleeping victims ensure a good, long feeding time for bedbugs. If you wake up with any of the symptoms listed here, you should take quick steps to determine whether bed bugs are the cause of your problem.

Begin by examining your mattress for tiny black flecks – bedbug fecal matter. It may also be little flecks of your blood. Use a flashlight to examine the seams in your mattress and other places where bed bugs might hide.

Be sure to look in the joints of your bed frame, in your box springs, in rugs and carpets and other furnishings and objects around your bed. If you have a bedbug infestation, you are likely to find them hiding. Bedbugs resemble apple seeds in size, shape, and color. They tend to cluster together in warm, dark places.

You may find them in your bedding, in your pets’ bedding and sofas, upholstered chairs and the like. They can also hide in very unlikely places such as behind switch plates and electrical outlet covers and other dark gaps, crevices, and cracks.

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Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?

Luckily they are not especially dangerous. Bed bugs do not spread any known infections or diseases at this time; however, being bitten by bedbugs is not a desirable experience. Having an infested mattress causes lack of sleep and lots of discomfort along with a general sense of revulsion.

It’s vital that you address any signs of infestation immediately and aggressively before your problem gets out of control. Bedbugs mature and reproduce very rapidly. The time span from hatching to adult bed bugs is approximately a month. The bugs live about a year or a year-and-a-half and lay eggs on an ongoing basis.

Females may lay one or two eggs a day throughout their lives. Translation, one, single female bedbug could leave a legacy of over 500 offspring. It’s easy to see that if you don’t get the situation under control quickly, you could be overrun with biting bugs in no time.

Bed Bug Life Cycle

life cycle of bed bugs picture

Bed Bug Pest Control – What To Do

Luckily, getting rid of bedbugs is not extremely hard, but it does take quite a bit of tenacity and determination. Diatomaceous earth products are especially useful in bed bug control and keeping them away from your home and your bed.

These pests are also very sensitive to extremes in temperature, so both heat and cold can be very helpful in eradicating them. They are also repelled and killed by essential oils such as:

  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Lavender
  • Neem Oil
  • Cedar Wood Oil

Or EcoRaider another Natural Bed Bug Spray

It’s smart to make a simple, natural insecticide to kill them and repel them. (See the recipe at the end of this article.)

Diatomaceous earth makes a powerful centerpiece for your eradication program, but it’s important to use all of the natural tools at your disposal as no single product will entirely do the trick. By combining the strengths of a variety of natural treatments, you can take a multi-pronged approach to eradicating bedbugs and preventing re-infestation.

Entomologist at Virginia Tech explains:

“When bed bugs walk through the dust, it clings to their exoskeleton and absorbs their wax layer, causing them to die of dehydration, Miller said. “We treat the perimeter of the apartment to isolate infestations in one unit and not allow them to spread. It is a lot less expensive to treat one apartment than every unit in the building.” [source]

8 Steps To Eliminate Bed Bugs

1. Locate your problem. If you suspect bedbugs, carefully examine all soft surfaces and potential hiding places in your home. Be sure to look at both sides of your mattress, examine the seams and explore all the areas in your bedroom and other areas of the house where bedbugs might hide.

Other oddball hiding places include:

  • Inside electrical devices (e.g. your alarm clock)
  • Beneath loosened wallpaper
  • Behind baseboards
  • In drawer joints

2. Seal off entrances. When you have located your problem, seal off crevices and cracks that may be allowing bedbugs to enter. Remember that these may also provide the bugs with an escape hatch while you are working to eradicate them. Sealing off these weak points will prevent bedbugs from beating a hasty retreat to get away from your efforts and then returning the moment you are done.

3. Remove all soft items such as:

  • Sheets, blankets, comforters
  • Throw pillows
  • Bed pillows
  • Clothing

Hot wash and dry all of these items while you are vacuuming. Getting rid of bed bugs at once will help ensure success.

4. Hot wash and dry all fabric items and seal them up in plastic.

Wash all of your bedding, clothing and other washable items in very warm or hot water with a generous dose of laundry detergent. Dry the items at the high heat setting. Once dry, put the cleaned items into sealed plastic containers or bags. Sealed containers will kill any fleas, cockroaches, bedbugs and other crawling insects that have managed to survive. Plastic bags are also very helpful in reducing chances of re-infestation.

where do bed bugs hide?

Where do bed bugs hide? In cracks and crevices and can live for up to a year!

5. Vacuum! Start by sucking up as many of the little beasts as possible with your vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming is an easy way to get rid of significant numbers of the bugs and their eggs.

Be sure to vacuum everything. Your vacuum should have a hose attachment. Don’t use a bagless vacuum for this job. You need to be able to dispose of your bag full of bedbugs completely and quickly.

You may wish to vacuum once and then go back over your furnishings and the seams with a stiff brush before vacuuming again. Take your furniture apart and vacuum all areas where bedbugs may be able to hide. Spray the seams and joints of your dismantled furniture with a natural, essential oil insect control spray and repellent.

Be sure to dispose of your vacuum cleaner bag promptly and correctly to avoid having the bugs re-infest your home before you can get rid of them. Remove the vacuum cleaner bag carefully from the machine. Seal the bag up inside a plastic bag and set the bag in a very hot or very cold place (e.g. in direct sunshine, in the snow or the freezer) until it can be picked up by the trash collector.

6. Steam clean all soft surfaces. Rent a steam cleaner and/or carpet steamer to steam clean mattresses, upholstered furniture, drapes, and carpets. Temperatures higher than 130 degrees Fahrenheit over a sustained period will kill bedbugs.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade

7. Once you have thoroughly vacuumed and steam cleaned your home, dust diatomaceous earth all around the infested area. Leave the bed bug powder in place for at least 24 hours and then vacuum again. Be sure to use a shop vac rather than a household vacuum because the diatomaceous earth will ruin the motor of a standard, household vacuum cleaner.

To apply the fine powder of diatomaceous earth dust, you can use a shaker and/or a powdered pesticide applicator or bulb duster. Follow these steps to apply DE:

  • Use a bulb applicator to spray it into crevices and cracks
  • Sprinkle it lightly behind and underneath appliances
  • Apply a thin line along windowsills and door jambs
  • Sprinkle DE in drawers and closets
  • Treat moldings and baseboards

Be sure to remove switch-plates and wall socket covers and use your bulb applicator to spray a mist of DE into the areas behind them.

Use your shaker to sprinkle DE all over soft furnishings, mattresses, and carpets. Brush it in using a soft bristled brush.

8. Allow the diatomaceous earth to sit for 24 hours and then vacuum it away. Be sure to vacuum very thoroughly using a shop vac. Since bedbugs reproduce so quickly and abundantly, leaving even a few adults, larvae or bed bug eggs could result in very rapid re-infestation. Vacuum all soft surfaces, between all seam and joints, in all crevices and hiding holes.

You can also sweep DE up with a broom, but because it is so very finely ground, it may be hard to control it dry. You can mist it lightly with a spray bottle before sweeping to get a little more control of it. Follow up by wiping the area down with a damp cloth or mopping.

Even though food grade DE is not a hazardous material, it can be irritating when inhaled, and it is not pleasant to touch. Wear goggles and a dust mask to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. Wear disposable plastic gloves to protect your hands from excessive drying and possible irritation.

Why Use The Diatomaceous Earth Last?

Although it may seem that applying DE first would be a good idea, the fact is you are better off physically removing as many blood-sucking intruders as possible initially. If you shake DE all over your home, to begin with, it may have the effect of driving the little devils into deeper hiding, which would ultimately make your task more difficult.

Physical removal should be your first step, followed by DE as ultimate insurance and regular applications of DE as ongoing maintenance.

Take A Whole-House Approach

Even though you may have only noticed the infestation in one area of your home, it is wise to give your entire home the bedbug eradication treatment. Follow the outlined steps in every room of your house.

Inspect, vacuum thoroughly and apply DE as needed a couple of times a week until the bugs seem to be gone, and then repeat once every month to six weeks as maintenance. Use DE on an ongoing basis in out of the way places as a deterrent to bedbugs and other pests.

what is food grade diatomaceous earth

Be Sure To Use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Food grade diatomaceous earth kills a wide variety of pests because it works by destroying their protective outer membrane and absorbing the oils and fats that lubricate their joints. DE causes immobility and massive dehydration within 2-4 hours of the original application.

It is important to choose the food grade product and not DE used in swimming pool filters. Food grade DE is easy to apply around your home and safe to use near food, pets, and children. Pool filter DE will have no effect on pests and can be hazardous if ingested or if your skin comes in contact with it.

Food grade DE is a safe, natural powder that is harmful to insects but safe for use around pets and children. Although the initial wave of bugs affected by DE will become evident quite shortly, this light powder stays strong and effective against pests for a long period.

Penn State Department of Entomology shared:

Inorganic materials such as silica gel, boric acid, and diatomaceous earth will provide long-term control, provided they are used in an environment with low humidity. These inorganic materials have very low repellency, a long residual life, and can provide good control if thoroughly applied to cracks and crevices. [source]

When bugs walk through the powder, it adheres to their legs to be carried into their hiding places and spread among the other bugs. The bugs will take this natural insect killer deep into very hard to reach areas. Once there, it keeps on killing off bedbugs at a steady rate. In fact, with patience and diligence, you could eradicate 80 percent of all bed bugs in about a month and a half.

Bedbug Control Video From Purdue University

How To Prevent Bed Bug Infestations

Even if you do not have a bedbug infestation now, following the steps outlined here is a good idea. By keeping your home scrupulously clean and disrupting potential bedbug habitat on a regular basis, you can completely prevent infestation. Follow these steps on a regular, ongoing basis to prevent infestation or re-infestation.

1. Check your mattresses and soft furnishings frequently for signs of infestation such as dark spots or actual bedbugs in the seams.

2. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly.

3. Whenever you take a trip, be sure to examine your luggage and vacuum it thoroughly before bringing it into the house. Wash all of the clothing and other soft items you may have taken on your trip.

4. Whenever you stay in a motel, examine the mattresses and soft furnishings with the aid of a flashlight. If you see signs of bedbugs, check out immediately.

