You may be wondering why on Earth I am now talking about bedbugs in my blog? I have been and will continue to write blogs about current information as well as a mixed variety of blogs regarding health/fitness/nutrition, etc. Not to sound sexist, but, women do hold the "conch"! This is a saying my husband uses, sometimes sarcastically, referring to women as the gate keepers of household information, therefore, the more we know, the more we can help our loved ones and friends! That being said, I am speaking about bedbugs in this blog as anything to do with insects is totally mortifying to me and when I heard that we are now experiencing the biggest resurgence of bedbugs in fifty years, I did some research about it. I am the kind of person who will scream as if I have been mugged upon seeing a centipede in the bathroom shower! Therefore, I did not need much impetus to find out how to protect myself and family from bedbugs! I work in the Wellness Department of a local food co-op and came upon an essential oil blend for the treatment of bedbugs while traveling. What is so good about essential oils, is that they come from plants and therefore do not leave a toxic "footprint" in the wake of dead bedbug carcasses! I will end this blog with the recipe to this blend (actually consisting of two blends).
The resurgence of bedbugs can affect anyone and everyone, not just the traveler, as they are showing up in increasing numbers in homes, dorms, apartments and hospitals. It is a misnomer to think that they only can be found in delapidated houses and flea bag hotels, as they have been found in million dollar mansions as well!
According to some scientists, bedbug bites rarely incite serious illness. I don't know about you, but, this does not provide much solace to me, as the thought of being feasted upon at 4 a.m. in the morning by a bug gives me the "willies." However, severe allergic reactions, such as hives, is more prevalent as well as some other severe skin complications. Supposedly, this influx of the bedbug came from the collusion or perfect storm if you will, of certain elements such as: international travel, immigration, pest control practices and insecticide resistence. The insecticide resistance being referred to is to that of DDT, which was the modus operandi of treating infestations in the past. Although this methodology was both cost effective and did the job, it was at a high cost to society as many birds, namely the bald eagle, were nearly killed off from the use of DDT. This chemical can also be linked to many illnesses and cancers in humans, so, it is a no brainer to come up with some non-toxic method of killing these buggars! The chemical industry has other thoughts, as they believe that the only way to kill the bedbug, will be to develop some new lethal chemical. However, the pay off is not big enough for them to come up with the magic poison just yet, thank God! An effective large scale non-toxic, yet expensive method is called Heat Thermal Remediation and it costs about 200-1500 dollars per room! Rooms are basically heated to a certain temperature, as bedbugs will die off in extreme temps. Another way to control them is to encase your mattress and box spring in allergy cases and do not buy used furniture from non reputable sources! I will leave you with the recipe developed by Tim Blakley, which is a combination of essential oils which can be purchased online at such outlets as: http://www.aromaland.com/, and http://www.aromatherapeutix.com/, as well as at your local health food store.
Formula Number One:
Afternoon Arrival Spray:
20 drops of Sweet Orange Oil
20 drops of Lemongrass
20 drops of Lemon Eucalyptus
20 drops of Veviter
Combine drops into 1 oz. of water and spritz it all over the non sheet area, under the mattress, the floor area around the bed, the bedboards, the box sprint, etc. Also, spritz the outside of your suitcase.
Formula Number Two:
20 drops of Veviter
20 drops of Sandalwood (the most expensive oil)
10 drops of Texas Cedarwood or Blue Cypress
10 drops of Lavender
Combine drops in 1 oz. of water and spray it on the sheets around where you will be sleeping but not necessarily on the exact spot where you will be laying. This formula is about as heavy as it gets, these oils are all heavy base note dominated oils, with the exception of lavender, but it should provide some lasting efficacy through the night! These oils are also relatively easy on the skin and because you will be sleeping next to them, they are also very calming to the body and mind.
Formula Number Two:
20 drops of Veviter
20 drops of Sandalwood (the most expensive oil)
10 drops of Texas Cedarwood or Blue Cypress
10 drops of Lavender
Combine drops in 1 oz. of water and spray it on the sheets around where you will be sleeping but not necessarily on the exact spot where you will be laying. This formula is about as heavy as it gets, these oils are all heavy base note dominated oils, with the exception of lavender, but it should provide some lasting efficacy through the night! These oils are also relatively easy on the skin and because you will be sleeping next to them, they are also very calming to the body and mind.
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