Use your own discretion if you try any of this, read labels, follow directions, research their safety, I am not responsible for any action taken in relation to whether someone does what I am doing. This is what I'm doing right now. I've gotten a bit sick from past things I've done and if you get sick from anything, stop right away.
1) Shower before bed and when getting up (after breakfast).
2) After shower, thick vaseline around ankles and in areas that themites like, for me on the inner thighs, pubic area, chest,shoulders. I shave off all body hair and since I'm a guy, my head. Iput the vaseline on after both showers. Once when I tried notputting it on, I got bad bites in those areas.
3) Spray bed with Witch Hazel (by rubbing alcohol in stores)with adribble of tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil before shower so it driesout a bit by the time I get to it, you can buy these in largerquantities at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe etc. Witch Hazel is good fromgeneric brands.
4)I spray myself from head to toe with Cedarcide before bed andsometimes I spray my bed as well. This repels them so well, I eatbreakfast with the stuff on, but because of the smell, I need to washup before I go out of the apartment. Some people have been able toget rid of them completely by fogging their house several times witha trijet fogger using Cedarcide (Joan).
5) I take Garlic and Cayenne Pepper supplements several times a day.I used to take B1 and Vitamin C a lot but I've cut down.
6)Thick layer or Borax on car floor (thanks Rita) and 50 gallon blackgarbage bag over car seat.
7)Synthetic clothing--sports wear (thanks Myrtle Maui). The bugsdon't infest them very easily and they wash easier.
8) Avoid sugar and alcohol.
9)Use foot powder in your shoes. Puff some in there and then shakeit so it spreads inside. Take out the sole of the shoe and do it,then do it again with the sole inside.
10) After wearing shoe, spray inside with Witch Hazel conction(mentioned earlier) and rubbing alcohol.
11) Sarna anti-itch lotion on itchy bites.
12) Hemp lotion seems to repel them--I've largely shifted to hemplotion (from Nature's Gate from Whole Foods) when I used to useCutter repellant that contains Picardin. I still use Picardinrepellant on the outside of clothing when I go to my car.
13) Baby powder can be poofed liberally inside underwear when thebugs start biting or crawling.
14) Rubbing alcohol can be sprayed on crawling areas or biting areas,it kills on contact. Try not to inhale it. I spray the floor andseat of my car with it before going in, but you need to air it outthen.
15) In addition to the Borax etc. in laundry, for drying, I use threeBounce sheets and 4 Arm and Hammer "Essentials" sheets. "Essentials"contain essential oils that seem to help a lot in killing/repellingthe mites. I ran out just recently and it seems I had much moretrouble with clothes that I hadn't treated with "Essentials."Lavender is a good scent with this. I'm now going to experiment withanother.
16) Stromectol brand ivermectin every week. This is a prescription drug. Your doctor would have to be willing to sign off on its use as an off label use. This is a decision that you will have to make in consultation with your doctor. To my knowledge, ivermectin has never been approved for long term use in humans and may have unexpected and possibly dangerous side effects.
19) Shave all body hair and if you can, your head.
20) I wash with Dial Anti-Bacterial Soap the entire body and then with Tea Tree Oil Shampoo. I've used a variety of brands of Tea Tree Shampoo. The American Crew worked well for me but I can't find it now. I've also used Jason, Nature's Gate, and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.
I have full spectrum lights in my room, but I don't know how wellthey help. I also have a dehumidifyer, that I believe helps a lot,and an ionic air purifyer that creates small bits of ozone and helpsa bit, I think.I am limited in how well I can treat this. I can't use an ozonegenerator or spray stuff, or put down diatomacious earth or Borax onthe floors, so I can't take care of it as whole sale as I would like to, but these are ideas.
Also, check for birds or rodents in your house or around your house.Put out rodent traps just to see if you catch any and poison to seeif it gets eaten (if you don't have pets). Rodents can get in reallytricky places and they can bring this plague of mites on us. I thinkI may have rodents nearby and they may be making things worse. This all started for me with a dead rat.
