Avoiding and Eliminating Bedbugs

Bedbug infestations are becoming more and more common. According to the CDC travel puts us at risk of being bitten and bringing home a potential bed bug infestation.

The Melaleuca Wellness Guide tells us that bedbugs are nocturnal parasites that prefer feeding on human blood. They like to hide in or near mattresses, especially at the seams, as well as in tiny cracks in the wall, in the baseboard, and in other furniture. They can live for months with no food. Bedbugs are most common in areas of high occupant turnover like hotels, apartments, shelters, and dormitories. Infestations are spread when the bedbugs hide in luggage and clothing of travelers. The bugs can also crawl from one apartment to another through the walls. As an indicator to an infestation, look for brown blood stains on the sheets, a possible foul odor, as well as red marks on your skin.

Prevention

One of the most important things to do when traveling is keep clothes and suitcases off the bed, and instead place your luggage on a metal luggage rack as far as possible from the bed. Laundry should be placed in sealed plastic bags and washed after returning home. Precaution should be taken even with clothes that were not worn.

Melaleuca customers report that using Sol-U-Mel keeps the bedbugs away. Spray Sol-U-Mel inside and outside luggage. You can also lightly spray diluted Sol-U-Mel on the headboard and the area around the bed.

Take Calm Action

If you find bedbugs, don’t panic. Bedbugs have become increasingly resistant to insecticides. Insecticides, especially those not designed for indoor use, can cause poisoning.

The Melaleuca Wellness Guide recommends pulling the bed and headboard away from the wall. Smear the bed frame legs with petroleum jelly. Buy extra vacuum bags. Do a daily thorough vacuum of the seams in the mattress, the box spring, the headboard, baseboard, and floor. After each vacuuming, seal the used vacuum bag in plastic and discard. Launder bedding and clothing in hot water and dry on hottest setting. Repair all cracks and crevices, glue down any loose wallpaper. Spray the mattress and surroundings with Sol-U-Guard Botanical or Sol-U-Mel. Be vigilant because bedbug eggs hatch in 6-17 days

Good to Know

A new study found that bed bugs are attracted to the smell of dirty laundry. A Science Daily article recommends storing dirty clothes in a separate airtight bag. And if your hotel room does not have a metal rack, store the whole suitcase in a plastic bag. Yes, it sounds like a lot of work but, without a doubt, it's less work than cleaning up a bedbug infestation at home. We suggest spraying the dirty clothes in the plastic laundry bag with a bit of Sol-U-Mel.

~ Richard M Barry

Bedbugs Success Stories

The people below will receive a free copy of The Melaleuca Wellness Guide for submitting their stories.

Bedbugs are a worry, especially when staying in hotels. I travel with show dogs and always take my Sol-U-Mel. Upon arrival to the hotel room, I strip the bed and spray the mattress, paying extra attention to any cording on the edges. I also spray the carpeting. There's never a worry that the dogs will be exposed to anything harmful with the Melaleuca products, and I love the peace of mind. Thank you Melaleuca and thank you RM Barry!

~ Elizabeth

BEDBUGS! Whenever I travel I always take the advice of Lewis Rasmussen and take a small spray bottle of diluted Sol-U-Mel with me to spray all around the room, carpet, beds, everything!! Results: no bed bugs. Even your better hotels have been known to have bedbugs from the many travelers from all over the world. Thanks for this wonderful newsletter and all the great information you share with us as well as your great Melaleuca Wellness Guide book.

~ Louise

I stayed at a motel nearby the convention, and unfortunately brought back some bedbugs with me. I didn't really pay attention to the bites for a couple of days because they were so unobtrusive on my lower legs. When I finally realized what was going on, I changed my sheets and sprayed the area with regular diluted Sol-U-Mel for three days in a row, about half a bottle each day to make sure. After that, everything has been fine.

~ Ted

A few years ago I was privileged to attend one of Lewis Rasmussen's Product Workshops. He shared with us that as a Vice President with Melaleuca, he travels extensively and always carries a bottle of Sol-U-Mel spray to treat his overnight accommodations for bedbug prevention. In all his years of travel he reported that he has never had an encounter with bedbugs. He told the story of one of his colleagues who, at the time, didn't believe bedbugs were such a problem (Mind you this was years ago). His friend would laugh at Lewis' precautions. Lewis grinned as he told us that one night while his colleague was staying at a very nice hotel, he was awaken with bedbugs biting him. He called the front desk, only to be told that there were no other rooms available, and that the best they could do was to provide a cot. That made him a believer!

~ Gloria

Bed bugs can happen in the cleanest of homes. It will generally happen in a bed that is not used much. We have a spare bedroom that we had to take action with regarding bed bugs. It is important to thoroughly vacuum down the room, vacuum the mattress very well. Spray the whole mattress (and pillows) down with Sol-U-Mel. Run a humidifier with 10 drops of oil or so and a few capfuls of Sol-U-Mel in the room for a day. Be sure all of the sheets and pillow cases have been changed out as well. Wash them in MelaPower with a few capfuls of Sol-U-Mel. Good night - Sleep tight - No bed bugs to bite!

~ Trixie

Bedbugs! What bedbugs? We spray our rooms and sheets with Sol-U-Mel on a regular basis, and we don't have problems with bedbugs, spiders, ticks, fleas, etc. We love MELALEUCA for the "preventive" qualities. :)

~ Julie