How to Kill Bed Bugs

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Learning that there are bed bugs crawling around your home can be frightening. If you discover these pests in your home, take solace in the fact that they don’t actually pose a health risk. [1] They may be creepy and annoying, but you aren’t going to get sick from the bites. There are a variety of ways to kill bed bugs, but the best way to do it is to hire a professional exterminator. Since bed bugs tend to be resilient and adept at hiding, it can be pretty tough to treat the problem yourself. It can certainly be done, but it may take several attempts to completely solve the problem.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Exposing Bugs to Heat or Cold

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  1. Take all of the clothes in your laundry basket and collect them in separate garbage bags. Use the drawstrings on each bag to tie it tight and wrap the top of each bag in a knot. Repeat this process for your sheets and blankets, as well as all of the clothes in your drawers. [2]
    • You likely do not need to worry about clothes hanging up.
    • This will keep the bugs on your clothes and sheets from creeping out and spreading to other parts of your home.

    Tip: Encase your mattress and box spring in protective bags and close the zippers as soon as you’ve removed the sheets and blankets. The mattress typically holds 50-70% of the bed bugs in any given infestation. Bagging your mattress and box spring will suffocate the bugs over time and you won’t need to worry about it. [3]

  2. Take your bags to your washing machine and pour them directly into the drum. Add your laundry detergent and wash all of your clothes and sheets in hot water. When they’re done, dry them on high heat. This will kill any bugs that are trapped in your clothes and sheets. [4]
    • You can take your bags to a laundromat if you don’t have a washing machine at home. You do not need to worry about spreading the infestation at the laundromat so long as you keep your clothes bagged and empty them directly into the washing machine.
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  3. If you have fabric-lined items or stuffed objects in your room, place them inside airtight freezer bags. Push the air out of the bag and use the zipper to seal the bag. [5]
    • This applies to teddy bears, hats, hacky sacks, desk trinkets, and any other items that aren’t made entirely out of metal or plastic.
  4. Set each plastic bag inside of your freezer. Let it sit inside the freezer for at least 14 days to freeze any bugs and eggs to death. After 14 days, take the objects out of the freezer and place them in a clean part of your home while you handle the rest of the infestation. [6]
    • Use your big deep freezer to do this if you have one.
    • If your freezer is packed, empty out your ice, thaw any food to eat it in the next 1-3 days, and toss the rest of it out.
    • You may need to do this in waves if you have a lot of items to freeze and you’re tight on space.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Vacuuming and Steaming Items

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  1. A steamer will kill any bugs that come into contact with it. Buy or rent a steamer that can get at least 130 °F (54 °C), which is the temperature point where bed bugs die on contact. [7]
    • If you want to rent the steamer, contact a cleaning supply store or construction supply store. It shouldn’t cost more than $20 a day to rent.
    • This process will not eradicate the infestation, but it will make it much easier to treat the problem.
    • This is technically a heat treatment, but the vacuuming and steaming have to go together. The vacuum will lift up all of the dead bugs you kill with the steamer.
  2. Turn the steamer on and turn it to the highest temperature setting available. Run the hose over the bed frame, drapes, carpeted areas, and baseboards to instantly kill any bed bugs. This won’t kill every single bug, but it will make it much easier to deal with the rest of the infestation. [8]
    • If you see a lot of dead bugs all over the place when you’re done, vacuum them up and discard the bag immediately.
  3. Get a high-powered vacuum with a HEPA filter. The HEPA filter will lock any bugs you’re going to suck up inside of the bag and make it much easier to dispose of them. You can use a regular vacuum if you prefer, but you’ll need to empty it out right away and you may end up accidentally spreading the infestation. [9]
  4. Turn the vacuum on high and vacuum your bedroom and closet floors. Cover any carpeted areas 3-5 times to clean them thoroughly. Use a thin hose attachment to vacuum the cracks in your walls, baseboard, drapes, and bed frame. Run the hose attachment over every heavily-infested area 4-5 times. [10]

    Tip: With the HEPA filter, you can leave the vacuum alone and let the bugs suffocate inside. Alternatively, you can empty the bag into a garbage bag, tie the top off, and toss it out immediately.