5. If you purchase used furniture or items from a thrift store, yard or garage sale, be sure to examine them thoroughly before bringing them into your home. A good vacuuming, steam cleaning, and spraying with essential oil pesticide is a smart idea.

6. Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. Remember to use your shop vac to clean up DE.

7. Hot wash and dry clothes and bedding. Always use the hottest water your clothing and bedding will stand when washing. Dry on the highest possible temperature setting. Ironing with a hot iron is also a good idea for killing off bedbugs and their eggs.

8. Use a hair dryer to blow hot air into crevices and cracks where bedbugs may lurk. A hot hair dryer can also cause bed bugs to flee from a hiding place. You can blow hot air into a suspected bedbug lair and then suck the bugs up with your vacuum cleaner when they emerge. Follow up by spraying DE into the hidey-hole.

9. Steam clean on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to steam clean upholstery and mattresses on a seasonal basis for good hygiene and to prevent and/or eradicate bedbug infestation. Steam will kill off bugs and eggs even if they are lurking deep in the stuffing of your mattresses and soft furnishings.

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10. Keep your mattresses and pillows covered with bedbug-proof casings. You can purchase very tightly woven mattress, box-spring and pillow cases designed for the purpose of keeping bedbugs out of your bed.

Conversely, if bedbugs are lurking deep in the stuffing of your pillows, mattress and box springs, these covers will trap them inside where they will gradually starve to death. Be advised that this death is very gradual indeed and not entirely trustworthy.

11. Put bedbug traps under the legs of your bed. These ingenious devices prevent these little pests from being able to crawl up your bed legs and into your bed.

12. Freeze small items that may be infested. Stuffed toys and other small items that may not be washable can be placed in the freezer or outside in freezing temperatures to kill off bedbugs. The temperature must be 1 degree Fahrenheit or less, and you must leave the item at this temperature for at least 24 hours.

NOTE: Bedbugs can tolerate very cool temperatures. In fact, they can live for up to a year in a dormant state without food if isolated in a cool area. They will not reproduce during this time, but if returned to a warm setting where food is available, they will spring to life and begin making up for lost time very quickly. While it is possible to kill off bedbugs by placing infested items in sealed plastic bags in very cold or very hot areas for a year or more, this is an uncertain and impractical method.

13. Create essential oil sprays to treat and prevent bedbug infestation.

Natural, essential oil sprays will repel and eradicate bedbugs from hard to reach areas and from large expanses of fabric or carpet. Good choices in oils include:

  • Oil of Lavender
  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Peppermint
  • Lemon Oil

All of these are good choices to repel bedbugs and many other pests naturally. To make an insect repellent spray, you’ll need a spray bottle, essential oil, and warm water.

Add the oil to warm water at a rate of 1/3 teaspoon or 20 drops per 8 ounces of water. Don’t make a lot of this in advance as it will lose its potency if stored. Use a small spray bottle and only mix up as much solution as you need at time.

Spray this light, natural spray liberally over upholstery and in areas where bedbugs may lurk. If spraying on soft furnishings and mattresses, it’s a good idea to turn a fan on for even drying. The oil will stay in place and remain effective after the water has dried.

You can combine these oils as you like to suit your preferences for scent. Oil of lavender is especially effective because it not only repels and kills bed bugs, adult, larvae and it also destroys bedbug eggs.

You can also apply tea tree oil to itchy spots caused by bed bug bites. It will relieve the itching and help prevent infection.

Bed Bug Eradication Is A Lifestyle

The main takeaway regarding bed bug eradication is that it is not a one-off. If you want to eliminate bed bugs and/or keep them out of your house, you’ll need to develop a lifestyle of regular, thorough, careful cleaning. Vigilance and persistence are your best weapons against bedbugs.

How To Remove A Tick

Ticks are nothing to play with. They don’t just bug your pet as they can also suck your blood and cause infection. They are known to carry many tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and harmful bacteria.

If you find a tick attached to your skin, there’s no need to panic. There are several flea and tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively.

[Read: Homemade Natural Tick Repellant & Tick Spray]

Follow This Step-by-step Guide

  1. Use fine-tipped tweezers in removing ticks to grasp them as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Lock onto the tick head part for easier and a more successful operation. You can also use a tick twister to remove tick from your skin.
  2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.  If this happens, safely remove the mouth parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
  3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands using a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

remove-tick-cdc

tick-iconAvoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible to avoid tick-borne illness — not wait for it to detach.

Follow-up

If you develop a rash, fever or flu-like symptoms within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick. Then plan to prevent ticks from making further damage.

Clean your house and regularly bathe your cat or dog to prevent tick and flea infestation. Make use of different home remedies such as peppermint oil, insect repellent and pesticides to prevent fleas and ticks from coming back.

source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

15 Best Ways To Use All Natural Diatomaceous Earth

Sometimes, all you need in your home is a single ingredient to cover a broad range of problems. With all of Diatomaceous Earth uses – DE – is one such ingredient with numerous possible purposes.

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What is Diatomaceous Earth?

Generally considered safe, diatomaceous earth comes from one-celled plants – fossilized diatoms.

Diatoms are hard-shelled algae that come from bodies of water. Typically you’ll find DE sold in powder form and used for an array of needs. It’s recommended you purchase food grade diatomaceous earth.

Diatomaceous earth has a high silica content which makes it good for hair and skin use. It’s been called – miracle dust, fossil shell flour.

Studies also show that the product has a negative charge which proves to be useful when it comes to health considerations. Read on to learn more about diatomaceous earth uses.

15 Uses of Diatomaceous Earth

So exactly how do you use diatomaceous earth? Here are the top ways this all-natural product can be used for personal development:

1 – Fleas

If you have cats and dogs in the house, there is a good chance you have fleas just roaming around the rooms.

The sharp edges of the silica in diatomaceous earth works as a mild abrasive and manages to scratch the fleas, causing them to die even before they could breed further.

To use DE, sprinkle the fine powder all over the house, preferably the carpet where the fleas most likely reside.

No need to spray too much – a small amount will work just fine for flying and crawling insect control. Leave it alone for 3 days before vacuuming the carpet thoroughly.

Re-apply and repeat the process for 30 days or one month. This will help to be sure that even the hatchlings are killed.

You can also try applying DE directly onto pet fur. Just sprinkle and brush the DE all over your cats and dogs until it really gets into their scalp.

Dogs and cats actually enjoy the process but note that if you gave your dog a bath, reapplication is necessary.

Apply DE every two weeks to make sure that lice and fleas do not come back. Use diatomaceous earth for ticks as well.

2 – Natural Insecticide For Home Pest Control

DE also helps with the control of pests that might be invading your home. It can target cockroaches, spiders, ants, as well as bed bugs. This pest control quality makes one of the biggest diatomaceous earth benefits.

With bedbugs, just sprinkle DE on your bed as well as any other area you believe the bugs are residing. Do this every night for about a month to completely kill not just the adults but also possible eggs and babies.

As for the ants, spiders, and cockroaches, sprinkle wherever you feel these little critters are residing. Windowsills, kitchen cabinets, and others are just some of the most common places where this happens.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

3 – Detoxification

DE can be safely ingested in controlled numbers (food grade only – more below). When taken regularly, studies show that it can help detoxify your body naturally.

Specifically, the negative charge of DE attracts positively charged ions or those that come from heavy metals collecting in our digestive tract.

These heavy metals are often ingested by individuals through day to day living. As DE attracts positively charged ions, the two are then released through the usual routes.

Upon detoxification, you will find yourself becoming more energetic, having a stronger immune system, and lowering the risk of health problems.

4 – Garden Pest Control

Use diatomaceous earth powder as a natural insecticide for pest control in the garden. It has been especially proven to work with snails and beetles. The crystalline silica scratching the body (exoskeleton) of the insect and causing them to die.

Using this is a simple system of sprinkling the fine powder around the plant where the slugs encounter the sharp edges before getting to your crop. Do this once or twice a week for best results.

Note: Diatomaceous Earth will harm ALL insects that pass through it so even the good garden critters may be affected. If the soil becomes wet after placing DE, its best to re-apply since this will not work as well anymore.

5 – Control Cholesterol Levels

Another study suggests that Diatomaceous earth food grade offers great health benefits such as helping lower the cholesterol levels of individuals.

A lot of testimonies have shown that with just Diatomaceous Earth taken for cholesterol, you will be able to lower the levels to at least 100 in just two months.

It is an impressive number and an infinitely cheaper one compared to buying anti-cholesterol drugs out in the market today.

There are also zero side effects attributed to the ingestion of diatomaceous earth products.

6 – Shampoo

One of the great benefits of diatomaceous earth is its use as a hair cleaning product. You can try adding it with your regular shampoo or perhaps sprinkling some in your hair and massaging it through the scalp.

If you have lice, the routine introduction of DE should kill the lice permanently. Make sure to wash off the DE at the end of the day, thoroughly rinsing it out before reapplication.

The good news is that aside from getting rid of lice, DE also helps promote healthy hair growth.

If you are suffering from thin hair or hair fall, application and ingestion of DE should improve your condition.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

7 – Toothpaste

If you love to drink coffee or tea, chances are your teeth are pretty stained and are no longer sparkly white in color.

Sprinkle some DE in your toothpaste and brush as usual – the silica should work better in removing stains in your teeth as well as any bacteria that might be residing there.

DO NOT do this every day, however – once a week would be just fine. You do not want to damage your gums. You can also make DIY toothpaste with DE as a main ingredient.

8 – Skin Care

The mild abrasive quality of DE makes it an excellent scrub and exfoliant for the skin.

Despite being abrasive, however, the silica particles are small enough that they do not really cause irritation or trigger allergies on the skin.

Getting in the pores, the silica manages to sweep the dirt that might be clogging it, allowing your skin to breathe better.

Of course, the lack of allergies resulting from DE use is not absolute. It is recommended that individuals first apply the product on their skin and see if any negative reaction occurs.

9 – De-Worming

Some pet owners also find DE to be more effective than commercial de-wormers available today.

To use this product, just sprinkle some DE in the dog or cat’s pet food on a daily basis. Do not sprinkle too much – 1/4 teaspoon will do.

