This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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Blech—is that a bed bug you just saw crawling around your mattress? It can be hard to get a good night’s sleep when you’re worried about the unwanted pests that are making themselves at home in your home. Not to worry, though—as annoying as they are, you can permanently get rid of bed bugs on your own. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know, so you can completely eliminate, prevent, and recover from these pests.
Steps
How do I permanently get rid of bed bugs at home?
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Move any beds away from the walls and wash the headboards. Slide your bed away from the wall to isolate your bed. Then, clean off the headboards with sudsy water to clear away any bed bugs still hanging around.[1]
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Vacuum your mattress, bed frame, box spring, and carpet. Clean your vacuum bag out. Then, get a thin hose attachment and vacuum everything.[2] Go over each section of your mattress 2-3 times, along with the sides and base of your bed frame. Finish things off by vacuuming the floor and going over carpeted areas 2-3 times. This removes any adults that are hanging out around your bed.[3]
- If possible, use a HEPA vacuum or vacuum bag. The bed bugs won’t be able to climb out of these bags after you suck them up.
- For an extra thorough clean, vacuum around the other parts of your room, like the walls, moldings, trim, and vents. Even your dresser drawers can benefit from a good vacuuming!
- Dump your vacuum bag or bagless vacuum contents in a sturdy plastic bag. Then, tape the bag shut and toss it in the trash.[4]
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Suffocate the bed bugs with mattress covers and box spring covers. Slide your infested mattress and box spring into large, sturdy covers designed for bed bugs and/or dust mites. Seal these covers up tightly, inspecting them occasionally for tears.
- Patch up any tears with a strip of duct tape.
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Wash and dry infested items on high heat. Stick any dirty and infested linens and clothes in your washer at 140 °F (60 °C). Then, transfer the washed items to your tumble dryer for a 20-minute cycle on really high heat. Use as many loads as necessary—this will kill any bed bugs and eggs in your clothes, blankets, and sheets.[5]
- If your infested clothing or linens are already clean, stick them in the dryer rather than the washer.
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Steam-clean any infested furniture. Rent or buy a professional steam cleaner and use it on your armchairs, sofas, and other upholstered items. Move the steam cleaning nozzle slowly, taking 20 seconds to cover 1 ft (0.30 m) of space.[6]
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Seal any openings or cracks in the infested rooms. Inspect the surrounding walls for any openings or cracks that bed bugs could possibly enter through. Fill up these openings with a silicone-based sealant to keep more of the pests at bay. Any crack or crevice within 15 ft (4.6 m) of the main infestation point needs to be sealed up.
- Look for other small openings around your living space, like open screw or nail holes. Believe it or not, bed bugs can hide out there![7]
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Throw out any infested items that aren’t salvageable. Is your couch still overrun with bed bugs after multiple rounds with the vacuum and steam cleaner? If so, it might be better to cut your losses and kick it to the curb—literally! Just be sure to destroy the item as much as you can so no one is tempted to grab it for themselves.[8]
- Stick smaller, unsalvageable items in a sturdy plastic trash bag. Then, tape an “infested with bed bugs” label to the bag to give other people (like your neighbors and trash collectors) a head’s up.
- Spray “bed bugs” on bigger pieces of furniture with paint to really send the message home.
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Check the infested rooms weekly to see if any progress is being made. Inspect the mattress, bed frame, and other bed bug hot spots to see if you notice any visible critters, skins, or staining. Bed bugs are persistent pests, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.[9]
- Interceptors are a really handy way to keep tabs on your home’s bed bug status.
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Call a pest control professional if the bed bugs don’t go away. Look online for pest control companies that have stellar reviews, and/or check with friends and neighbors for recommendations. Just keep in mind that professional bed bug extermination requires at least 2 treatments as well as a follow-up session—it isn’t a “one and done” deal.
- Pest control professionals have more thorough and effective extermination options to choose from, like heat treatment systems and pressurized CO2 snow.[10]
How can you tell if you have a bed bug infestation?