Showing posts with label Cedarcide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cedarcide. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Cedarcide
The following was posted to me on the yahoo group birdmitesorg. If you suffer from mites, I recommend joining this community of over 60 people who discuss methods of solving this problem.
"Hi Loviatar. We got rid of our bird mites (I think) after using CedarCide Spray/Fogger throughout the house on everything and by spraying it on us before doing any outside work. There were 2 or 3 others who tried it but I have not seen anything on this site from either lately. We have had no activity for at least 6 weeks. Just thought I might mention that and it is also safe for dogs and cats. Dr, Ben Oldag confirmed our pest was a bird mite although I am not sure what kind. I suspect the same type FritoLay pictured on one of her last posts. J."
Another responded:
"Only recently have some of us discovered that 1 to 2 cups of Epsom salt mixed with water placed in a one pint container poured on to the skin and dried on the skin with a hair drier will kill what ever is on the skin. This treatment has made sleeping much easier for a lot of people. This seems to work much better than oils for some. R."
We also tried Cedarcide, but for some reason the mites would only hold off for a day. Maybe they were still coming in from an original host or their eggs were hatching daily, I'm not sure. We thought it was only suppressing them. I'm glad it worked for somebody and I hope it works for more people! I was glad for the success story, I needed the encouragement that some people have been able to get rid of this!
"Hi Loviatar. We got rid of our bird mites (I think) after using CedarCide Spray/Fogger throughout the house on everything and by spraying it on us before doing any outside work. There were 2 or 3 others who tried it but I have not seen anything on this site from either lately. We have had no activity for at least 6 weeks. Just thought I might mention that and it is also safe for dogs and cats. Dr, Ben Oldag confirmed our pest was a bird mite although I am not sure what kind. I suspect the same type FritoLay pictured on one of her last posts. J."
Another responded:
"Only recently have some of us discovered that 1 to 2 cups of Epsom salt mixed with water placed in a one pint container poured on to the skin and dried on the skin with a hair drier will kill what ever is on the skin. This treatment has made sleeping much easier for a lot of people. This seems to work much better than oils for some. R."
We also tried Cedarcide, but for some reason the mites would only hold off for a day. Maybe they were still coming in from an original host or their eggs were hatching daily, I'm not sure. We thought it was only suppressing them. I'm glad it worked for somebody and I hope it works for more people! I was glad for the success story, I needed the encouragement that some people have been able to get rid of this!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Partial Guide to Essential Oils Used In Mite Control
Although primary host eradication may be key to the elimination of blood feeding mites, essential oils (EO) have proven to have anti-ectoparasitic properties and can be helpful in the battle against mites--particularly considering how well they survive through normal pesticides, soaps, shampoos, and any other number of measures.
These oils include Anise, Balsam, Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput, Camphor, Caraway, Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir, Garlic, Hemp, Lavender, Lavendin, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Orange, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Thuja, Thyme, Wintergreen and Ylang-Ylang. You can purchase these oils in their pure forms from herbal or vitamin shops such as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or even locally owned natural remedy shops. Tea Tree Oil, one of the most popular, can be readily purchased at most pharmacies and even some grocery stores.
Realize that even though essential oils are sold expensively in small quantities in their pure form, you will probably not be using them in their pure form. Never put pure EOs on the skin. It must always be diluted. Also, never allow EOs to contact the eyes even in diluted form--if you get EO in your eyes, rinse your eyes for a few minutes with water. Also, never ingest EOs, if you accidentally ingest an EO, call a poison control hotline and/or go to an emergency room.
Most uses in mite control either involve using essential oils in diluted products or in small quantities. You can save on cost by purchasing these oils in larger quantities, for example a 500 ml bottle of eucalypus oil. If you buy essential oils, make sure that you first research quality standards and active ingredients. For example, not all Tea Tree Oils are equal as some do not have the right amounts of the active ingredient terpinen.