The DE will cut and kill any possible worms and internal parasites residing in the body, allowing them to be “eliminated” by your pet. NOTE: for this purpose, a food-grade type of DE is best used.

10 – Food Storage

You can also use DE to make food last longer. The powder is often added with beans and wheat so that they would not spoil so soon, lengthening the shelf life of products.

If you have seen those small packets usually placed inside bottled medications, these are silica which promotes long term food storage.

You can do the same with your food, but make sure that you are not actually putting the DE in the mixture.

Use a cloth packet because DE is excellent in soaking up extra moisture. Hence, your food will remain dry with less chances of mold growth.

11- Farm Pets

Farmers also noted that farm animals fed with DE produce better and are healthier throughout their life.

When fed to chickens, or as a “chicken dust bath” you will find yourself getting stronger and better eggs. As for cows, it also increases their milk production plus improves their coats and hooves. For improved pet health use diatomaceous earth for controlling parasites in animals.

There are also fewer chances of pests invading the farmhouse with frequent application of DE.

toenail-fungus-left-right-06302015Dollarphotoclub_41778942

12 – Toenail Fungus

If you have problems with fungus in your feet, try sprinkling some DE in your socks on a daily basis. This should dry up the socks as the DE absorbs the moisture, removing any means of water for the fungus.

At the same time, this actually gets rid of any lingering smell on the sock. You can also try sprinkling the same inside your shoes and be amazed at how well this works for you.

13 – Deodorant

Yes – you can use DE as a type of deodorant for your body. This makes sense considering how it is already used as a deodorizer as discussed in use #15.

Just apply the powder in your armpit and this should keep you feeling fresh and clean throughout the day.

An excellent absorbent, the DE will make sure that you will not perspire too much even when under the sun.

Click Here to Learn More / Buy Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

14 – Cleaner and Polisher

The microscopic sharp edge of diatomaceous earth also makes it perfect as a polisher and cleaner for stainless steel.

It manages to remove dirt and grime without scratching the surface, resulting to a gleaming material for your faucet and sink.

To use DE, just combine it with fresh water, lemon, and a bit of dish soap to create a thick paste.

Place it on the faucet or sink and diligently wipe it off. Some homeowners are happy just sprinkling the DE onto stainless steel and wiping it with a moist cloth.

Use whatever technique works for you. It can also be used for copper and silverware.

15 – Deodorizer: Fridge and Garbage Can

If your garbage can tends to smell bad, you can sprinkle some DE in the can to nullify the odor.

Composting can now be done with marginally less odor infiltrating the garden.

This also works for the fridge but try not to scatter the powder inside. Instead, just grab a bowl and place a generous amount of DE inside before leaving it inside the fridge.

This will prevent nasty odors from lingering in your fridge. Make sure to have the DE replaced every 2 weeks.

If you are going on a long vacation, this is also a great way to make sure that the fridge does not smell after days of being unplugged.

Just empty the fridge, remove it from the power socket and place a box of DE inside.

When you come back, the fridge will be ready for use.

If you have cats, sprinkle some DE in the kitty litter to prevent the smell from permeating all over the house.

What Kind of Diatomaceous Earth Should I Use?

There are several kinds of DE available in the market today, but your best choice would be the food-grade type.

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is by far the safest option, considering how some studies noted that inhaling DE can cause lung problems.

Don’t panic!

This is not a prevalent problem as long as you purchase the right DE for whatever purpose you need it.

Fortunately, food-grade diatomaceous earth is labeled so you should not have any problems finding them. Check the label, food grade types should have no more than 10mg per kg of lead and 10mg per kg of arsenic.

Other notes to keep in mind when buying diatomaceous earth food grade are:

  • It has to have a label approved by the Food Chemical Codex Rating or FCCR
  • The label must also sport approval from GRAS or Generally Recognized as Safe
  • Make sure that you are buying pure white or off white DE. Anything else is not acceptable. You’ll find DE in different colors such as pink, grey, brown, and even orange – those are not acceptable for use
  • Make sure the product contains EPA approved labels. This includes: Animal Feed Additive, Inert Carrier, Grain Storage Protectant, Anti Caking Agent, and Trace Minerals Supplement

If you intend to use just one DE for all the functions mentioned above, Food Grade DE is your best option.

You will find that the Internet has lots of sellers for this item so compare and check the brand before buying anything.

How I Take Diatomaceous Earth Internally?

Is diatomaceous earth safe to be taken internally?

It is also possible to take diatomaceous earth internally and really benefit from the silica content of the powder.

Note: You must purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth for internal use to make sure that it is 100% safe to include in your diet.

To take this powder internally, just add 1/2 teaspoon of diatomaceous earth for every 8oz of juice or fresh water and stir.

Note that the powder will not dissolve in the water but it will distribute it evenly so that you will be able to consume it with the liquid.

Drink the juice or water as soon as you are done stirring so that the silica supplement will not settle at the bottom of the glass.

The maximum daily intake of diatomaceous earth is 1 tablespoon so you re welcome to add or subtract DE depending on what works best for you.

According to reports of people using DE internally, long-term use actually provides them with the following benefits:

  • Better digestive health
  • Healthier colon
  • Better food absorption
  • Clearer skin
  • Healthier hair and nails
  • More energy
  • Lower Candida levels
  • Lower chances of having Alzheimer’s disease

… more

Try Diatomaceous Earth out and see how it can improve your life and health.

All the Diatomaceous Earth uses makes DE one items homeowners can use to handle a broad range of pest problems. [LEARN MORE]

Naturally Get Rid of Bed Bugs: How To Kill A Bedbug Infestation

The Bed Bug – Cimex lectularius – is a very common problem these days. Almost everybody knows someone who has dealt with a bed bug infestation at least once. Not only are bed bug bites very annoying and potentially dangerous for your health, but it’s also very difficult to actually get rid of bed bugs without using the services of a professional pest control company.

EcoRaider has a 100% Fast Kill Green Non-Toxic Bed Bug killer in a 16 oz bottle and it’s been called the “Most Effective Natural Bed Bug spray” by the Entomological Society of America Journal. Read our EcoRaider review here.

to get rid of bed bugs see how tiny these dead bed bugs are compared to a penny

image via flickr & USDA

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of bed bug infestation in the United States and around the world. One of the reasons for this is that the dangerous pesticides that were once used to combat these tiny bloodsuckers (e.g. DDT) have been rightfully outlawed, and there are very few single substances that will entirely eradicate bedbugs.

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The good news is that there are ways to naturally get rid of bedbugs. In this article, we will describe how to develop an anti-bedbug lifestyle and explain the steps needed to repel, control, and kill bedbugs. Read on to learn more.

Get Rid Of Bed Bugs Starts With An Anti-Bedbug Lifestyle?

Eliminating bedbugs and keeping them away is a multi-step, ongoing process. It involves developing habits of vigilance and cleanliness. A lifestyle bed bugs find unwelcoming includes:

  • Setting up a regular bed bug patrol to examine your bed and bedding, areas around your baseboards, soft furnishings, and any other areas where bedbugs may congregate.
  • Avoid spending time in close quarters with strangers (e.g. on public transportation, in movie theaters, etc.)
  • Avoid sharing items such as coats, jackets, hats, and other items of clothing that might pick up bedbugs.
  • Build up your personal resistance by staying healthy and keeping your immune system strong.
  • Use personal care products that contain essential oils that may be repellent to bedbugs.
  • Wash with very hot water and dry your clothes and bedding at the hottest setting.
  • Use cedar-based cleaners, cedar oil, and other bedbug repellent essential oils.
  • Use a rotating arsenal of natural bedbug repellent and killing products.
  • Change your bedding and turn and inspect your mattress regularly.
  • Store outerwear and luggage separately from your living areas.
  • Keep your home (and especially your bedroom) free of clutter.
  • Perform an annual spring cleaning.

To live an anti-bedbug lifestyle, you must clean your home and belongings regularly and thoroughly using a rotating variety of all-natural cleaning products such as food-grade diatomaceous earth, essential oils, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and other substances that repel, kill, and eradicate bedbugs, their larvae, and their eggs. You must sweep, mop, and vacuum regularly, and steam clean occasionally.

Does Having Bedbugs Mean You Are Dirty?

Technically, no. Bedbugs live on blood and travel on people or in their belongings, so they are just as likely to land in a clean environment as a filthy one. The steps needed to eradicate them do involve cleaning, but just keeping your home clean is not enough to prevent bed bug infestations.

Having said that, it is true they are more likely to set up a successful infestation in a cluttered setting that is not:

  • Vacuumed
  • Swept
  • Mopped
  • Or scrubbed frequently

The reason for this is they have more places to hide in a cluttered environment, and lack of regular cleaning means that they are left undisturbed. If you don’t clean your house and wash your clothing and your bedding on a regular basis, they are more likely to become well-established.

On the other hand, if you vacuum thoroughly, wash frequently, and clean regularly using cedar-based household cleaners, essential oils, vinegar, and other substances that irritate and kill them, they will be repelled and discouraged. While these steps may not exterminate them entirely, they will help keep their numbers in check.

Regular disruption of their environment and regular use of products harmful to them prevents them from getting a solid toe-hold.

For all these reasons, if you do have the habit of keeping your home environment clean, you are ahead of the game if bedbugs do attempt to invade you.

size of bed bug compared to a dime

Image: via flickr & National Pest Management Association

What Do Bedbugs Look Like?

Bedbugs are about the size, shape, and color of an apple seed. They are sometimes mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. Like ticks, they feed on animal and human blood. Unlike ticks, they crawl very quickly. They cannot fly, but they can rush to hide in the seams of clothing, luggage, and other tiny nooks and crannies. This is how they spread rapidly between locations.

They also spread quickly through rampant reproduction. A single female adult bed bug can lay hundreds of eggs about half a dozen times a year. These eggs are no bigger than a dust mote, so they are very hard to see and eliminate.

After hatching, bedbug nymphs outgrow and cast off their skins a total of five times. They must do this on a full stomach, so they seek out human or animal blood each time. The process of transforming from egg to adult is completed in less than a month.

How Do You Find Bedbugs?

