How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

When it comes to pests, bed bugs may top the list. Between the itchy bites, the risk of secondary infections from all that scratching (2), and the resulting anxiety and disrupted sleep (3), the entire bed bug experience can be pretty miserable. Fortunately, bed bug infestations can be treated. Ahead, we’re sharing everything you’ve ever needed to know about bed bugs, including how to spot them, how to get rid of bedbugs, and most importantly, how to avoid them in the first place.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are very small insects that belong to the scientific order Hemiptera, which is characterized by piercing and sucking mouthparts (4). “Most bugs use these specialized mouthparts to feed on plants, but some have modified their diets to include other insects and animals (including humans),” says Chad L. Cross, professor in residence of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Public Health. And as you might have guessed, bed bugs are most likely to bite you while you’re sleeping.

Cross says bed bugs are considered a pest species because of their feeding habits on people and other mammals, paired with the detrimental effect they have on our health and well-being. “They do not spread disease, but they can cause painful, itchy bites that lead to negative health impacts,” says Cross. What’s more, some people may be allergic to the saliva in their bites.

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

Bed bugs have six legs and are quite small, measuring about 3/16 to ¼ inch in length and about ⅛ of an inch wide, making them roughly the size of an apple seed. Female bed bugs are slightly larger than males (5). “They are dorso-ventrally flattened (i.e., flattened from top-to-bottom), which allows them to squeeze into small spaces,” explains Cross. Young bed bugs are a yellowish white, while adults are brown or reddish-brown. Bed bug eggs can be very small and difficult to see, comparable to the head of a pin, with a pearly white color.

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From?

Bed bugs can be spread when personal items are placed on soft and upholstered materials. That means they can inadvertently be introduced into your home on your luggage when you return home from traveling, or from a backpack if you were at a home with an unknown infestation. They can also travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, like hotels and apartment complexes (6).

There’s a reason they can appear so plentiful once they find their way into your home, too. Female bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs during their lifetime, which is between six and 24 months (7). Cross says they hide in cracks, crevices, and dark areas of rooms, like mattresses and light sockets. “Bed bugs tend to congregate in areas with lots of wood and paper where there are many hiding places that are protective when not feeding,” he says. “Human dwellings are ideal for them.”

How to Check for Bed Bugs

The biggest clue of a bed bug infestation are remains that dry in a yellowish to brown color (6). “These spots are very conspicuously found around areas where they hide,” says Cross. These areas include:

• Mattresses. Check your bedding for any markings similar to blood spots around the top of the mattress and along the seams. Remove bedding carefully (avoid shaking it out in the event there are bed bugs present). Then pull the bed away from the wall and check the mattress folds and seams, using a card to push out any bugs or eggs that are hidden more deeply. Make sure to wear gloves and check both sides of the mattress.
• Box springs or foundations. Move the mattress of the bed frame, and check the seams and folds of the box spring. Bed bugs may be on the dust cover on the bottom, so make sure to check both sides.
• Bed frames. Bed bugs can fit into small spaces, so look closely at screw holes and any cracks or crevices in the frame. It’s a good idea to check beneath the frame as well.
• Sofas and upholstered chairs. Look closely at the seams and any folds in the material. Use a card or a gloved finger to check more thoroughly for bugs, eggs, or bug remains. Check beneath the furniture piece, where it’s darker, warmer and more hospitable to bed bugs.
• Baseboards. Shine a flashlight along the baseboard, especially the gap where the flooring meets the trim — that’s a common spot where bed bugs could be nesting. You can also slide a card into the gap to draw out a sample of what’s in there.
• Cracks and crevices. Check cracks and crevices as you would baseboards: with gloves, a flashlight, and a card.

You can use your nose as well. “There is also a unique, sweet smell associated with large infestations,” says Cross. Since bed bugs are so ubiquitous, it’s important to scan carefully for bed bugs when you’re traveling. “Be cautious when staying in hotels,” says Cross. If you believe you stayed somewhere with bed bugs, he recommends placing your luggage into a large, black trash bag, sealing it, and leaving it in the sun or another hot area for several days. Then, launder your clothing in hot water and a hot dryer cycle, he says. If you move into a new apartment, it’s a good idea to check for bed bugs as well.

“Bed bugs do not stay on humans after feeding,” says Cross, so you will not generally find them on the body. Instead, you’ll find their bites. “The bites are red and very itchy,” says Cross. “Many people may have an allergic reaction to bed bug saliva, and this causes inflammation around the bite area.” What’s more, he says that single bites are very rare, so there will generally be many bite marks. Bed bugs also feed on exposed skin, so you may note a row of bites along the skin (1), he says, in a distinctive linear pattern. They can also look like rashes.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs 

In the event of an infestation, it’s important to take action quickly. In addition to professional pest control services, other options include hot and cold treatments, insecticides, and natural remedies. An immediate first step is limiting the spread to the best of your ability. Use caulk to seal cracks and crevices, and put infested items into large black garbage bags to properly treat them (8). Then decide which treatment option is most appropriate for you.

Bed Bug Treatment Options

Treatment options can vary, from professional services to home remedies.

