What can I put on my skin so bed bugs won't bite me?

Author: Mrs. Ardella Bruen  |  Last update: Monday, June 9, 2025

Essential oils. While essential oils like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint are popularly recommended for DIY bed bug treatments due to their strong scents and supposed insect-repellent properties, there is not much scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in eradicating bed bug infestations.

What repels bed bugs from biting you?

Here are some options: DEET: Products containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are effective at repelling a variety of insects, including bedbugs. Look for a concentration of 20-30% for effective protection. Picaridin: This is another effective repellent that can be used against bedbugs.

Can I put anything on my skin to deter bed bugs?

Effectively repellent essential oils include cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, thyme oil, tea tree oil, and, finally, eucalyptus oil. In my experience, all or any of these oils have laid claim to both killing as well as repelling bed bugs.

What scent keeps bed bugs away?

Bed bugs are sensitive to strong smells and certain scents can help keep them away. Essential oils like lavender, tea tree and peppermint are popular choices. These oils not only smell good but also act as natural repellents.

Does Vicks VapoRub keep bed bugs away?

Not really. The scent might confuse a few insects that are attracted mostly by human sweat but the effectiveness is minimal.

Doctor explains BED BUGS - including SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION ( +PHOTOS!)

What do bedbugs hate most?

Check these out!
  • Rubbing Alcohol. Bed bugs are hard to deal with, but you can repel them by using rubbing alcohol. ...
  • Tea Tree Oil. If you don't want to use rubbing alcohol for your bed bug problems, you can try tea tree oil as another solution. ...
  • Lavender Oil. ...
  • Blood Orange Oil. ...
  • Diatomaceous Earth. ...
  • Powdered Pepper. ...
  • Lemon. ...
  • Cinnamon.

How do I keep bedbugs off me at night?

How can I prevent bed bug bites?
  1. Encase mattresses and box springs in protective plastic covers.
  2. Vacuum frequently, especially in areas near where you sleep.
  3. Cut down on clutter in your home, which will eliminate some hiding places for bed bugs.

What is bed bug weakness?

If bed bugs have one weakness, it's that they're intolerant of extremely high or low temperatures. Washing clothes and bedding at the highest possible setting followed by drying for at least 30 minutes at high heat should do the trick. You can also freeze clothing or other objects you suspect of being infested.

Does Irish Spring Soap repel bed bugs?

While it hasn't been scientifically proven, Irish Spring soap could be an effective DIY pest-repellent hack." The most recommended and popular way of using soap for insect repellent is by grating a bar and scattering the shavings in any area where the bugs tend to swarm.

What smell do bugs hate the most?

Bugs hate the smells associated with repellency, such as lavender, citronella, vinegar, peppermint, and geranium. These oils are considered a natural way of driving away bugs from your home without harming you, your family, and other animals.

How do you keep bed bugs off humans?

Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor. This reduces the number of bed bugs. Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers Remember to clean them when you do the laundry.

What skin lotion repels bed bugs?

A team of scientists led by entomologist Junwei (Jerry) Zhu, with the ARS Agroecosystem Management Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska, found that the coconut oil compounds were effective against biting flies and bed bugs for two weeks and had lasting repellency against ticks for at least one week in laboratory tests.

How to stop getting bitten at night?

To help prevent bug bites, dermatologists recommend the following tips:
  1. Use insect repellent. To protect against mosquitoes, ticks and other bugs, use insect repellent that contains 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing. ...
  2. Wear appropriate clothing. ...
  3. Use bed nets. ...
  4. Pay attention to outbreaks.

How do you keep bed bugs from biting your skin?

2. Vacuum the mattress and bed frame. Regular vacuuming of mattresses and bed frames is highly recommended, especially to reduce the number of adult bed bugs that often bite you at night.

What can I put on my body to prevent bug bites?

Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.

What can I wear to repel bed bugs?

Clothing to wear at work

Choose pants without cuffs and shoes that are smooth with no trim that bed bugs can hide under. Hang your coat or jacket on a wire hanger and hang it from a shower curtain rod. Make sure it doesn't touch anything else.

What can I spray to prevent bed bugs?

Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins.

What scent repels bed bugs the most?

Just like mosquitos hate the smell of citronella, bed bugs do too. A citronella-scented candle is recommended to keep bed bugs at bay, as they hate the smell of it burning, but you can also use citronella essential oil more directly on your bed - plus you shouldn't leave a candle burning while you're asleep.

What detergent do bed bugs hate?

The good news is that laundry detergent can kill bed bugs. The even better news is that the detergent you use doesn't need to be expensive or in any way unique. IN fact, good old fashioned washing up liquid can kill bed bugs. All you need is a generic laundry detergent and you are good to go.

What does a bed bug hate?

Tea tree oil, renowned for its antibacterial properties, is like a natural bug repellent that bed bugs can't stand. Peppermint oil, with its invigorating minty freshness, overwhelms their acute senses. And eucalyptus oil, known for its refreshing aroma, is a formidable deterrent against these tiny intruders.

Why should you not squish bed bugs?

Bed bugs are not known to spread pathogens through their bites. Bed bug bites can be itchy and stressful. Do not squish a bed bug as it will release the blood and any pathogens it may be carrying.

Do bed bugs prefer females?

Bed bugs have no preference when it comes to who they want to attach themselves to.

What can I eat to keep bed bugs from biting me?

5 Foods That Repel Bugs
  • Onions. The sulfur component in onions keeps bugs at a distance by producing an odor that bugs hate. ...
  • Grapefruit. Okay, we know that onions are probably not your first choice to rub all over your body, so you're in luck! ...
  • Cucumbers. ...
  • Apple Cider Vinegar. ...
  • Garlic.

What is the best homemade bed bug killer?

9 Home Remedies for Bed bugs Worth Trying
  • Vacuum. ...
  • Steam cleaner. ...
  • Diatomaceous earth. ...
  • Baking soda. ...
  • Black walnut tea. ...
  • Tea tree oil. ...
  • Cayenne pepper. ...
  • Lavender or peppermint oil spray. Lavender is commonly associated with rest and relaxation, so it may come as a surprise that it can be used to combat bed bugs.

Will sleeping with lights on stop bed bugs?

In 2009, EPA and CDC collaborated on a joint statement to highlight the public health impacts of bed bugs . Myth: Bed bugs won't come out if the room is brightly lit. Reality: While bed bugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won't deter these pests from biting you.

Previous article
Does putting a wet towel over a fan make it cooler?
Next article
Is black fuzzy mold toxic?