Put simply, finding bedbugs isn’t easy. They are tiny, fast, and sneaky, and they can hide in the very smallest cracks and crevices. Their flat bodies can slip easily into a space just large enough to insert an object the width of a credit card.

They prefer to hide in soft materials, such as mattresses, pillows, upholstered furniture, and the like; however, they will also hide in the cracks in headboards, bed frames, and other hard furnishings.

It is easy for them to elude detection altogether by getting settled inside your box springs where you will never see them, their nymphs, or their eggs. At night, after you go to sleep, they will swarm out and drink your blood.

Of course, if they are allowed to remain for any length of time, they will spread out to other areas of your home. They frequently hide under baseboards, behind loose wallpaper, inside plug sockets and light switch plates, inside lamps, clock radios, and anywhere else they find a tiny hiding place.

How Do You Know If You Have a Bedbug Infestation?

Even as sneaky as they are, bedbugs cannot help leaving telltale signs of their presence. You can detect these signs with your eyes, your nose, and your skin!

  • Bedbugs leave rusty, dark splotches of excrement on bedding, mattresses, and even on the walls surrounding your bed.
  • If you go to bed itch-free and wake up itchy, you probably have bedbugs.
  • If you find bloodstains on your bedding, you should be suspicious.
  • A musty, moldy, sweetish scent indicates a bedbug infestation.
  • You may find shed bedbug nymph skins cast about.

What Can You Do If You Think Bedbugs Have Moved In?

Look all around the room for signs of them. Check the floor and carpet around the bed, the baseboards, behind sockets and switch-plates, in your closet, and inside any appliances that may be near your bed.

Pay close attention to seams in clothing, soft furnishings, mattresses, box springs, and bedding. This is where they typically congregate and lay their eggs.

If your search turns up evidence of bedbugs, you must take swift action to deal with the problem before they multiply. Start with a very thorough cleaning. Here is a brief list of steps for reference. You will find more detailed instructions on how to carry out these steps further along in this article.

10-Step Bed Bug Treatment Battle Plan

Follow these steps quickly. Time is of the essence: Do it all in one day, and don’t let time elapse between steps.

#1 – Wash all your bedding, clothing, curtains, and any other soft, washable item in hot water, and dry on the hottest setting possible.

#2 – Place items such as fabric shoes in the dryer and tumble on high for half an hour, or place them in a black plastic bag, seal it tightly, and set it outdoors in the hot sun (or below freezing temperatures) for several days.

#3 – Scrub the seams of mattresses, box springs, and soft furnishings with a stiff brush to dislodge eggs and hiding bugs.

#4 – Vacuum thoroughly and immediately. Dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag promptly by placing it in a sealed plastic bag in the garbage and/or in the blazing sun, or in freezing temperatures.

#5 – Steam clean all soft furnishings. The heat of the steam will kill bedbugs on contact. If you add a cedar-based cleaner to the steam, it will leave a residual scent bedbugs do not like. Cedar will also help eradicate any musty bedbug odor that may be present.

#6 – Be sure to fix any cracks, crevices, or other imperfections that provide hiding places for bedbugs. Use wood putty, spray foam, and other appropriate products to fill in gaps that allow these pests access to your home and a place to hide. Repair, remove, or replace loose wallpaper and other damaged items that might provide shelter for undesirable creatures.

#7 – Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth lightly under your bed, along and under baseboards, and behind switch plate and wall socket covers. Leave it in place.

#8 – After you have completed all your bedbug battling activities, put your newly cleaned mattress, box springs, and pillows into specially designed mattress encasements. These bedbug-proof covers are made of a tightly woven fabric that even nymphs cannot penetrate. They fit tightly and zip up securely to keep bedbugs both out and in.

If you have not been able to eradicate all the bugs hiding in your mattress, putting the encasement on it will force them to stay where they are until they starve to death. If you have recently purchased your mattress and box springs, this may be a very attractive option for you as these items can save you a great deal of money in that you will not have to replace your mattress and box springs.

Be sure to leave the encasement in place for at least a full year. Bedbugs can fast for this long without harm, so if you plan to trap them inside your mattress, you must keep the trap in place and securely zipped for a full 365 days.

#9 – Clean your entire bedroom and keep it free of clutter. If you make the mattress inhospitable to bedbugs, they may just move on and find somewhere close by to live. Clothes on the floor and other clutter provide fine hiding places for bedbugs, so keep your home as tidy as possible.

#10 – Be sure that you have washed all your outerwear. Establish an area separate from your living space to store your coats, jackets, hats, umbrellas, shoes, and boots. This will help prevent bringing bedbugs and other undesirable pests and substances into your home.

Spring Cleaning Is a Good Idea!

In the old days, at the end of the winter every year, most households would turn everything outdoors and scrub the entire house from top to bottom, including ceilings walls and floors.

Soft furnishings were placed in the bright sunshine to air out and kill anything that had taken up residence in the winter. Hard furnishings were taken apart, scrubbed, and left outdoors to air in the sunshine. These steps helped to eradicate all manner of pests, such as spiders, cockroaches, fleas, and bedbugs.

Old-fashioned practices such as performing a thorough spring cleaning every year can go a long way toward keeping bedbugs out of your home. These days, performing a spring cleaning may not be so easy, though. This is especially true if you live in an apartment or other close quarters that would prevent you from safely setting your belongings outdoors for any length of time.

Nonetheless, the concept is a very valuable one. To keep bedbugs from settling in, it’s a good idea to move your furnishings around, scrub them thoroughly, use a heat treatment like steam cleaning, vacuum, and otherwise, keep all surfaces of all belongings scrupulously clean.

How Can You Remove Bedbugs from Hard Furniture?

Although bedbugs prefer to live in soft furnishings and fabrics, they will also hide in the crevices of wood, metal, resin, or plastic furnishings. Therefore, it’s very important to take your bed frame apart if you find that you have a bedbug infestation.

Dismantle the frame and headboard completely and clean all the pieces thoroughly with a cedar-based cleaner or rub alcohol over the complete frame. Set the bed frame outdoors in the sun or in the cold for a significant time to kill off bedbugs, larvae, and eggs.

If you find bedbugs in your home, check all your hard furnishings to be sure that bedbugs are not hiding in tiny cracks and crevices. Remember that if you can slide a credit card into a crevice, bedbugs can hide there!

How Do You Remove Bedbugs from Upholstered Furniture?

To remove bedbugs from soft furnishings and mattresses you should begin by brushing down all the seams with a stiff-bristled brush to drive out bugs and brush out eggs. Follow up by vacuuming thoroughly with a powerful vacuum cleaner.

Vacuuming can remove large numbers of bedbugs, larvae, and eggs. As soon as you have finished vacuuming, remove the vacuum cleaner bag and put it in a black plastic bag. Seal it up tightly and dispose of it properly. If you cannot put it in a separate, sealed garbage can right away, put it in your freezer for several days to kill the bedbugs before disposing of it in a community dumpster or other shared, open receptacle.

After you have vacuumed, steam clean methodically using a very powerful machine. A small handheld steam cleaner will not do the job. You need a machine that can penetrate deeply into cushions, mattresses, and other thick, soft furnishings. Anyplace that the steam does not go, bedbugs can survive.

When you have finished steam cleaning, it’s a good idea to set up some powerful fans to dry things out quickly. If you can also raise the ambient temperature to 130°F or so, this will help kill off any malingerers.

If you can set soft furnishings outside in the sunshine, this can also help, but it should not take the place of the other steps.

Video: A SEVERE Bed Bug Infestation

Learn To Use An Arsenal Of Natural Products

Regular cleaning and diligent use of essential oils, diatomaceous earth, heat treatment, cold, and other practices that disrupt the lives of bedbugs can help keep them at bay. The various substances and practices that disturb them work in a variety of ways, as described below.

What Is Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth & How Does It Kill Bedbugs?

Food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is an all-natural substance made from the skeletons of tiny microscopic prehistoric creatures. It is mined from the earth and contains a great deal of silica.

Silica has sharp edges that can cut into the exoskeleton of a variety of insects. It also has drying properties that desiccate insect pests. Using diatomaceous earth around your home is advisable because it will not only help control bedbugs, but also control cockroaches, ants, and other undesirable insects and arachnids.

To use food-grade DE to kill bedbugs, sprinkle it liberally around the area where bedbugs have been seen. Leave it in place for 24 hours and then vacuum it up using a shop vac like this. You should not use your household vacuum cleaner for this task because the DE dust can damage the motor of your vacuum.

This is a good treatment to perform periodically throughout the year. When you first discover and area infested with bedbugs, you should follow the steps in the 10-Step Treatment Battle Plan above. Subsequently, you should apply DE thoroughly and vacuum it up on a seasonal basis.

Between seasonal treatments, you should keep it lightly scattered about in areas such as underneath your bed, along your baseboards, in cracks and crevices, and behind switch plates and plug covers.

You needn’t worry that this all-natural substance will be harmful. It is completely non-toxic and safe for consumption. In fact, many people use it as a dietary supplement because it has an impressive mineral content.

This substance is so safe that it can be used as a flea powder on your cats and dogs. Be sure not to get it wet because this will prevent it from working.

Be certain that you are using food-grade diatomaceous earth and not the type that is used in swimming pool filters. That is a different product, and it is not safe to come in contact with or consume.

How Do Essential Oils Work to Repel, Control & Kill Bedbugs?

There are several essential oils that are effective in either repelling or killing bedbugs. Some types (i.e. lavender) break down the surface of bedbug eggs to kill them before they’re ever hatched.

Some top choices in anti-bedbug essential oils include:

  • Oil of lavender
  • Tea tree oil
  • Cedar oil
  • Peppermint oil
  • Lemon oil
  • and many others.

It’s a good idea to learn how to use essential oils to create your own home and personal care products as most of these oils will have some negative effect on bedbugs, as well as other insect pests.

Knowledge of an assortment of oils is advantageous because it’s important to occasionally switch out the oils you are using. Remember that bedbugs are highly adaptable and can develop a resistance to any product used consistently over time.

There are numerous recipes that you can use to create bedbug repellents and sprays using a variety of essential oils and carriers such as white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and even plain water.