Prices may vary depending on the level of infestation and your location.

Hire Pest Control

Professional pest control companies usually inspect and diagnose bed bugs to offer a tailored treatment plan that can involve heat and cold treatments, as well as chemical pesticides. Depending on the size of the infestation, the process can take several rounds over several weeks. Prices will vary, again depending on the size of the infestation as well as the treatment plan and where you live. “​​Whole room heating/fumigation may run as high as $2,000-$3,000,” says Cross.

Heat Treatment

“Bed bugs are not heat tolerant,” notes Cross. Heat desiccates, or dries out, the bed bugs, and they die.” Research shows that heat treatments can work as quickly as 90 minutes with 113 degree Fahrenheit temperatures if temperature is constant (9). Professional heat treatments typically use a whole-room approach with steamers, but you can also heat treat some items in the hot cycle of the dryer or with portable heating devices. However, Cross points out that it’s often difficult to treat large areas this way.

With all heat treatments, the goal is to reach the bed bug thermal death point. At 118 degrees, adult bed bugs will die within 20 minutes. Bed bug eggs, however, must be exposed to 118 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes (9).

Cold Treatment

Bed bugs are equally intolerant of cold. “You can seal clothing in a bag and place it into a freezer at or below 0^o F for several days to kill bed bugs,” says Cross. That temperature is important — according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cold treatment is only successful if the freezer is set to 0 degrees (which most freezers cannot maintain) and items are left at that temperature for three days (8).

Professional pest services may use cold treatments as well. They use specialized equipment that creates small particles of snow from carbon dioxide, which are deadly to bed bugs. Treatment windows can vary depending on the level of infestation, and prices are dependent on the infestation itself and where you live.

Insecticides

Insecticides are chemicals that kill bed bugs (10). While they can work quickly — in just a few hours, in some cases — it’s important to use several treatments to ensure all the bugs are exposed. Applying these products directly to cracks, seams, crevices, and baseboards can also be helpful.

Depending on the type of insecticide used, you’ll likely need to stay out of the treated room for a few hours to a full day or longer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends considering non-chemical methods to minimize exposure and notes that insecticides should not be your only method of treatment (8). 

Cross also warns that pesticides can be dangerous and deadly in many circumstances (11). He recommends leaving it to the professionals. “There are several pesticides registered for use on bed bugs; over 20 for whole structure use, and over 250 for mattresses,” he says. “Again, it is best to leave their use to professionals to avoid endangering yourself and family.”

Natural Remedies

While some people recommend DIY or natural remedies to treat bed bugs, like essential oils, petroleum jelly, dryer sheets, or baby powder, the EPA recommends avoiding them and other DIY methods (8). “Do not use flammable liquids, imported pesticides, mothballs, garden dusts/sprays, bug bombs, etc. These are largely not useful and can be dangerous to use,” adds Cross. 

However, preventative natural remedies for bed bugs can be effective. “You can place interceptor cups under bed legs to capture bed bugs that try to climb and end up trapped in the cups,” says Cross. These plastic dishes fit around the base of bed posts. Since bed bugs don’t climb slippery surfaces particularly well, they become trapped in the well of the cup (12).

How to Prevent Bed Bugs in the Future 

Diligence is probably the best approach to preventing bed bugs. Here’s what to keep in mind.

• Make a point of looking for signs of bed bugs, especially when you travel. Take time to inspect your clothing and suitcases when you come home. If you’re a frequent traveler, you might also consider getting a specialized light kit. Cross says they use UV lights in combination with yellow-lensed glasses that allow for visual inspection, as typically bed bug feces (and sometimes the bugs themselves) will reflect light.
• The EPA recommends using a protective cover that goes around mattresses and box springs to prevent contamination (13). Check it regularly to ensure it doesn’t develop holes. It’s also important to keep bedroom clutter to a minimum, since it creates numerous hiding places. 
• In dwellings that share common walls, seal cracks and crevices around sockets and baseboards to prevent neighboring bugs from making their way in. “If you live in an apartment and you have a neighbor with an infestation, immediately seek a professional exterminator to inspect your apartment as well,” says Cross.
• Be very cautious with second-hand items as well. Follow best practices to check for bed bugs in the seams and on the bottoms.

FAQs

The Last Word From Sleepopolis 

Discovering that your bed is infested with creepy crawlies can seem pretty gross, and it’s more common than you might think. Bed bugs can be inadvertently transported, and they’re small enough to burrow away into seams and cracks in and around your bed. Being aware of the signs of bed bugs and following best practices when you travel can help minimize your risk of exposure. In the event of a potential infestation, professional pest removal is likely the smartest move. If you prefer to manage it yourself, be as diligent as possible and take your time to ensure you find them all.

Sources

Jessica Timmons

Jessica Timmons has been working as a freelance writer since 2007, covering everything from pregnancy and parenting to cannabis, fitness, home decor, and much more. Her work has appeared in Healthline, mindbodygreen, Everyday Health, Pregnancy & Newborn, and other outlets. She loves weight lifting, a good cup of tea, and family time. You can connect with her on her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.