Research Suggests How to Kill Bed Bugs with Essential Oils
From lavender to lemongrass, you’ve heard it all. But can you really kill bed bugs with essential oils? Today I’ll help you uncover the truth with peer-reviewed research and personal experience.
If you’re new to my site, that makes two of us! I may be new to blogging, but not to bed bugs. Over the past five years, I’ve had two infestations (maybe karma for my teenage years—who knows? But I digress). Essentially I’ve lost my mind dealing with these bloodsuckers so you don’t have to. Alright, let’s dive in.
Checking the Facts –
There are far too many unsupported claims floating around the internet with ways to deter or kill bed bugs with essential oils. These assertions may appear harmless, but they can rob you of your hard-earned money, waste your time, and worst of all—prolong your suffering with an infestation. These fabrications prey on your vulnerability. I get it. I was in a panic, willing to try anything to make the itching stop. To sleep again. To have a normal life. But no need to make the same mistake I did. We’ll set the record straight by reviewing the data.
Can You Prevent Bed Bugs with Essential Oils?
One of the most popular myths is that lavender oil can repel bed bugs. So what did I do? Bought some on Amazon and sprayed it all over my belongings. Turns out it may have had the opposite effect. Linalool, one of the main phytochemicals in lavender oil, has been found to attract bed bugs. In one study published in the journal, Insects, González-Morales et al. (2021) witnessed that significantly more bed bugs gathered in areas treated with linalool-aged residues than in control (untreated) areas.
Researchers did, however, find that the following essential oil components had potential to repel bed bugs: citronellic acid, eugenol, geraniol, and carvacrol. Among these, only one (citronellic acid) significantly prevented bed bugs from crossing its barrier to feed (that is, suck your blood). Sounds great, where can you get it? Well, you can’t unless you’re a scientist. Citronellic acid is intended for research purposes only; however it is found in various plants including lemongrass and eucalyptus. I don’t know about you, but I’m not up for the challenge of extracting acid from grass. Probably best to wait until more research comes out before using any essential oils or their constituents to prevent bed bugs.
Can You Kill Bed Bugs with Essential Oils?
Take heart, readers. While there are not (yet) enough data to support safely using essential oils to deter bed bugs, the following research backs the use of essential oils to kill them. In this study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, Singh et al. (2014) tested nine essential oil-based products in the laboratory and found that only EcoRaider (1% geraniol, 1% cedar extract, and 2% sodium lauryl sulfate) was effective at killing both nymphs and eggs (100% and 87% respectively). In another study published in Insects, Wang et al. (2014) tested EcoRaider out in the field and found it worked just as well as Temprid SC (a synthetic insecticide).
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Testing at Home –
Of course after reading this, I bought EcoRaider which has since been rebranded as EcoVenger’s Bed Bug Killer (paid link). I had a cat during both of my bed bug encounters, so finding a pet-friendly product was my number one criterion. Not only non-toxic to pets, but also effective with residual protection. Essentially, I could apply it once, and over the next two weeks, bugs would still die after they crawled over the dried spray. Far superior to kill-on-contact products which require you to spray each and every bug in order to work. Sound too good to be true? Well there is one catch: it smells. Like a damn campfire. Which takes a day or so to fully dissipate.
Closing Thoughts –
In summary, you can certainly kill bed bugs with essential oils, and EcoVenger’s Bed Bug Killer (paid link) would make a solid contribution to your bed bug arsenal. However, I wouldn’t recommend using only one product to tackle bed bugs. Treating bed bugs effectively requires an integrative approach which we’ll get into more down the line. Be sure to visit and bookmark helpwithbedbugs.com for my latest posts. You can also leave a comment with questions or suggestions. Until next time, I’ll be praying for you xD.