For specific recipes and tips on using essential oils, click here to read our comprehensive article – Does Peppermint Oil Bed Bug Repellent Really Work?  A discussion of the use of peppermint oil and other essential oils to keep bed bugs off and away from you.

Why Wash & Dry Clothing & Bedding at High Temperatures?

One of the simplest and most effective things you can do to kill bedbugs, their larvae, and their eggs is to wash and dry your clothing and your bedding at high temperatures. This also works well for small stuffed animals and other soft, washable items. Washing in hot water will kill adults and nymphs. Drying at high temperatures will destroy eggs.

Add a cup of cedar-based cleaner, such as Pine-Sol, to your wash for even greater effect. Be sure the items you wash are completely dry before taking them out of the dryer. You may also wish to put the items outdoors to reap the benefits of open air and sunshine.

It’s important to understand that this treatment will only work if you wash and dry all your soft washables in your initial treatment. If any item is left unwashed and harbors bedbugs, nymphs, or eggs, you will be right back where you started. Remember to wash all your outerwear, rugs, towels, linens, etc. at the same time to eradicate all bedbugs in your first treatment.

It may be smartest and easiest to remove these items from your home and take them to a professional laundry service to have them washed and dried while you carry out the rest of your bedbug battle. If you are not able to do that, perhaps you could delegate a day at the laundromat to a trustworthy family member while you attend to the rest of the necessary tasks.

Can You Kill Bedbugs with Heat?

Bedbugs are extremely sensitive to heat, and some professional pest control services use super-powered heaters to heat up entire rooms to eradicate them. Still, other professional treatments involve encasing your mattress and box springs in plastic and blowing super-heated air into the enclosure for an extended period. This is very effective for killing off all the bedbugs in a mattress and box springs.

While you probably do not have super-heating equipment available to you, there are several household appliances you can use to scorch bedbugs. In addition to your clothes dryer, you can also use your hair dryer and the heat of the sun to kill bedbugs.

After you vacuum and steam clean, try blowing hot air from your hair dryer over the seams of soft furnishings to dry them and to kill any bedbugs that may still be lurking there.

You can also put small items into black plastic bags and set them outdoors in the sun for several days. If you do this, do not pack the bags solidly because they may not get uniformly hot through and through.

Put soft items such as stuffed toys, clothing, bedding, and the like into the bags loosely. This will allow them to heat thoroughly and uniformly. You may wish to shake the bags up and turn them occasionally to be sure of even heating.

Can You Kill Bedbugs with Cold?

Many people have had good reslts getting rid of bedbugs by simply placing everything into an unheated storage building through a very cold winter. If you live in an area where the temperature drops below zero for an extended period, this may work for you.

Be sure not to pack your belongings too tightly into the storage building as this may leave warmer spots for bedbugs to hide. Your items should be thoroughly exposed so that they become frozen to kill off bedbugs.

For smaller items, you can put them in plastic bags and place them in your freezer for 24 hours.

What Pesticides Will Work Against A Bed Bug Problem?

Common pesticides such as pyrethrum and permethrin have limited effect against bedbugs, but they’re worth adding to your arsenal. You may wish to start your bedbug battle with one of these relatively mild pesticides. After thoroughly treating your home and property, you can then transition into natural treatments. [source]

Another alternative is to use a pesticide made from natural ingredients. One such product is EcoRaider, which has very good reviews and is said to be quite effective.

This product is all-natural, safe for pets and children, and safe to use directly on your mattress and box springs. It is effective against even super-resistant bedbugs at all stages of life.

EcoRaider is used by pest control professionals and is recommended by the Public Health Pesticide Program – USDS IR4 for use in public housing.

While the product is advertised as the only treatment you will need, you would be wise to take this claim with a grain of salt. Just because it is effective against resistant bedbugs now does not mean it will continue to be effective. If this is the only product you use, sooner or later bedbugs will adapt to it.

Instead, add this powerful tool to your anti-bedbug lifestyle and continue to rotate your treatments to prevent having bedbugs adapt and become even harder to address.

Is It Necessary to Call a Pest Professional?

Opinions on this question differ. An overwhelming majority of people believe a professional exterminator is essential to eliminate bedbugs. Unfortunately, these professionals don’t come cheap.

If you are financially challenged, you should take whatever steps you can to get rid of a bed bug infestation as quickly as possible and strive to get professional help as soon as you can, as well.

If you have a light infestation or have only seen one or two bedbugs, don’t be complacent! Get to work right away vacuuming, steam cleaning, washing and drying everything, sprinkling diatomaceous earth, and adding essential oils to your everyday cleaning and personal care habits. [source]

By presenting a multifaceted front, you should be able to make a big dent in your bedbug population. Practiced consistently, a healthy anti-bedbug lifestyle will keep bedbugs away.

Video: Outlining 5 Natural Methods To Get Rid Of Bedbugs

The video below outlines five natural methods that you can use to get rid of bedbugs from your home.

The narrator recommends the use of diatomaceous earth, lavender oil, tea tree oil, and a hot wash. Users are also advised to use steam cleaners to clean carpets, seats, and beds where bedbugs tend to stay.

How Can You Prevent Bringing Bedbugs Home with You?

Vigilance

When you travel, always examine your room, bedding, and bed very carefully before you settle in. Strip the bed and spray it with a natural, essential oil bed bug repellent before sleeping. You can also make a good bed bug repellent for your body to prevent being bitten.

Repellents

Adding essential oils such as cedar oil to a carrier such as rubbing alcohol or vinegar at a rate of about a dozen drops per ounce can make a good repellent spray for mattresses and furnishings. [source]

For your body, add about half a dozen drops of essential oil such as oil of lavender, tea tree and/or oil of peppermint per ounce of carrier such as coconut oil and/or aloe gel. Use this as an all-over moisturizer to help keep bedbugs away.

These are just simple, general ideas for repellents. There are additional recipes you can use for more powerful and specific results.

Caution

Always place your luggage on a luggage stand. Never put it on the bed or on the floor as bedbugs will swarm into it and ride home with you.

It’s a good idea to use hard luggage or even a plastic tote to prevent picking up bedbugs and other pests in your travels. When you repack your clothing to bring it home, put it into sealed plastic bags.

When you arrive home, leave your luggage outside. Spray the inside and outside of your luggage with a cedar-based cleaner and set it out in the sunshine to dry. Store your luggage in an outbuilding away from your bedroom and living areas.

Empty your sealed plastic bags of clothing right into your washer for a good hot wash followed by hot drying.

Avoidance

When you go out shopping or commuting from home to work and back, try to avoid being in close quarters with strangers. If you must be shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd, remove your jacket or overcoat before going indoors. Give it a good shaking to dislodge any tiny travelers that may have hitched a ride.

Separation

Set up an area outside of the main living areas of your home (e.g. a mud room) where you can place your jackets, overcoats, shoes, and boots.

Leaving your outer garments and shoes outside of your living areas will help prevent bringing bedbugs and other pests inside.

Precautions

Handle second-hand furniture with great care. If you buy furnishings, clothing, bedding, or any other items second-hand, examine it carefully before bringing it home. When you bring your second-hand finds home, be sure to clean them completely before bringing them indoors.

Wash second-hand clothing and bedding immediately at the very hottest settings your washer and dryer can provide. If you don’t have a washer and dryer at home, make a stop at a laundromat before bringing your items home.

Vacuum and steam clean soft furnishings. Clean wooden furnishings and other hard items with a cedar-based cleanser such as Pine-Sol or cedar oil.

bed bug bites on arm

image: japharl flickr

Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite!

Developing an anti-bedbug lifestyle can help you prevent bedbug infestation or reinfestation and the bites which come along with that unhappy event. Even so, your first awareness of a bedbug problem may be the discovery of bedbug bites. While this can be a disturbing discovery, you’ll be happy to know that bedbug bites are not typically dangerous.

Bedbug bites are creepier than other kinds of insect bites, but they aren’t really any more serious than other types of bites. In fact, in terms of potential danger, they are less serious than bites from ticks and mosquitoes, which carry life-threatening diseases. [source]

Like ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, and other blood suckers, bedbugs drink your blood by piercing your skin with a sharp, elongated beak. They are most active at night and are most likely to bite you while you are sleeping. They tend to feed in increments of three-to-ten minutes at a time.

Being bitten by a bedbug doesn’t hurt, but it may itch later. They are not known to carry disease except under specific tropical conditions; however, if you scratch a great deal, your bites could become infected. [source] [source]

What Do the Bites Look Like?

Bedbug bites usually look like other types of insect bites (e.g. mosquito bites and flea bites). In some cases, these bumps do not swell and itch. Some people have no reaction to being bitten.

Others develop a rash and may think they are having an allergic reaction to something in the environment or that they have picked up ringworm or some other skin condition.

Some people experience delayed symptoms. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reaction to bedbug bites may take as long as two weeks to develop. If you tend to be allergic or sensitive to stings and bites, you may experience more itching and/or inflammation than people with lower levels of sensitivity. [source]

In short, bedbug bites may be difficult to identify. In fact, even doctors often have a hard time identifying them because they look so much like other conditions. One telltale sign that your bites came from bedbugs is that these pests tend to deliver three bites lined up in a straight line. Some people refer to these as “breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Location of the bites provides another clue as to the perpetrator. Bedbugs generally tend to bite on the hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face. Flea bites are usually found around the ankles, and mosquito bites tend to be on the legs and torso.

Are There Effective Home Remedies for Bed Bug Bites?

The same sorts of home remedies that help with itching and irritation caused by other types of bites and stings will also help with bedbug bites. Here are a few ideas you can use to relieve itching and inflammation caused by insect bites and stings.

Reach for As-Needed Cool Therapy

  • Apply Cold Compresses: You can use an ice pack or chill a damp towel as often as you like to cool and soothe the itching and redness caused by bedbug bites.
  • Soothe Itching with Cucumber Slices: Another remedy that you can use at any time is chilled cucumber slices. Keep a container of them in your fridge to apply as needed to itchy bites.

Cool cucumber does more than just chill your bites. It also provides a healthy dose of enzymes to reduce inflammation, along with vitamins A, C, and E to nourish your skin.

