How to get rid of bed bugs: confirm them, contain them, then treat with heat

Bed bugs hide in tiny cracks and can survive a single treatment, so getting rid of them takes weeks, not a day. EPA says treatment can take weeks to months, and NHS 111 Wales says they are very difficult to get rid of yourself. The steps below are what you can do at home, whether or not you also bring in a pest control service. Do them in this order, so you don't spread the bugs while you work.

How to get rid of bed bugs

1. Check the bed and headboard with a torch.

   

   Adults are flat, oval and reddish-brown, about the size of an apple seed (Harvard Health), around 5 mm long (UConn IPM). Young ones are smaller and paler. Look for black dots of droppings, rusty spots of blood on the sheets, pale eggs about the size of a pinhead and shed skins (Harvard Health).

   Start at the mattress seams, the headboard and under the mattress near the headboard (MSU, UConn). Then check the bed frame's cracks and screw holes, bedside tables and drawers, and the seams of sofas and chairs (MSU). UConn suggests looking at night, when bed bugs are active.

   You should see: either live bugs, eggs, skins or droppings, or nothing. Itchy bites alone don't prove you have bed bugs: not everyone reacts, and red bumps have other causes (UConn IPM).

2. Catch one and get it identified.

   

   Put a bug in a sealable bag or small jar (MSU) and have it identified, because treatment is costly and other insects look similar. EPA suggests a local extension office or another insect expert; in the UK, NHS 111 Wales points you to your local council or a pest control service. If you rent, EPA says to tell your landlord.

   You should see: a clear answer: bed bugs, or something else that needs a different fix.

3. Bag bedding, clothes and soft items before you move them.

   

   EPA says to put infested items in sealed plastic bags and treat them. Strip the bed straight into a bag in the bedroom, tie it and carry it to the washing machine, so bugs don't drop off on the way. Anything you can't treat should stay sealed: EPA says for up to a year.

   Clear clutter from around the bed, since it gives bed bugs more places to hide (NHS 111 Wales, EPA).

   You should see: sealed bags by the door and a bare bed with nothing stored under it.

4. Wash at 60C and tumble dry on hot for at least 30 minutes.

   

   NHS 111 Wales says to wash affected bedding and clothing on a hot wash (60C) and tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes. Check the care label first: if an item can't take 60C, the dryer on hot or freezing (step 5) may still be possible.

   Throw the empty bag away in an outside bin, and put the clean things into new bags until the bedroom is treated.

   You should see: clean, dry bedding in fresh sealed bags, ready to go back once the bed is covered.

5. Freeze small items that can't be washed.

   

   NHS 111 Wales says to put affected items in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer for 3 or 4 days. EPA sets the temperature at 0F (about -18C, our conversion) for three days and warns that many home freezers aren't that cold, so check with a thermometer.

   You should see: the thermometer at or below -18C for the whole time.

6. Vacuum the bed, floor and cracks, then bin the contents outside.

   

   Vacuum the mattress, bed frame, furniture and floors, especially cracks (Harvard Health). After each use, seal the vacuum bag or contents tightly and put them straight into an outdoor bin (EPA). EPA also suggests sealing small cracks where bugs hide with silicone caulk.

   You should see: no bag or dust left in the vacuum, and the sealed bag outside.

7. Encase the mattress and base, and put interceptors under the bed legs.

   

   Bed bug-proof covers trap bugs already in the mattress and keep new ones out (Harvard Health, EPA). Interceptors under each bed leg catch bugs climbing up. EPA says you can make them from two plastic containers, tape and talcum powder. Move the bed slightly away from the wall so it touches the floor only through the interceptors.

   You should see: covers zipped fully shut and every bed leg standing in an interceptor.

8. Check every week, and get help if you still find bugs.

   

   EPA says to check every few days after the first clean-up, then at least every 7 days, and to keep checking for at least a year. Empty and clean the interceptors weekly and add fresh talcum powder (EPA). Write down where and when you find bugs (EPA).

   If you keep finding them, contact your local council or a pest control service (NHS 111 Wales). EPA says professionals have stronger methods, including heating a whole home.

   You should see: empty interceptors and no new spots on the sheets, week after week.

What kills bed bugs

Rules in the UK, Germany, the US and Pakistan

If something goes wrong

Bites: what helps

NHS 111 Wales says bites usually clear up on their own in about a week. A clean, cool, damp cloth eases itching and swelling; keep the skin clean and try not to scratch. A pharmacist can suggest a cream or an antihistamine. See a GP if the bites stay very painful, swollen or itchy after that, or if redness or swelling is spreading, which can mean an infection. A severe allergic reaction is rare but is an emergency: call 999.