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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Applying Pesticides in Your Home

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  1. Bed bugs are pretty resilient and there are only 2 commercial pesticides that are effective. Silica aerogel is a sticky powder-like substance that attaches to bed bugs that walk over it and suffocates them. Diatomaceous earth is a powder that kills bugs that come into contact with it. Both options are nontoxic to humans so long as you don’t cover your skin in it. [11]
    • While both silica aerogel and diatomaceous earth are nontoxic, you’re still better off wearing rubber gloves and a dust mask when you apply them just to keep the chemicals off of you. Keep any pets or children out of the rooms you’re treating. [12]
    • Foggers and bug bombs are not effective against bed bugs. It really seems like they would be, but bed bugs are pretty adept at hiding in microscopic cracks and nooks. Many of the bugs will survive if you go this route.
    • If you get diatomaceous earth, use the food-grade version to kill the bugs. While the pesticide versions are nontoxic so long as you don’t rub it into your skin, the food-grade stuff is completely safe. [13]
    • Regular pesticides that kill ants, wasps, and other common bugs won’t do anything to bed bugs.
  2. The easiest way to efficiently apply pesticide is with a duster. Put your gloves and dust mask on and untwist the cap on the duster’s tank. Fill it halfway with the pesticide and close the lid to finish loading it. You can also apply the insecticide from the bottle by snipping the top 1 ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm) off of the nozzle with scissors. [14]
    • There’s nothing wrong with using the bottle instead of a duster; it’s just a little harder to get an even spread when you squirt the pesticide out.
    • The silica aerogel is only sticky to the bugs. It will look like a powder to you and won’t stick to your furniture. [15]
  3. Pull all of your furniture 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) away from the wall. Walk around the infested room and squirt a puff of pesticide along each portion of the baseboard. Squirt 2-3 puffs into any cracks in your walls, which are common hiding spots for bed bugs. [16]
    • It can be tempting to just completely coat the room in this stuff. This won’t be any more effective than targeting the problematic areas though, and all you’ll do is make a bigger mess for yourself.
    • Bed bugs drink blood to survive. As a result, you’ll only see them in rooms where people sleep. Unless you’ve seen bed bugs outside of your bedroom, you only need to treat your bedroom and closets.
  4. Empty out all of your drawers and pack the clothes in airtight plastic bags if you haven’t already. Then, place 4-5 squirts along the corners of each drawer. Spray some of the pesticide around every leg on your bed frame. This will catch any bed bugs that are hiding during the day but come out at night to feed. [17]
    • If you have any carpets, give them a spritz as well. If the entire room is carpeted, spread a 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) wide layer of pesticide around every baseboard, piece of furniture, and fixture in the room.
    • You do not need to cover your clothes in pesticide. Washing, drying, and keeping the clothes out of the infested room will keep them bug-free.
  5. The longer you can leave the pesticide out, the better. At a bare minimum, leave the powder on the ground and in your drawers for 10 days. Then, vacuum up the powder. If the bed bugs reappear, which is not particularly unlikely, repeat this entire process. [18]
    • Bed bugs are notoriously resilient. It may take 3-4 attempts to clear out the infestation entirely. Luckily, your odds of success increase with each attempt.
    • You can take 10 days off to stay with a friend if you’d like, but you can stay in the same room as the pesticide. Just try to walk around the powder and keep children and pets out of the room.
    • Keep your windows closed and fans off while you’re leaving the pesticide out. If your room gets a lot of air, it could blow the pesticide away.

    Tip: It takes 10 days for eggs to hatch, which is why you need to leave the pesticide out for at least 10 days. If you vacuum the powder up before 10 days have passed, the infestation may come back immediately.

  6. Bed bug interceptors are small traps that attract bed bugs and keep them inside. Set down 2-3 interceptors around each leg of your bed frame to catch any bugs that try to sneak up and feed while you sleep. This is also a great way to see how effective your pesticide is, since you can check the traps in the morning and see how many bugs you caught. [19]
    • If you’re waking up with bites but you don’t see any bugs in the interceptors, there’s a hole in your mattress encasement or your sheets are infested. Re-bag your mattress and wash and dry your sheets.
    • If you don’t have a bed frame, get one. It’s incredibly hard to fight a bed bug infestation if your mattress and box spring are on the floor.
  7. The best way to deal with bed bugs is to hire a professional exterminator. They will check your furniture, bed, carpets, and baseboards to determine the best course of action. They’ll also walk you through what they’re going to do to kill the bed bugs. Pack your bags and spend 1-2 days at a hotel or friend’s house to give the exterminator space to work. [20]
    • This is really the only way to know with 100% certainty that the bed bugs have been eradicated. Unfortunately, it can cost $500-2,000 to treat an infestation depending on the severity.
    • Once the problem is thoroughly dealt with, you’ll be able to return to your bug-free home and rest easy knowing they’re gone.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?