  • Save & Chill Your Tea Bags: A chilled tea bag can also provide relief from itching and inflammation. When you make a cup of tea, just put the bag in a container in the fridge to have it ready to cool and soothe your bug bites.

Any cool tea bag will feel good and ease itching, but the best choices are black tea and chamomile tea. The tannins in black tea act as a natural astringent and help protect injured, irritated tissues. Chamomile tea is famous for its soothing, anti-inflammatory properties. Not only will it calm your upset tummy, it has also been found to be more effective than hydrocortisone ointments when applied topically to irritated skin.

  • Raw Honey Heals: As a healing, anti-inflammatory salve, it’s hard to beat pure, raw honey. Manuka honey is especially beneficial, but all raw honey provides actual healing, medicinal properties. You can apply honey to your bug bites as often as needed.

According to the Mayo Clinic, applying raw honey topically soothes irritation, reduces itching, and provides a protective barrier over the bug bite. Naturally, because honey is sticky, you will want to apply a light, dry bandage to prevent damaging clothing and picking up bits of lint. [source]

All four of these simple remedies can be applied as needed throughout the day and night to provide cooling relief.

bed bugs feeding close up on skin

Image: via flickr & National Pest Management Association

Clean, Soothe & Protect the Skin

  • Apply Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): This natural “cure-all” helps relieve redness and itching by balancing the pH level of your skin while fighting off bacteria and promoting healing.

To use, simply mix ACV and cool water 50/50. Keep the mixture in the refrigerator for even more relief from itching and burning.

Apply this mixture to the affected area 2 or 3 times a day using a cotton ball or facial pad. Allow the ACV mixture to dry and then rinse it off with cool water.

This is an especially good treatment for bites on your face as ACV is generally good for your complexion. This mixture also makes a good skin toner, even if you don’t have bug bites.

  • Apply Pure Lemon Juice: Chilled lemon juice can be applied directly to the bites, as-is, up to three times daily. It provides many of the same benefits as ACV, and you don’t have to rinse it off.
  • Apply Witch Hazel: This extract of the Hamamelis virginiana shrub has natural anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and astringent properties that help soothe itching, promote healing, and reduce swelling. It is a safe, all-purpose home remedy that can be used on numerous skin irritations.

You can splash it onto the affected area, apply it with a cotton ball, or make a compress to hold on your worrisome bed bug bites for ten minutes at a time. As with ACV and lemon juice, don’t repeat this process more than three times daily. There is no need to rinse witch hazel off.

You can use any one of these remedies up to three times daily or alternate them for a total of three uses. Don’t use all three, three times daily because this would be drying to your skin.

Poultices & Soothing Baths

Applying a healing paste directly can be helpful to painful or itchy bites. A soothing bath is a great way to address large, itchy areas.

  • Turn to Baking Soda: This is an old-fashioned bite or sting remedy. Just mix baking soda with water to form a paste or poultice. Apply this mixture directly to your bites and leave it in place for fifteen minutes. Rinse it off gently with cool water. You can do this twice a day.

Baking soda soothes inflammation and has natural antibacterial properties. If you have many bites or a rash that covers a large area of skin, pour a box of baking soda into a lukewarm bath and take a soak for about half an hour. Take a quick, cool shower after to rinse the baking soda off. You can do this once a day.

  • Oatmeal Calms Irritation & Itching: As with baking soda, you can make a paste with finely ground oatmeal or you can use it to create a soothing bath. Here’s how:
  1. Oatmeal Paste: Grind up a bit of oatmeal in your blender or coffee grinder. Combine this powder with plain yogurt to form a paste. Apply this paste directly to your bites, and leave it in place for about half an hour. Rinse gently with cool water. You can repeat this process up to three times daily.
  1. Oatmeal Bath: Put a cup of oatmeal in an old sock and tie the top of the sock shut. Drop the sock into your bathtub and run a warm (not too hot) bath. You can soak as long as you like. Oatmeal is nourishing and soothing to the skin, so a long soak will do you good. [source]

These remedies are supported by centuries of anecdotal evidence and statements by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which says that oatmeal paste and baths can provide effective relief for the inflammation and itching caused by bug bites. [source]

Heal with Natural Carrier Products

Natural nourishing, healing, and moisturizing products such as aloe gel and coconut oil moisturize, soothe, and heal the skin. They can be used alone or as a carrier for healing and bedbug repelling essential oils.

  • Nourish Your Skin with Aloe Gel: You can use 100% pure aloe gel like this as a spot treatment for bug bites several times daily. According to the Skin Pharmacology & Physiology Journal, its natural anti-inflammatory and healing properties are more effective than those delivered by one-percent hydrocortisone gels and creams.

Aloe can help nourish skin that may feel a bit dry from other natural treatments like baking soda, lemon juice, witch hazel, and ACV. Those are great treatments, but they can be quite drying. Alternating them with aloe can help prevent excessive drying. Aloe can also be combined with coconut oil to provide additional moisturizing properties along with other benefits.

  • Heal & Nourish with Coconut Oil: This natural oil is an excellent addition to any medicine cabinet. Coconut oil has powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Use it alone to help soothe and heal bug bites and skin irritations; mix it with aloe gel and/or use it as a carrier oil for essential oils.

Both aloe and coconut oil are effective to use as spot treatments and safe to use over large areas of skin for overall moisturizing, conditioning, soothing, and healing.

Reduce Inflammation & Avoid Infection with Essential Oils

Many essential oils have anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, and healing properties. Here are 5 of the top picks for treating bug bites of all kinds:

  1. Tea Tree Oil: This is a must-have for any medicine chest. Keep tea tree oil on hand to treat bug bites, minor scrapes and cuts, acne, and more. You can use this essential oil full strength or diluted with a carrier oil or aloe gel.
  2. Lavender Essential Oil: This sweet-smelling oil is often thought of as interchangeable with tea tree oil. It has many of the same properties along with calming aromatherapy benefits. It can be used full strength or combined with tea tree oil and/or a carrier oil or aloe.
  3. Peppermint Oil: This cooling oil possesses the antifungal, antibacterial, and calming qualities of lavender oil. Be careful not to overdo peppermint oil as its cooling sensation can become a burning sensation if you use too much! This oil should always be mixed with a carrier.
  4. Chamomile Oil: Add a few drops of Chamomile oil to your oatmeal bath to soothe and calm your itchy skin even more. Toss about a dozen drops with the dry oatmeal before you put it into the sock. This will ensure that the oil is dispersed evenly throughout the water rather than simply floating in drops on the surface. You can also mix it with a carrier for spot treatment of bites.
  5. Calendula Oil: Mix with a carrier, such as coconut oil, and apply to bites and rashes to soothe itching.

As a rule, when mixing essential oils with carriers combine at a rate of 6 drops total essential oil per ounce of carrier. If mixing a smaller amount, two or three drops of essential oil per tablespoonful of carrier is about right.

Can Home Remedies Be Combined?

For the most part, home remedies for bed bug bites can be used in conjunction with one another. Many of the topical treatments can be drying, so it’s not a good idea to use many similar treatments all in one day.

For example, you would not want to apply an oatmeal poultice three times in one day and a baking soda poultice three times on the same day, but you could apply a total of three poultices (some oatmeal and some baking soda) in one day.

It would also be fine to take a baking soda bath in the morning and relax with an oatmeal bath in the evening (or vice-versa) if you wanted to.

You could follow up your baths with an all-over massage with coconut oil or a combination of coconut oil and aloe to soothe and nourish your skin and promote healing. You can add essential oils to this mixture for added benefit.

You can apply cool compresses, cucumber slices, chilled tea bags, or honey as often as you wish in combination with any of the other remedies.

Keep Your Immune System Strong

There are a few bedbug “experts” who claim that taking one B vitamin or another will help you repel bedbugs. There is really no basis for this claim; however, it is always a good idea to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Parasites such as bedbugs, mosquitoes, ticks, and others are naturally attracted to creatures with weakened immune systems. [source]

Having a strong immune system may help you avoid being bitten and will help you recover from bites of all kinds much faster. Furthermore, even though bedbugs do not currently spread disease, there’s no guarantee that this will always be the case. Having a strong immune system can help you avoid becoming ill, and it will help you recover if you do contract an illness.

Be sure to sleep, exercise, and eat well. Take a high-quality multivitamin daily. There is some evidence that taking extra water-soluble vitamins (B&C) is beneficial in repelling blood-sucking pests. Adding 1000 milligrams of C and a balanced B complex (B-50 or B-100) daily can provide some pest-repelling benefits.

A Multi-Faceted, Proactive Approach Can Beat Bedbugs!

Developing an anti-bedbug lifestyle can help you prevent bedbug infestation or reinfestation and the bites that come along with that unhappy event. Knowing how to recognize signs of bedbugs and being vigilant can go a long way toward preventing or successfully dealing with bedbug infestation.

Cultivating housekeeping habits that set up an unfriendly environment for bedbugs will help prevent their becoming established in your home. Use of personal care products that contain bedbug repelling essential oils can help keep bedbugs from hitching a ride on you, and carefully keeping luggage and your outer garments out of your living areas can go a long way toward keeping bedbugs and other pests out of your living areas.

As a bonus, developing these personal habits will also help you keep other types of pests out of your home, along with germs and illness. Refer to the advice presented here to cultivate a successful anti-bedbug lifestyle and generally improve the quality of your home environment and your life.

 

Top 3 Easy-to-Grow Mosquito Repellent Plants to Keep Pests Away

We are always thinking of ways to get rid of those annoying mosquitoes when they are around. Their bites can be painful and extremely itchy, especially when you least expect them.

Many mosquito repellents and other bug repellents that contain DEET which you spray on your body might contain harmful chemicals that can cause irritation to your skin.

Mosquito

Some of these bug sprays are also oily don’t even last very long either as they weaken over time. Natural mosquito repellents like lemon balm, peppermint essential oil, rosemary, lemon grass, the mint family like horsemint, basil, lavender, neem oil, and lemon thyme can all help. Better still, however, for repelling these bugs involves the use of various plants like scented geraniums that you can grow all around your property.

