Finding bedbugs or evidence of bedbugs in your home can be a traumatic experience, especially if you know how challenging it can be to eradicate them.
In most cases, you’ll need professional help, but there are some things you can do yourself to help kill off active infestations and prevent them from returning.
Learning how to get rid of bedbugs and why they enter your home to begin with is a good place to start. USA TODAY asked the experts, and here is what they said to do if you see evidence of bedbugs in your home.
Why Bedbugs Come Into Your Home
Unlike most other insect infestations, bedbug problems usually start with you or other occupants rather than coming in from outside.
“Bedbugs are basically expert hitchhikers,” says entomologists from the SC Johnson Center for Insect Science, makers of Raid. “They usually get into homes by traveling on luggage, clothing, bedding or furniture. Travel is one of the biggest reasons bedbugs spread. Increased travel activity during warmer months can create more opportunities for them.”
A common exception is in apartment buildings and multi-unit buildings, where bedbugs can travel short distances between units to find new sources of food. They can move through cracks, crevices and even shared plumbing or electrical systems.
Ultimately, bedbugs take up residence where they have a nearby source of food. They feed on blood and are active at night, so you’ll find them most often in or around mattresses.
How to Remove Bedbugs From Your Home Safely
Unfortunately, physically removing bedbugs is not only extremely challenging, but also often ineffective because you won’t end up removing all the pests. If you find individual bedbugs in your home, you’re better off taking a multi-faceted approach that includes DIY methods and professional treatment.
“There are bed bug interceptors or traps that you can get on Amazon that will help capture and monitor the pest situation,” says Matt Smith, co-owner of Green Pest Management.
You can instead focus on identifying bedbugs using the following tips.
- Check mattresses and bed frames: If you think you have a bedbug problem, inspect your mattresses and bed frames for signs of an infestation. Look for red or rust-colored stains or exoskeletons left behind after molting, and be on the lookout for sweet, musty odors on or around beds.
- Inspect bedding if you suspect an infestation: Check sheets and pillowcases specifically for rust-colored stains. Pay careful attention to folds and seams because that is where bedbugs like to hide.
- Keep an eye out for signs of bites: Look for evidence of insect bites on your skin. Bites may not be visible on some people, but on others, you may notice red discoloration or raised bumps. These often occur in clusters where feeding takes place.
- Speak with neighboring units about infestations: If you live in an apartment building or multi-family building, stay in touch with neighbors about bedbug activity to identify a potential issue in your unit.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Bedbugs
There are a handful of things you can do yourself that don’t require professional intervention but can still help get rid of bedbugs.
- Identify bedbugs early: “Early action and consistent monitoring are important because bedbugs are highly resilient and difficult to eliminate once they spread throughout the home,” says SC Johnson entomologists. You should understand the signs and symptoms of bedbug infestations and bites, and be on the lookout for issues, particularly after travel or if another unit in your building has experienced a bedbug problem.
- Wash bedding thoroughly: If you do notice signs of bedbugs, remove all bedding throughout your home and wash it in hot water. If you recently traveled, be sure to wash all clothing from your luggage in hot water as well. This can help kill adult bedbugs and eggs.
- Vacuum regularly: Vacuuming your mattress, particularly in and around the seams, can also help remove adult bedbugs, larvae and eggs. “Vacuuming thoroughly and regularly checking mattresses and bed frames are good first steps,” says SC Johnson entomologists.
- Consider DIY pesticides: You can use products like Raid Max Bed Bug Foaming Spray on mattresses, bed frames, upholstered furniture and carpet. These treatments do contain chemicals and aren’t natural, but they can help eliminate bedbugs or at least reduce the severity of the infestation.
While professional bedbug treatment costs can climb into the thousands of dollars, they’re well worth the investment, especially because of how challenging treatment can be.
Professional Bedbug Treatments
“Early action and consistent monitoring are important because bedbugs are highly resilient and difficult to eliminate once they spread throughout the home,” says SC Johnson entomologists. “While DIY treatments may help address smaller or early-stage activity, larger infestations may require professional treatment.”
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from a professional inspection and treatment plan:
- Inspection and identification: First, your professional will inspect your home to confirm the presence of bedbugs. No reliable exterminator will apply insecticides or use fumigation without first verifying that you have a bedbug problem. “Bed bugs are very good hiders,” says Smith. “Check the seams on your mattress and box spring for dried blood or bugs.”
- Vacuuming and heat treatments: Next, your pro will employ some kind of chemical-free treatment, which can involve vacuuming to remove bedbugs and eggs, as well as localized heat treatment. “Bed bugs are very particular with temperatures,” says Smith. “If you can heat a room up past 120 degrees for about an hour and a half it will kill them.”