Join the Discussion...

Please help me find a way to get rid of bed bugs as fast as possible
WikiStoatFlyer858
24
WikiStoatFlyer858
I am losing my mind. I've had bedbugs in my house for a week and nothing seems to be getting rid of them. How do I kill them? Do I just need to b... Read More
Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
How you kill bedbugs will depend on the home and on how long the issue has gone on for. That being said, if bedbugs are detected early on, and it... Read More
WikiFawnTamer303
WikiFawnTamer303
Steam was what worked for me when I had a bed bug infestation. They can't survive the heat. Make sure you steam everything that they could possib... Read More
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What home remedy will kill bed bugs?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    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.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    You can use a vacuum cleaner to suck bed bugs up. Steam will also kill them on contact, so you can go that route if you have a steamer.
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  • Question
    How do you get rid of bed bugs in one day?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    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.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    Honestly, you're probably not going to get every bed bug in one day. It can take a while to make sure you've got all of them and bed bugs are most active at night. So, unless you can sit still from 11 pm to 6 am and kill every bug that comes to bite you, you probably aren't going to get every single bug. It can take some time to get rid of all of them.
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  • Question
    Do bed bug bites hurt?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    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.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    No, people typically don't even notice when they're bitten. Roughly 30% of people aren't even reactive to bed bug bites and they won't have any sign that they've been bitten.
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      Tips

      • If you’re treating the problem yourself, it may take 3-5 attempts before you completely eradicate the bed bugs.
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • If you only see one or two bed bugs, don't freak out just yet. It may not be an infestation and you can easily get rid of these on your own by vacuuming them up. Just be sure to get rid of the vacuum bag or trap the bugs in a plastic bag so they'll suffocate.
      • Olive oil in a spray bottle instantly kills bed bugs. Baby powder can also kill them and it's the cheapest way I have found to deal with them. Put baby powder in all the nooks of the bed, where they like to hide. It will dry them out and kill them.
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      Warnings

      • As tempting as it may be to immediately get out of your bed room, sleeping somewhere other than your bed will just draw the bed bugs towards you and spread the infestation. [21]
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      Things You’ll Need

      Exposing Bugs to Heat or Cold

      • Garbage bags
      • Airtight plastic bags
      • Washer
      • Dryer
      • Laundry Detergent

      Vacuuming and Steaming Furniture

      • Vacuum
      • Garbage bags
      • Steamer
      • Water

      Applying Pesticides around the Infested Rooms

      • Pesticide
      • Rubber gloves
      • Dust mask
      • Vacuum
      • Duster (optional)
      • Scissors (optional)

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/bed-bugs/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/bedbugs/faqs.html
      2. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      3. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef636
      4. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      5. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      6. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      7. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef636
      8. ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
      9. ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
      1. ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist, MMPC. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
      2. ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
      3. ↑ https://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/safety-source-on-pesticide-providers/what-is-integrated-pest-management/desiccating-dusts
      4. ↑ https://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/safety-source-on-pesticide-providers/what-is-integrated-pest-management/desiccating-dusts
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/CWiu07UDH50?t=143
      6. ↑ https://www.beyondpesticides.org/resources/safety-source-on-pesticide-providers/what-is-integrated-pest-management/desiccating-dusts
      7. ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
      8. ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
      9. ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
      10. ↑ https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3012/
      11. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/biting-insects-and-insect-relatives/bed-bugs#hire-a-professional-exterminator-49010
      12. ↑ https://thewirecutter.com/blog/what-to-do-if-you-have-bedbugs/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      The best way to kill bed bugs is to run your clothes and bedding through the dryer on high heat for 10-20 minutes. Wrap any infested furniture in plastic and place it in direct, hot sunlight for 24 hours. For stubborn infestations, use a bed-bug specific insecticide or spread diatomaceous earth around problem areas. Read on for other DIY solutions and tips for finding an exterminator.

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