These plants make effective mosquito repellent as they are capable of producing scents that can repel insects with ease.In fact, some of these plants provide effective mosquito control because they come from real living materials, produce a nice smell and don’t contain man-made chemicals and make repelling mosquitoes easy.

The extracts and other compounds used from some of these plants are used in many products but are only going to work for a brief period of time. They are not as potent because they don’t come from living plants. The actual plants that you can grow contain all the necessary compounds you need to keep it functional.

The three most natural insect repellent plants you can grow are all useful but it helps to see how you are growing them and how they are being applied. It helps to observe how you are growing them but the positive side of it is that you won’t struggle with trying to get them to grow when used right.

Here are the top three plants that deter mosquitoes. Read on to learn more

Citronella

CitronellaCitronella geranium has long been used in a number of bug repellent and mosquito repellent products but it’s best to use it in its natural plant form.

Growing natural citronella plants works great in that you can keep those plants functional and beautiful for a long time. This perennial plant is a clumping grass plant that grows to be several feet in height.

Some plants can grow to be about six feet in height. This is large enough to produce a great scent while still being long to where you can harvest parts of the plant and have it added to many areas in your home.

The scent that the citronella plant produces is much more effective and long-lasting than any candle or spray that contains citronella extract. Also, this plant can be grown in a variety of spaces although it might be best to plant it in a garden bed when it gets to be rather large in size.

This does well in sunny climates although it does need drainage. Also, it grows best when treated with a nitrogen-based fertilizer. This helps to make the plant healthier and stronger.

This will have to be replanted every spring. Citronella does not handle frosty conditions well. Also, while it does regrow well, you will have to look at how well the plant can handle the harvesting process in general.

Citronella mosquito repellent products such as mosquito repellent candles, essential oils, and scents make great insect repellents too. You can make your own homemade mosquito repellent or buy these items from your local supply store.

Catnip

CatnipThe catnip plant is another prominent mosquito repellent plant to grow in your garden. Various studies have found that catnip is several times more effective than DEET when it comes to stopping mosquitoes.

This makes catnip plant mosquito repellent a safer and easier to use option to deter mosquitoes. While catnip is heralded as a plant that is very attractive to cats, it has a scent that repels many insects.

This disturbs insects and keeps them from moving into certain areas. This is ideal to add to your property and can even be crushed and spread into a number of areas around your home.Catnip is also very easy to grow in most climates.

Therefore, you can harvest some of the catnip and spread it around your property while still having more than enough of the plant to grow back and be used again later on for your future needs.You will have to watch for how this plant can be used.

This is a natural weed that can spread quickly into other parts of a flower bed. It might be easier for you to plant catnip into a series of containers spread around your property. Also, you should try and avoid keeping it too far from your cats if you have any of those pets in your house as catnip is something very attractive to them.

Marigold

MarigoldThe marigold is noted for its bright yellow appearance. It is a hardy plant with a strong bloom that has a beautiful look that you are bound to enjoy having in your garden.

But one thing that many people forget about when it comes to the marigold comes from how this plant offers a scent that mosquitoes are repelled by.

It should be strong enough to last for a long time and really be useful for your general needs. Marigold seeds grow best when they are in sunny areas. Also, it can reseed itself if taken care of properly.

You might have to trim the flowers on occasion to ensure that they can continue to grow and produce the scents that they are known for. You can always spread old leaves and materials around different parts of your property provided that their scents are still intact and noticeable.

These can be planted in a variety of pots and other containers around your property. You could also plant them in a larger garden bed if you have a huge amount of them to work with. They can do really well when placed near vegetable plants as they can repel many pests that can consume tomatoes and other plants.

But the ability of the plant to repel mosquitoes makes it a very popular choice for you to have around your home.All three of these choices are clearly better to use than traditional repellents and other treatments that might not last for as long as you wish they could. Check out all of these solutions when you’re looking to keep mosquitoes from annoying you and your family.

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How Effective Is Cedar Oil For Bedbugs?

When it comes to killing bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), all manner of oils can be effective; however, the problem lies in the fact that it kills bed bugs, the oil must come in contact with them. Natural oils, including cedar oil, do not leave a residue that will continue killing the pests after the application.

Does this mean that cedarwood oil is useless against bed bugs? Far from it. In this article, we will discuss various strategies for killing and repelling bed bugs. We will also share some good ideas for using cedar oil to keep them away. Read on to learn more.

cedar oil for bed bugs

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Why Do We Suddenly Have A Problem With Bed Bugs?

Up until the last 10 years or so, bedbugs were considered to have been eradicated in the United States. This was due in great part to the use of the pesticide DDT, a powerful chemical with strong residual effects. When applied, it killed off all adult bed bugs and remained effective for months to continue killing emerging bedbugs.

Unfortunately, this powerful chemical proved to be hazardous to human health and detrimental to wildlife. It got into the water supply and the soil and wrought havoc. For these reasons, it was banned for use in the US in 1972.

Since that time, the wildlife populations that were decimated by the use of this powerful pesticide have made a comeback. Unfortunately, so have bedbugs. These tiny, blood-sucking pests are rugged and can stow away in all types of soft textiles with the greatest of ease. This makes them successful globe-trotters, traveling along with people to and from every part of the world.

What Can We Do About Bedbugs?

There are still some chemical pesticides, such as permethrin, that are effective against bed bugs without being excessively harmful to the environment or to people and pets. These types of pesticides do not have a very long residual effect, so they are not as effective at eradicating a bed bug infestation as DDT was.

If you have a heavy bedbug infestation, you might want to call a pest control company to treat with permethrin once, but you wouldn’t want to have it applied repeatedly. This would be costly and could be hazardous to your health.

Instead of subjecting your home to recurrent applications of pesticide, you might wish to simply develop an anti-bed bug lifestyle after initial treatment. This sort of strategy includes the regular use of essential oils such as cedar wood oil. It also involves taking a very stance in keeping your home scrupulously clean, and cedar-based products can be very valuable for that purpose.

What If You Don’t Want To Use Chemicals At All?

If you don’t want to begin with a single pesticide treatment, it is possible to do a thorough bedbug eradication treatment using a combination of cedar oil-based products and diatomaceous earth.

This natural way involves thorough vacuuming, dismantling of furniture, washing all textiles in very hot water with cedar-based detergents, spraying with a cedar-based insecticide, and distributing diatomaceous earth in places like behind wall sockets and baseboards. Diatomaceous earth does have some residual effect, but it must be replenished periodically.

This sort of treatment is something you can do yourself, or you might wish to engage the services of an all-natural pest control company that specializes in all-natural bedbug removal. [source]

No matter how you start your bedbug battle, be aware that it is likely to be an ongoing war for the foreseeable and unforeseeable future. If you miss just one gravid female bedbug the first time around, you’ll soon have a fresh reinfestation.

How Can You Prevent Reinfestation?

Diligence is the best way to prevent a second bedbug takeover. It’s important to also understand that no pesticide (synthetic or natural) lasts forever. You must reapply cedar oil, diatomaceous earth, or permethrin regularly to achieve lasting results. You must also develop a lifestyle that discourages bedbugs. This is where cedar products can really be helpful.

Take a holistic approach by diligently and consistently combining killing and repelling. Use personal care and home cleaning products that contain cedar. While it may not have a residual killing effect, it does have a residual repelling effect. [source]

Here are a few things you can do to repel bedbugs and other insect pests:

  • Surround the foundation of your home with cedar chips.
  • Add cedar essential oil to your personal care products.
  • Use cedar-containing laundry and cleaning products.

You can purchase specialized products that are made for killing and repelling bedbugs and other pests, and/or you can create your own products by combining cedar oil with natural carriers such as:

  • Water
  • Vinegar
  • Natural Oils

Companies That Offer Good Choices In Ready-Made Products

#1 – Cedarcide Insect Repellent

Cedarcide is a company based in Texas that offers a variety of native cedar-based household products that are said to be environmentally friendly, safe to use, and effective. Cedarcide products are made from naturally sourced alternatives.[source]

While not specifically targeted toward bedbugs, these Cedarcide original products promise to effectively kill and repel a variety of insects and pests including:

  • Mosquitoes
  • Bed bugs
  • Chiggers
  • Moths
  • Fleas
  • Ticks
  • Mites
  • Flies
  • Ants

Their products are available directly from the company or from Amazon.

#2 – Cedar-Al

Cedar-Al is another company that has been producing cedar-based products since 1985. This company uses the oil mother nature provides from the Northwestern Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), which is believed to be the most effective in killing and repelling insect pests. Their products are available only from the company. [source]

DIY Cedarwood Oil For Bed Bugs Products

cedar oil for bed bugs prevention

You may also wish to try your hand at creating your ow h this active ingredient, you can create several handy products. Here are a few simple recipes:

Surface Bed Bug Spray

In a spray bottle, combine 50% white vinegar with 50% filtered water. Add 6 drops per ounce of cedar essential oil. This is a mild spray you can use to clean hard surfaces and freshen textiles, such as upholstery and mattresses.

Diatomaceous Earth Insect Repellent Stations

Combine diatomaceous earth and water to form a stiff paste. Mix in cedar oil at a rate of a dozen drops per ounce of paste. Spoon the paste into jar lids and place in out-of-the-way areas where bedbugs (and other pests) may tend to hide.

This repellent will work against a variety of insect pests while adding a fresh cedar scent to your home. Recharge your repellent stations once a month by adding a few drops of water and cedar oil.

Cedarwood Essential Oil Insect Repellent

Start with a 50/50 combination of witch hazel and filtered water. Mix in 6 drops of essential oil per ounce of liquid. You can use cedar oil alone if you wish, or you can substitute other types of oil for part of the cedar oil. Some other essential oils that work well as insect repellent include:

  • Lemongrass
  • Eucalyptus
  • Rosemary
  • Peppermint oil
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Citronella
  • Neem Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Tea Tree Oil
  • Cajeput
  • Catnip
  • Clove
  • Mint

This essential oil blend repellent is excellent for spraying on clothing, pajamas, and bedding. You can use it on your skin, but be sure to do a patch test first to make certain you are not sensitive to any of the oils you are using. [source]

Be advised that cedar oil may tingle a bit, and oils such as clove oil may burn. Proceed with caution if using this on your skin. If you do use the oil on your skin and it seems a bit drying, you can add half a teaspoonful of vegetable glycerin for each cup of liquid.

