The two products — sold as EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol — killed more than 90 percent of the bugs treated with them. Nine other non-synthetic insecticides tested by the Rutgers researchers had any noticeable effects against bed bugs, according to a study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
 

Outbreaks of bed bugs in New York and other major U.S. cities have prompted concerns over insecticide exposures people experience, as a result of chemical treatments. Those concerns have prompted the development alternative oil-based pesticides and detergent insecticides in recent years.
 

The non-synthetic bed bug pesticides — which contain ingredients such as geraniol, rosemary oil, mint oil, cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, eugenol, clove oil, lemongrass oil, sodium lauryl sulfate, 2-Phenethyl propionate, potassium sorbate, and sodium chloride — were analyzed by the Rutgers researchers.
 

In addition to EcoRaider and Bed Bug Control, the other products tested included Bed Bug 911, Bed Bug Bully, Bed Bug Fix, Ecoexempt IC2, Eradicator, Essentria, Rest Assured, Green Rest Easy, and Stop Bugging Me.
 

When the researchers sprayed the 11 non-synthetic pesticides directly on bed bug nymphs, they found that only EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol— killed more than 90 percent of them.
 

“Under field conditions, bed bugs hide in cracks, crevices, creases, and many other places where insecticide application may not be directly applied onto the hidden insects,” the authors wrote.

“Additional studies under field conditions are warranted to determine the field efficacy of EcoRaider and Bed Bug Patrol and how they can be incorporated into a bed bug management program.”