- Insecticide application: Most pros will use a combination of treatment methods, so they’ll use direct pesticide application alongside natural approaches. “Insecticides directly kill bedbugs when they are sprayed and hit the bugs and eggs directly,” says SC Johnson entomologists. “Some insecticides also provide various durations of residual efficacy and kill the bedbugs that visit the treated surface later on.”
- Fumigation: Fumigation is another method of treatment most professionals use, as the chemicals can seep into cracks and crevices in walls and furniture where other treatments may be ineffective. “The entire room has to have a lethal concentration of the fumigant active to provide effective control,” says SC Johnson entomologists.
- Ongoing inspections: “Because bedbugs are so difficult to eliminate completely, treatment often involves multiple visits and follow-up inspections to make sure they’re truly gone,” says SC Johnson entomologists.
How to Prevent Bedbugs From Coming Back
There’s no guaranteed method for preventing re-infestation, and the best thing you can do is take general precautions and remain vigilant for signs of another issue.
“It is a lot of work to get rid of bed bugs for good, but it is possible,” says Smith. “I typically tell people with termites, cockroaches, and bed bugs to call in professional help because they are the most difficult to get rid of.”
Catching problems early is the best way to keep bedbug issues under control. Here are some tips for identifying signs of bedbugs and reducing the risk of an infestation.
- Check luggage after traveling: Inspect suitcases and clothing when you return from travel for signs of bedbugs, including adult bugs, rusty stains on clothing or exoskeletons left behind in your luggage from molting.
- Treat luggage with insecticides: Treat the outside of luggage to reduce hitchhiking from other bedbugs in the luggage compartments of airplanes.
- Take extra precautions after traveling: When you return from traveling, immediately wash all clothes in hot water. This can help kill adult bedbugs that hitchhiked home with you, as well as eliminate eggs that may be present.
- Regularly inspect mattresses and bedding: Continue inspecting mattresses and bedding weekly for signs of bedbug activity. Catching an infestation early can help keep it under control and make for a much easier extermination.
- Be careful with second-hand furniture: Bedbugs can travel into your home from second-hand furniture. Only accept furniture from known sources, and consider fumigating pieces that may contain bedbugs or eggs.
“If homeowners spot bites or signs of bedbugs, the best thing they can do is start treating the problem right away and continue monitoring the area,” says SC Johnson entomologists. “Because bedbugs can spread quickly and are difficult to eliminate, homeowners should consider contacting a pest control professional if activity continues despite consistent treatment and monitoring.”
Common Mistakes When Trying to Get Rid of Bedbugs
The most common mistake homeowners make when trying to get rid of bedbugs is failing to notice the signs of an infestation early. The sooner you recognize a bedbug problem, the easier it will be to solve it.
“Bedbug bites can be mistaken for some other bugs’ bites or just some ‘skin problems,’ even after they suspect something is biting them at night,” says SC Johnson entomologists. “Bedbugs spread quickly, so delaying treatment can make infestations harder to control.”
Another common mistake is relying on DIY treatments or carrying out bedbug treatment only where bedbugs are visible. Bedbugs hide in cracks, furniture, mattresses and soft surfaces throughout the home, so treatment needs to be thorough and consistent.
Finally, stopping treatment too early is a common mistake. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bedbugs can take weeks or even months to eradicate, so continue with treatments, professional inspections and monitoring until you’re certain you’ve eradicated all the bedbugs in your home.
When to Call a Pest Control Professional
If you believe you have bedbugs in your home, whether you’ve found adult bugs or noticed signs and symptoms of bedbugs, like rust-colored stains on bedding, itchy bites on your skin or exoskeletons in or around your mattress, call a professional. Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate, especially as the infestation gets more severe.
Professional pest control companies can help identify an infestation and carry out a combination of natural methods, pesticide applications and fumigations to ensure you kill off adults, larvae and eggs.
Make sure you choose a pest control company that specializes in bedbug treatments. Companies like Orkin and Terminix are good places to start, as they have a long track record of treating bedbugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What instantly kills bedbugs?
Heat or steam treatments can kill bedbugs within an hour, according to entomologists, and direct insecticide application or fumigation can also kill bedbugs in a short amount of time.
What causes bedbugs in the house?
Bedbugs most often travel into your home on your clothes after travel or on second-hand furniture. In apartment buildings and other multi-unit complexes, bedbugs can enter a home the same way but then travel between units in search of food.
What can 100% kill bedbugs?
Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed treatment that will kill off all bedbugs in your home, as these pests are notoriously challenging to eradicate. However, fumigation from a professional pest control company is the closest you’ll get to a permanent solution. Most professionals will couple fumigation with direct insecticide treatment and other removal and treatment methods to ensure success.
Reporting by Dan Simms, Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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