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Look for live bugs, nymphs, and eggs. Fully-grown bed bugs are red-brown (occasionally bright red if they recently bit and fed on something). Bed bugs nymphs are a light yellow or white color (or super bright red after eating blood). The smallest and lightest of all, eggs are a translucent white color, developing reddish eyespots as they get older.[18]
- Fully-grown, adult bed bugs are roughly apple seed-sized, while nymphs are smaller (but still possible to spot). Each bed bug egg is pinhead-sized.
- Adult bed bugs look bigger and rounder after feeding. A hungry, underfed bed bug looks flatter.
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Molted skins and dung indicate a bed bug infestation. As bed bugs grow from nymphs to adults, they molt their outer exoskeletons. These molted skins are a honey-gold color, though they may range in size. Bed bug dung appears in clusters of round, black spots—they’re small, but still large enough to spot at a distance.[19]
- Bed bug dung commonly pops up around mattress seams, mattress tags, baseboards, ceiling/wall seams, and power outlets. You might also spot them behind your bed’s headboard, along the very edge of your rug or carpet, or along the seam of a curtain, around the rod.
- Bed bugs often group up together after having a meal—these gatherings are known as “aggregations.” Aggregation spots are often filled with adult bed bugs, nymphs, eggs, dung, and molted skins.
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Search carefully around your bedroom to look for signs of bed bugs. Bed bugs notoriously love to hang out around mattresses and box springs, but they can pop up in a variety of different spots. Grab a flashlight and check:[20]
- Around the bed: Inspect beneath the mattress and box spring, around your bed frame, and around your sheets and pillowcases.
- Furniture: Check out furniture that’s close to your bed as well as any other upholstered seats and couches in your home.
- Walls and floors: Inspect wall cracks, peeling wallpaper, baseboards, molding, floorboards, doorframes, window trim, window coverings, wall decorations, frames, mirrors, rugs, and electric sockets and other wall-mounted electronic devices.[21]
- If you can’t identify any bed bugs with absolute certainty, carefully bag up a bug or molted skin and bring it to your county’s extension office. They can examine the specimen and confirm whether or not it’s a bed bug.[22] Find your local extension office here: http://npic.orst.edu/pest/countyext.htm
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Check other rooms to see how far the bed bugs have spread. Inspect any nearby bedrooms and living spaces for visible bed bugs, eggs, and stains. You’ll need to clean out any area that’s potentially infested.[23]
- If you don’t clean out every infested space, the bed bugs will continue to spread and be a nuisance around your home.
Bed Bug Bite Treatment
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Wash the affected skin with soapy water. Soap and water help prevent the bites from getting infected. A quick but thorough wash can also help tone down the itchiness.[28]
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Treat itchy bites with anti-itch cream and/or allergy medication. Pick up a corticosteroid cream from your local pharmacy and rub it all over the itchy bites.[29] Antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can also help treat bed bug bites.[30]
- Shop for skin creams that are 1% hydrocortisone.[31]
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Visit your doctor or dermatologist if you have more severe symptoms. Many bed bug bites are treatable at home, but call a medical professional right away if you notice any blisters, hives, swelling, or discharge around the bites. A doctor or dermatologist can help treat any allergic reactions or skin infections.[32]
- Antibiotics and antiseptic medications are common treatments for bed bug bite-related skin infections.
- If you’re having a severe allergic reaction, your doctor might inject you with epinephrine/adrenaline, an antihistamine, or a corticosteroid.