If you plan to use EOs for mite control, make sure you are using them only as a part of a much larger plan. Find and eradicate the original host and its nest. You will still need to do vacuuming, putting mattresses and pillows in mite covers, keeping clothing in bags etc. etc. I recommend contacting a professional pest control service, such as Oreckman and consulting a doctor, preferrably a dermatologist. This may be difficult due to lack of knowledge in these fields concerning biting mites.
For information on mite control in Honeybees through the use of essential oils, see the following links. It may provide insights into how essential oils function when controlling mites. Mite Control in Honey Bees With Essential Oils and Control of Varroa Mites Through the Systematic Application of Essential Oils in a Liquid Honeybee Diet and USDA Bee Lab Teams Pursue Mite Controls.
You can also add Tea Tree Oil (TTO) in the washing stage, add half a tea spoon (or if you want a whole one) into the wash. It might be a good idea to dilute it in a cup of water before putting it in among the clothes. Or, you can buy already produced TTO laundry additives such as De-Mite (Link) or other already mixed detergents. It is a good idea to still use Borax, vinegar, or ammonium in laundry. I am not sure how well TTO works in laundry, but it might be worth a try. Be aware that some detergents may be labeled as lavendar or other scents that are common in EOs. This does not necessarily mean that the product contains EOs, it may simply be chemically scented to smell like something. Make sure to read the label and affirm that it actually has EOs. This goes for lotions and bath products as well.
One recent study in Australia found that 5% TTO killed a resistent strain of crusted scabies mites (Baker, Laurence "Tea Tree Oil May Be Used to Treat Scabies." Archives of Dermatology 140 (2004): 563-566 Link). Although scabies is a more fragile species of mite than blood feeding mites, a scabies like treatment can be used both to kill mites on the body and to act as a preventative measure. The difference is that when you should only use Lindane at most once a month and permetherin once a week, you can use EO shampoos and soaps on a daily basis (or twice daily or more) with the same level of effect as one treatment of permetherin (I say this only concerning house infesting biting mites, not scabies--scabies has a different treatment with TTO which I will not discuss here).
As a last exercise in the shower (perhaps after washing with Dial antibacterial bar soap or Dawn antibacterial dish soap), the person suffering from biting mites can turn off the shower, lather the entire body and hair with tea tree shampoo, leave it on for two to fifteen minutes, and then lightly rinse it off. This will both kill the mites and may leave sufficient amounts of TTO in the skin to discourage further bites. TTO shampoos usually have around 2 or 3% TTO.
Be aware, however, that TTO can cause redness and inflamation of the skin and may even have side effects such as nausea and drowsiness. If you notice these symptoms, immediately wash the oil off. It is possible that you can still use TTO in this way in a more diluted form or for a shorter period of time. You can dilute it with Olive Oil (not an EO) or by adding a non-EO normal shampoo to the Tea Tree Oil shampoo.
TTO shampoos come from many different brands. You can find these at herbal shops, bath shops, some pharmacies, and beauty salons. You can also make TTO shampoo by simply adding a few drops to normal shampoo in your hand or by adding a somewhat larger quantity (tea spoon or two) to a bottle of normal shampoo. This shampoo will also kill lice.
You can also use other EO soaps and washes to the same effect. One line of such soaps is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps which can be purchased on line (Link) or from most health-herb-vitamin shops. Be aware that even though these soaps are already diluted, they may still be too harsh. You can add some of Dr. Bronner's soap in a diluted TTO shampoo to add strength to it, or take other measures to dilute the soap.
Head and Shoulders (which in itself can be used as an anti-mite body wash) has come out with a product with Peppermint Oil already added to it and Dawn antibacterial dish soap (which also can be used by itself as an anti-mite body wash) has come out with a line that uses orange extract (Orange Oil?).
If you plan to try to eradicate biting mites from a house with this product, purchase the trijet fogger and several gallons of Cedarcide. Also, buy at least one quart sized spray bottle to use under furniture and places that the trijet does not contact. The mist will fall from up to down and any surface with something on it (chair, piece of paper) will not be exposed. (Cedarcide Industries take on mite infestations link).
