The Bed Bug Resource

Cedar, Cinnamon, Lemon Grass, Peppermint, and Clove Oil? Theres No Proof They Will Eradicate Bed Bugs, Agency Says

The Federal Trade Commission filed deceptive advertising charges against two marketers of remedies for bed bug infestations, who allegedly failed to back up overhyped claims that they could prevent and eliminate infestations using natural ingredients, such as cinnamon and cedar oil. One marketer also allegedly made misleading claims that its products were effective against head lice.

In one of the two cases, RMB Group, LLC and its principals have agreed to settle the charges relating to their Rest Easy bed bug products. In the case against Cedarcide

Industries, Inc. and others, challenging their marketing of Best Yet! bed bug and head lice treatments, the defendants have not settled, and the FTC is beginning litigation against them.

Bed bugs have been a growing public health pest in recent years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Consumers plagued with bed bugs experience considerable stress, discomfort, and expense in attempting to rid themselves of these pests, and many are unaware of the complex measures needed to prevent and control them, according to the EPA.

Consumers concerned about bed bugs also should see the FTC publication, Good Night, Sleep Tight, and Dont Let the Bed Bugs Bite . . . Your Wallet, which urges caution about advertisements that offer quick solutions, and provides advice to consumers for treating bed bug infestations.

Also, as children head back to school this fall, the FTC urges parents to carefully research products that claim to treat head lice infestations.

In both cases, the FTC charged the marketing companies as well as the individuals behind them with deceptive advertising for claiming that their products can stop and prevent bed bug infestations. The Cedarcide defendants also are charged with making deceptive claims that their product can stop and prevent head lice infestations, and that the federal government endorses and is affiliated with their product.

The Cedarcide Industries, Inc. defendants market BEST Yet!, a line of cedar-oil-based liquid products they claim will treat and prevent bed bug and head lice infestations. The defendants sell the product to consumers nationwide. They also sell it to hotels and other commercial establishments for treating bed bugs, and to school districts for treating head lice. Consumers can buy the product online, by phone, at the Cedarcide website , and at Amazon.com. The cost of the products ranges from $29.95 for the quart-sized spray bottle to $3,394.95 for a hotel-motel bed bug eradication kit.

One radio advertisement for the product stated:

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