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posted by martyb on Wednesday March 13 2019, @10:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the debugging dept.

Phys.org:

Dozens of essential oils-based products on the market claim to kill or repel insects, but a previous Rutgers University study showed that few actually work against bed bugs. Gondhalekar and Gaire analyzed 15 essential oil compounds that are present in various aromatic plants for their toxicity to bed bugs and their ability to disrupt the insects' nervous system function. Their findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
...
All of the chemicals were effective when applied directly to the bed bugs, though the amount needed to kill them varied. Carvacrol, derived from oregano and thyme; thymol (thyme); citronellic acid (lemongrass); and eugenol (clove) were most effective.

When tested as fumigants, thymol, carvacrol, linalool (common in basil) and camphor (camphor tree) were most effective. Four of the compounds did not kill bed bugs over a 24-hour period.

It took about 70,000 times more of the most effective compound to kill a bed bug by contact than a control synthetic insecticide. With fumigants, this difference was only 400 times. That doesn't mean plant essential oil compounds are ineffective, Gondhalekar said. Now that toxicity levels are known, effective products can be formulated.

Hmm, using enough essential oil could kill bedbugs, but will you then stick to your furniture?


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 14 2019, @08:57AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 14 2019, @08:57AM (#814116)

    If you decide to play around with essential oils, be mindful of the fact that they're concentrated way beyond what you'd find if you just had a plant.

    If you apply them to your skin, use a carrier oil such as jojoba. Dilute the essential oil with the carrier. Recommended dilutions are out there, typically 1:10 essential:carrier. If you're allergy prone, maybe just avoid it altogether and if you're not allergy prone just test a small patch the first time.

    I got into this with orange oil to see if it would repel ants. It didn't, but I enjoy it as a mild cologne and hair/skin conditioner when mixed with jojoba. It smells nice, but it won't stop pests.

    Standard disclaimer: not a doctor.