These oils include Anise, Balsam, Basil, Bay, Birch, Cajeput, Camphor, Caraway, Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Dill, Fennell, Fir, Garlic, Hemp, Lavender, Lavendin, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Nutmeg, Orange, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Thuja, Thyme, Wintergreen and Ylang-Ylang. You can purchase these oils in their pure forms from herbal or vitamin shops such as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, or even locally owned natural remedy shops. Tea Tree Oil, one of the most popular, can be readily purchased at most pharmacies and even some grocery stores.
Realize that even though essential oils are sold expensively in small quantities in their pure form, you will probably not be using them in their pure form. Never put pure EOs on the skin. It must always be diluted. Also, never allow EOs to contact the eyes even in diluted form--if you get EO in your eyes, rinse your eyes for a few minutes with water. Also, never ingest EOs, if you accidentally ingest an EO, call a poison control hotline and/or go to an emergency room.
Most uses in mite control either involve using essential oils in diluted products or in small quantities. You can save on cost by purchasing these oils in larger quantities, for example a 500 ml bottle of eucalypus oil. If you buy essential oils, make sure that you first research quality standards and active ingredients. For example, not all Tea Tree Oils are equal as some do not have the right amounts of the active ingredient terpinen.
If you plan to use EOs for mite control, make sure you are using them only as a part of a much larger plan. Find and eradicate the original host and its nest. You will still need to do vacuuming, putting mattresses and pillows in mite covers, keeping clothing in bags etc. etc. I recommend contacting a professional pest control service, such as Oreckman and consulting a doctor, preferrably a dermatologist. This may be difficult due to lack of knowledge in these fields concerning biting mites.
For information on mite control in Honeybees through the use of essential oils, see the following links. It may provide insights into how essential oils function when controlling mites. Mite Control in Honey Bees With Essential Oils and Control of Varroa Mites Through the Systematic Application of Essential Oils in a Liquid Honeybee Diet and USDA Bee Lab Teams Pursue Mite Controls.
EO Use in Laundry
These oils that are derived from aromatic plants have been shown to kill certain mites when the oil is added to the dryer. This can be done by simply adding 25 drops of an essential oil (such as Eucalyptus Oil or Lavendar Oil) or you can purchase Arm and Hammer Essentials dryer sheets labeled Lavander (Link). If you are attempting to eradicate mites with the dryer sheets, I recommend putting at least four sheets into one dryer load and running the dryer on the hottest setting. I use the Arm and Hammer sheets in conjunction with Bounce dryer sheets (three bounce sheets) to combine the effects of both of them.
You can also add Tea Tree Oil (TTO) in the washing stage, add half a tea spoon (or if you want a whole one) into the wash. It might be a good idea to dilute it in a cup of water before putting it in among the clothes. Or, you can buy already produced TTO laundry additives such as De-Mite (Link) or other already mixed detergents. It is a good idea to still use Borax, vinegar, or ammonium in laundry. I am not sure how well TTO works in laundry, but it might be worth a try. Be aware that some detergents may be labeled as lavendar or other scents that are common in EOs. This does not necessarily mean that the product contains EOs, it may simply be chemically scented to smell like something. Make sure to read the label and affirm that it actually has EOs. This goes for lotions and bath products as well.
House Dust Mites can apparently die from clothing and soft objects even from simple exposure to the fumes of essential oils in a tightly enclosed space. I am not sure whether or not this would kill blood feeding mites, but it might be worth a try, see this patent explanation: Method for Killing House Dust Mites in Clothing and Other Soft Materials Link.
EO Shampoos and Soaps
One recent study in Australia found that 5% TTO killed a resistent strain of crusted scabies mites (Baker, Laurence "Tea Tree Oil May Be Used to Treat Scabies." Archives of Dermatology 140 (2004): 563-566 Link). Although scabies is a more fragile species of mite than blood feeding mites, a scabies like treatment can be used both to kill mites on the body and to act as a preventative measure. The difference is that when you should only use Lindane at most once a month and permetherin once a week, you can use EO shampoos and soaps on a daily basis (or twice daily or more) with the same level of effect as one treatment of permetherin (I say this only concerning house infesting biting mites, not scabies--scabies has a different treatment with TTO which I will not discuss here).