How Do You Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Expert Q&A
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QuestionCan I get rid of bed bugs on my own?Kevin CarrilloKevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
Pest Control Specialist, MMPCYes, you can get rid of them on your own, although this comes with some caveats. For one, if your entire home is infested, it's going to be a really long, grueling process. It's much easier for an individual to treat a single area. Also, removing them on your own can be kind of hard work. If you want to keep things simple, I'd just hire a pro. -
QuestionCould I be mistaking a bed bug for some other kind of bug?Kevin CarrilloKevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
Pest Control Specialist, MMPCYes, there's a long list of other bugs that you may mistake for a bed bug. Part of it is that there's a lot of misinformation out there online. The only way for you to know with 100% certainty is to consult an expert. Carpet beetles, cockroach nymphs, shiny spider beetles, and book lice will all look like bed bugs. -
QuestionAre bed bugs visible to the naked eye?Kevin CarrilloKevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
Pest Control Specialist, MMPCSo an adult bed bug is clearly visible. The eggs are going to be roughly the size of a pinhead, but you can still see them by eye if you shine a light on them.
Tips
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Bed bugs are pretty gross, but that’s basically all they are. They don’t pose a significant health risk, so don’t worry about getting sick in your sleep.[33]Thanks
Tips from our Readers
- Get an exterminator!!! I can't stress that enough. I have never had a bug I couldn't get rid of and I didn't even have that bad of a bedbug infestation. But the only way to get rid of bedbugs is an exterminator. It's expensive but it works.
- Combine 91% rubbing alcohol with lavender, peppermint, and tea-tree oil in a spray bottle. This will kill eggs and bugs on target, and neutralize the oppressive scent of straight, particulate, rubbing alcohol.
- When looking for signs of bedbugs, stay up late to catch them. They're nocturnal and feed very late at night, around 2 to 4 a.m. That's how I found the worst unwanted guest ever!!!!
Warnings
- Pesticides can be an effective way to get rid of bed bugs, but it’s not a good idea to apply them on your own. Always talk to a pest control professional before using any chemical treatments around your home.Thanks
- Let your landlord know if a bed bug infestation occurs in your apartment or rented home. Depending on where you live, they may be required to pay or assist with treatment. Even if they aren’t, it’s important to let them know what’s going on with their building.[34]Thanks
Video
References
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/bed-bugs-mich-state-ext.pdf
- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
- ↑ https://health.hawaii.gov/docd/disease_listing/bed-bugs/
- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑ https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2011/09/29/bed-bugs/
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/bed-bugs-mich-state-ext.pdf
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/bed-bugs-mich-state-ext.pdf
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
- ↑ https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-nonchemical1.pdf
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
- ↑ https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/structural-pest-control/bed-bugs.html
- ↑ https://health.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/BCHD_Bed_Bug_Manual_2011(small).pdf
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
- ↑ https://njaes.rutgers.edu/bed-bug/methods-to-control-bed-bugs.php
- ↑ https://health.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/BCHD_Bed_Bug_Manual_2011%28small%29.pdf
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/bed-bugs-mich-state-ext.pdf
- ↑ https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-identify1.pdf
- ↑ https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-identify1.pdf
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17847-bedbugs
- ↑ https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/bugs/factsheets/bed-bugs-mich-state-ext.pdf
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17847-bedbugs
- ↑ https://health.baltimorecity.gov/node/2026
- ↑ https://www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/bed-bugs
- ↑ https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1251/
- ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/pest-control-tips/bedbugs-how-do-i-avoid-them-when-travelling.html
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/bed-bugs-treatment
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/bed-bugs-treatment
- ↑ https://familydoctor.org/condition/bedbugs/
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17847-bedbugs
- ↑ https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/bed-bugs-treatment
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/bed-bugs/about/
- ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
About This Article
To get rid of bed bugs, start by machine washing all of your infested bedding with hot water. If one of your infested items can't be washed, seal it in a plastic bag and put it in a hot, sunny area for several days until the heat kills the bed bugs. Once you've washed or bagged all of your infested items, thoroughly vacuum your house to pick up any leftover bugs or eggs. To learn other remedies for getting rid of bed bugs, like using tea tree oil or silica gel, read the article!
Reader Success Stories
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"So helpful. Thank you. We have a house some people moved out of and they said nothing about bed bugs. I was inside cleaning out garbage for a week before I found them. We don't want the next renter to get them. Even the contact killer to start it costs so much money! This will help a lot. I thank you and the next renter thanks you."..." more