Can Vicks vapor rub Repel Bed Bugs?

Waking up in the morning to itchy red bites (especially if you allergic to bites) can be a horrible experience. It can be confusing and frustrating as there can be no sign of the bed bugs yet you have their bites on your body. So we know from experience that we want fast results from any products around our house or apartment.

One thing almost all insects have in common is the dislike of mint. For us humans its a great natural property. We love the smell of mint, either fresh mint leaves or a synthetic gum smell. Also many of us rightfully don’t like harmful chemicals, think of the famous DDT used to repel mosquitoes.

Actually since we mentioned DDT, that is the potent chemical that almost completely eradicated Bed Bugs on the planet. This was of course before we realised that a chemical pesticide this powerful has some serious health drawbacks and costs for us Humans.

We then stopped using it and of course over the decades since around 1950s Bed bugs have made a steady comeback. BTW have you noticed in old movies how all beds were metal? Thats mostly because of Bedbugs – they dont like metal bedframes, theres nowhere for them to hide and dig unlike wooden bed frames.

Do you have a wooden bed frame? That might be a great solution if you suspect you are infested with bed bugs.

That is one part of our General Bed Bug Treatment Page that will ensure you are safe from Bed Bugs 100% if you follow our guide.

What are the downsides to Vicks vapor rub if you want to apply it to ward off Bed Bugs?

Well the number one drawback is that it doesnt last long as a repellent. Only around 15 minutes. Also, Vicks has a quite potent smell as its intended to temporarily relieve coughs due to minor throat and bronchial irritations that are linked with the common cold virus. It can also be applied for joint pain. The vicks product is very sticky with its petroleum jelly base, as its meant to be applied to the human body and can get all over the place making a sticky smelly mess.

So there’s that…. Additionally the product, even though it contains mint wasn’t intended as a General Bug repellent. You will get more bang for your bug (excuse our poor pun humour) with dedicated products such as.

We suggest only using Vicks as an emergency if Bed Bugs are crawling on you at 3am and you dont want to be bitten.

So in summary yes! Bed Bugs can be repelled by Vicks vapor rub but there are far better ways of controlling and dealing with a horrendous Bed Bug infestation.