As a last exercise in the shower (perhaps after washing with Dial antibacterial bar soap or Dawn antibacterial dish soap), the person suffering from biting mites can turn off the shower, lather the entire body and hair with tea tree shampoo, leave it on for two to fifteen minutes, and then lightly rinse it off. This will both kill the mites and may leave sufficient amounts of TTO in the skin to discourage further bites. TTO shampoos usually have around 2 or 3% TTO.
Be aware, however, that TTO can cause redness and inflamation of the skin and may even have side effects such as nausea and drowsiness. If you notice these symptoms, immediately wash the oil off. It is possible that you can still use TTO in this way in a more diluted form or for a shorter period of time. You can dilute it with Olive Oil (not an EO) or by adding a non-EO normal shampoo to the Tea Tree Oil shampoo.
TTO shampoos come from many different brands. You can find these at herbal shops, bath shops, some pharmacies, and beauty salons. You can also make TTO shampoo by simply adding a few drops to normal shampoo in your hand or by adding a somewhat larger quantity (tea spoon or two) to a bottle of normal shampoo. This shampoo will also kill lice.
You can also use other EO soaps and washes to the same effect. One line of such soaps is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps which can be purchased on line (Link) or from most health-herb-vitamin shops. Be aware that even though these soaps are already diluted, they may still be too harsh. You can add some of Dr. Bronner's soap in a diluted TTO shampoo to add strength to it, or take other measures to dilute the soap.
Head and Shoulders (which in itself can be used as an anti-mite body wash) has come out with a product with Peppermint Oil already added to it and Dawn antibacterial dish soap (which also can be used by itself as an anti-mite body wash) has come out with a line that uses orange extract (Orange Oil?).
Cedarcide: Cedar Oil As a Pesticide
Other studies have been conducted by Cedarcide industries who add 10% Cedar Oil to a saline solution and thus use it to eradicate mites from homes, pets, poultry houses, livestock, and even orchards. Some people who have experienced distress from blood sucking mites have found relief from Cedarcide, but in some cases it has apparently only suppressed the mite population and required a daily application with a trijet fogger for the temporary relief. It appears effective only as a contact killer for the mites. It can also be sprayed on oneself when you feel crawling and may have some repellant qualities when it is on the skin.
If you plan to try to eradicate biting mites from a house with this product, purchase the trijet fogger and several gallons of Cedarcide. Also, buy at least one quart sized spray bottle to use under furniture and places that the trijet does not contact. The mist will fall from up to down and any surface with something on it (chair, piece of paper) will not be exposed. (Cedarcide Industries take on mite infestations link).
Other Sprays and Concoctions
Some people have had luck in mite control by spraying Orange Oil cleaners. These cleaners contain Orange Oil, usually to get rid of grime. You can find it in most stores that sell bathroom and kitchen cleaners. Others have used EOs in concoctions with a number of other ingredients (one example is "Spray Concoction that Helps" on the birdmites.org Forum near the top Link). I have experimented with a similar concoction that contains Witch Hazel, a teaspoon of TTO, and about 20-30 drops of eucalyptus or lavendar oil in a small spray bottle. I usually don't spray this on myself, but I've sprayed my bedding with it right before going to sleep. It is my hope that it will kill any mites that are there and repel them till morning.
Lemon Eucalyptus EO has also emerged as an insect repellant line from Cutter and Repel. Cutter includes 30% Lemon Eucalyptus Oil and both have a label repellant time of six hours. Since you should only use this product no more than twice a day, I like to alternate it with a Picardin containing repellant (which also should be used only once a day) so I do not overexpose myself (Picardin is not an EO, I'm just sharing this info FYI).
There are a lot of other products and uses out there for EOs. Trial and error must be used in seeing how well these work. Notice that some products, such as lotions, may have such small quantities of EOs that they do not repel mite bites.
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