You can “cedarize” your personal care products by seeking out cedar-based, natural shampoos, soap, body oils, and so on. Alternately, you can simply add cedar oil to your existing products at a rate of 6 drops per ounce.

If using this option, it’s best to just mix up as much as you plan to use at the moment. For example, if you mix up a whole bottle of cedar oil shampoo in advance, the ingredients in the shampoo may break down the oil and diminish its effectiveness.

Establish An Anti-Bedbug Lifestyle

cedar oil for bed bugs repellent

Once you have thoroughly treated your home for bedbugs, adopt a lifestyle that will discourage them and prevent another takeover. Be sure to:

  • Sweep and mop frequently. Use a cedar-based floor cleaner to mop.
  • Vacuum regularly. Sprinkle your carpet with an all-natural insecticides like diatomaceous earth an hour or so before vacuuming. This will help kill off any existing insect pests and prevent them from being able to get a toe-hold in future.
  • Wipe down surfaces with a cedar-based surface cleaner.
  • Dust and clean wood furniture with cedar oil.
  • Put cedar balls or lavender balls in your dresser drawers and closets.
  • Change your bedding at least weekly. Strip your bed, vacuum your mattress, and spray it with a cedar-based fabric freshener.
  • Turn your mattress at least once a month.
  • Wash all your linens and towels in HOT water with a cedar-based cleaner added to the wash.
  • Dry your linens and towels on the highest possible setting.
  • Follow these laundry guidelines to wash your pets’ bedding at least once a week. [source]

Keep Your Home Clean

Remember that bedbugs can hide anywhere, so don’t let clutter pile up. Clean your home thoroughly at least seasonally. This means that you must:

  • Move everything.
  • Remove cushions from upholstered furniture.
  • Vacuum thoroughly
  • Use your hair dryer to blow dry the seams of furnishings and mattresses to kill off any hidden pests or eggs.
  • Re-apply diatomaceous earth in out-of-the-way places such as behind wall sockets, mattress encasements and baseboards along with assorted cracks and crevices.
  • Launder your drapes.
  • Steam clean your carpets with a cedar solution.

Take A Holistic Approach

Like roaches, fleas ticks, mosquitoes, and lots of other pests, bedbugs appear to be here to stay. For this reason, it is a lot smarter to simply develop a lifestyle that will empower you to minimize them and repel them rather than attempting (in vain) to eradicate them.

Without the use of very dangerous chemicals, it really is not possible to do away with bedbugs completely, forever. Luckily, bedbugs are just pests. They do not spread disease, but they are extraordinarily annoying and disgusting, so you will certainly want to keep them away.

Cedar oil is an excellent product to use in this endeavor. It works against bedbugs in six effective ways.

  1. Causes osmotic dehydration, which leads to death.
  2. De-acidifies pests’ bodily fluids.
  3. It encapsulates and emulsifies bodily fats.
  4. It irritates the respiratory system and interferes with breathing.
  5. Interferes with pheromones that regulate vital functions such as metabolism, feeding, reproduction, and basic movement.
  6. It dissolves bedbugs’ protective covering (on contact) at all life stages.

What If I’m Allergic To Cedar Oil?

Fortunately, a holistic approach that involves consistent, aggressive cleaning is half the battle. When you add cedar oil to your cleaning and personal care routines and develop a proactive, anti-bedbug lifestyle, you can manage and repel the pests successfully, but what if you cannot use cedar oil?

Some people are allergic to cedar oil, and it’s worth noting that it can cause respiratory distress for people and animals. Cats and birds may be especially sensitive to it, and you should never use cedar shavings as bedding for small, caged animals because they can be overwhelmed by the fumes.

Luckily, many other essential oils are also quite effective in combating and repelling pests. Experiment with any of the oils listed in the repellent recipe above to find the combination that works best for you. When you use cedar oil and/or other pest repelling essential oils in combination with the lifestyle habits suggested here, you can expect repeated victories in your battle with bedbugs.

How Effective Is LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control

LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control lands a spot as one of the best all-natural pest repellent technologies being sold on the market. This easy-to-use tech has become the most popular and cheapest system that exists. Our review will give you a better understanding about the product and its features.

Pros and Cons

An almost equal share of advantages and drawbacks have been highlighted for this product. Although many merchants would highly recommend the use of LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control, consumers have the right to know everything. Read on to learn more about its pros and cons.

Pros:

  • 100% all-natural
  • Covers between 800-1200 square feet
  • Can repel any type of pest or infestation
  • Incredibly easy to use
  • Company offers a lifetime guarantee

Cons:

  • Can be harder to repel much larger pests
  • Does not work to repel through walls
  • Can take up to 2 weeks to make a large impact on pests in your home

Key Features

The LINK Ultrasonic Pest Repeller uses one of the highest-grade ultrasonic devices. It drives away any type of pests in your home. You can easily plug it into an outlet at any part of your household.

Moreover, the device blasts pests away using low-frequency ultrasonic sound waves which cannot be detected by the human ear. Your beloved pets will not be harmed by the pest control unit as well.

These waves not only kick pests out of your house but it also keeps them away forever. Targeted pests include:

  • Roaches or cockroaches
  • Spiders
  • Mice Rats
  • Mosquito
  • Ants
  • Snakes
  • Bats
  • Mice
  • Termites
  • Bed bugs

At first, it may take a week or two to observe the difference. But after a short time, you will notice a serious decrease in the number of insect pests lurking in different areas of your home. Continuous use and frequent cleaning will make your home pest free.

This product contains no harmful chemicals. It only uses low ultrasonic frequency sound waves which simply drive away pests rather than killing them while inside your home. No dead pests on the carpet or floor to clean up.

LINK Innovation ultrasonic pest repellent also has one of the biggest coverage areas in pest control product lines. The indoor pest repeller can cover from 800-1200 square feet. However, the waves cannot phase through walls which makes the system ideal for an average sized room only.

Also, the pest control company backs its product with a lifetime guarantee. If you did not see any results within three weeks, LINK Innovation will be more than happy to fulfill a return. However, keep in mind that results may take up to three weeks depending on the number of pests residing in your home.

Review of the LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control

Effectiveness

Every consumer would not expect an ineffective pest repeller after purchasing one. Fortunately, the LINK Ultrasonic Pest Repeller has a wide range of success in driving pests out of homes with its high-grade ultrasonic technology. Moreover, it proves that setting up the device does not have to be so difficult.

It repels a wide range of pests out of your home from rats to snakes and everything in between. If you have issues about trusting its functioning ability as you won’t be hearing anything from it, the company provides a money-back guarantee. You can claim this if you did not see results within a fair three weeks, when reactions from pests take place.

Moreover, changes in pest behavior around your home may be noticed within three weeks. After all, every infestation shows different signs depending on the type of pests living inside the house.

Range

Without a proper range for a device to work, it can be incredibly ineffective. As the LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control only has an 800-1200 square foot range, it may not be able to shield your entire house. However, it can protect an entire room.

For larger infestations, it is highly recommended to place a repelling device in each room. Walls nullify ultrasonic waves which render them useless.

Natural

For a household that prefers natural ways, this definitely serves as a must have. LINK Innovation ditched the idea of poisons, harmful chemicals, and traps when designing this device. In fact, it uses ultrasonic waves to only drive the pests out of your house and not leave you with dead insects to clean up.

By developing this technology, the company puts out an ethical backing for their devices using all natural solutions to provide a comfortable environment for you and your pets.

Ease Of Use

The LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control boasts its user-friendly quality. Setting up this device takes only a few minutes. Just plug the device into an outlet, sit back, and wait for the pests to leave.

Although you may need to purchase additional units for different rooms in your house, the device proves to be responsive in attics, basements, and garages.

Comparing LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control with other products

Cravegreens, Pest Control Ultrasonic Repellent

Cravegreens Pest Control Repeller also made it in today’s list of the best ultrasonic pest repeller technologies to buy in 2017. It provides the same plug and usage feature as LINK Innovation. The brand boasts great effectiveness toward pests of different sizes.

Using electromagnetic and ultrasonic waves to push pests away from your house, it serves as an eco-friendly solution. Homeowners see results in just two weeks.

T3-R Triple High Impact Ultrasonic Rodent Repeller

The T3-R Triple High Impact Repeller has a slight difference from Cravegreens and the LINK Innovation due to features specific for rodent control. However, this mouse repeller control devices still uses the same high-grade ultrasonic repeller making it a good choice for homeowners who want tread the eco-friendly route.

Range turns out to be another feature that sets the brand apart from its competitors. A single unit can protect up to 6,000 square feet powered by a 6-foot cord providing a much more centralized repelling force. Still, it leaves humans and pets safe while not interfering with any electronics in your home.

SANIA Pest Repeller

This electronic pest repeller helps protect your home from a wide range of pests ranging from small insects to rodents and even bats. The device itself produces an incredibly strong electromagnetic field that reaches up to 6,000 square feet. Despite the strength, the sounds remain inaudible to humans, and pets.

Apart from its powerful repellent force and total protection distance, the SANIA electronic pest control device comes with an amber night light. Homeowners may install this at their patio, garage, and halls.

Seicosy 5-in-1 Multifunctional Ultrasonic Rodent Repellent

Much like the LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller, the Seicosy also uses an ultrasonic sound wave to remove pests naturally. It does not use any type of harmful chemicals in sending away mice, rats, spiders, roaches, and more. It features five main uses:

  • ultrasonic waves
  • electromagnetic waves
  • anion
  • provides a night light
  • operating on a pet-friendly mode.

It takes four to six week for it to deliver results. Furthermore, the Seicosy only ensures protection for humans, dogs, and cats.

Conclusion

LINK Innovation Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Control has been recognized as one of the best pest repellers in the market. It provides an easy to set-up service that solves your pest problem without using unnatural solutions that may be harmful to you and your pets.

By using sound beams to push pests out of your home, it creates a safer and a more comfortable environment for your family. All this while providing a healthy impact on the environment.

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