I’m allergic to dust mites and recently searched the Internet looking for any herbs that might repel them. At home I have it pretty much under control with mattresses and pillows in dust mite enclosures, etc. (BTW, Heart of Vermont is a great source for organic dust mite covers.) But we have a camp on a lake up in New Hampshire that is shut up all winter and when we open it in the spring my allergies go nuts. Eucalyptus is the herb that kept popping up in my searches. I made up a spray of 1 cup water and 25 drops eucalyptus to spray the beds and rugs with while I was up there a couple weeks ago and it seemed to help. Unfortunately, while it might repel living mites, it doesn’t get rid of the “dander” the mites leave behind that is the main source of allergen. So it’s not a complete solution but it helps — fewer mites mean less dander in the future right? I’m experimenting with using Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus Castille Soap when I launder my sheets to see if that helps too.
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Have you tried Cedarwood Essential Oil? It kills dust mites. Just vacume and spray and repeat every other day for a total of four sessions. The vacuming brings the mites to the surface of the soft materials like your bed or couch. I make a spray using 1/4 c. distilled water, teaspoon of vodka and 25 drops of oil. (The vodka is a fixative, if you don’t want to use it, you can just frequently shake your spray bottle.
Thanks, Michelle. Cedarwood is one of my favorite essential oils, but I hadn’t thought to use it on the dust mites. I will give it a try!