How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in a Mattress

Bed bugs are a common pest in the United States, and one of the most difficult to get rid of. Easily concealed in tiny hiding places and able to last months without food, bed bugs can travel from place to place, and it only takes one before you have an infestation.

In our article, we share information about bed bugs and how to tell if they’re in your home, plus treatment methods and preventative measures to remove and keep these pests out.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are small, flat, oval-shaped insects, ranging between light brown and reddish-brown in color. Bed bugs hide during the day and come out at night to feed. They start as 1-millimeter eggs, growing up to 6.5 millimeters long—visible to the naked eye.

Lifespan

Female bed bugs lay eggs after a blood meal, roughly 200 eggs, three to four times a day. Bed bug eggs are typically found inside cracks, crevices, and other isolated shelters. Bed bug eggs hatch within one to two weeks.

Newly hatched bed bugs, or nymphs, feed immediately and take about 14 to 30 days to reach adulthood. During this time, nymphs shed their skin five times.

Once nymphs reach adulthood, they’re able to mate. The average lifespan of adult bed bugs is 6 to 12 months, with bed bugs feeding every ten days. Bed bugs have a high reproduction rate and can survive months without food.

Signs of Bed Bugs

The first sign of a bed bug infestation are their bites; red, itchy spots often mistaken for mosquito bites. While bed bugs don’t transmit diseases, they may elicit allergic reactions in some sleepers and cause discomfort.

Other signs to look for include small, rust-colored spots (bloodstains from a bed bug’s last meal), dark spots (bed bug droppings), small skins (yellowish to brown in color, from molting), and tiny, pale yellow eggs.

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?

Bed bugs are primarily found in mattresses and box springs. Still, they can hide anywhere with cracks, crevices, and mattress seams as thin as a credit card, including furniture (bed frames, chairs, nightstands), clothing, carpets and rugs, luggage, and baseboards.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Once you’ve confirmed the presence of bed bugs in your home, the next step is treatment. If the problem isn’t too severe, home remedies may solve the problem. For more severe, wide-spread cases, you’ll need a professional pest control company.

Home Remedies

A practical method is removing and cleaning all bedding and the area around the mattress:

1. Pull the bed away from the wall.
2. Remove all bedding (sheets, pillowcases, comforters, etc.) throw in the washing machine and dryer at the highest possible temperature to kill bed bugs and eggs. If articles are not machine-washable, toss in the dryer for 30 minutes on the highest possible heat.
3. Using a stiff brush, brush the mattress, headboard, baseboards, and furniture, paying particular attention to mattress seams and crevices to loosen bugs and eggs.
4. Vacuum the mattress with the hose attachment, paying close attention to mattress seams and crevices. Avoid using the brush attachment, since bugs and eggs may attach to the bristles and spread the problem instead of removing it.
5. With the vacuum cleaner, clean floors, and furniture surrounding the infested areas.
6. Empty the vacuum bag into a plastic bag (double bag if necessary), before placing inside a trash can outside.
7. Place your mattress and box spring inside a bed bug proof encasement with a zipper to prevent bed bugs from escaping. Keep encasement on for at least one year to make sure bed bugs and eggs are destroyed.

Monitor the infected areas every week for up to one year to ensure bugs are entirely dead.

An extra step you can take is steaming—hot water kills bugs and eggs on contact. After following steps 1 through 4, use a steamer to clean the mattress and box spring. Wait until completely dry before adding a bed bug proof mattress cover and clean bedding.

As a precaution and for more severe cases, an EPA-registered insecticide like pyrethroids or diatomaceous earth might be necessary.

• Pyrethroids

Most common chemicals for killing bed bugs. Some bed bugs may be resistant to this pesticide.

• Diatomaceous Earth

Destroys the bugs’ outer coating, causing it to dry out and die. It works slowly, but bed bugs are not resistant to it.

If the bed bug problem persists, it might be time to call in an exterminator.

Professional Help

Pest control companies who specialize in bed bugs have better access to chemicals not widely available and the ability to apply other methods like heat treatments (heating a room between 135 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit). Their pest management skills may be more effective and have a long-term effect.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs

Once you’ve rid your home of bed bugs, or if you’re concerned about the possibility of bed bugs, taking the following preventative measures can protect your home from an invasion.

• Cover your mattress and box spring with a bed bug encasement for all-around protection
• Pick up and put away any clutter on the floor
• Regularly vacuum and wash bedding, furniture, curtains, and carpets
• Seal cracks in baseboards, around electrical outlets, and walls
• Check hotel rooms for bed bugs to prevent bringing them home—alert hotel personal immediately and ask for a new room if you find bed bugs
• Immediately wash any used bedding or clothing after a trip
• Inspect second-hand furniture for bed bugs before purchasing
• Never bring home discarded bed frames, box springs, mattresses, or furniture

FAQs

What causes bed bugs?

Traveling is the number one cause of bed bug infestations. These minuscule insects easily hide on people, clothing, and luggage, lasting for days without food. You might want to take a moment to inspect your luggage before you bring it inside your house.

What is the first sign of bed bugs?

The first sign of bed bugs is small, rust-colored spots on the bed—bloodstains left from bed bugs feeding. You’re not likely to feel bed bugs bite because they excrete a type of anesthetic, making bites unnoticeable until hours later. Dark or rusty spots on your bed could also be bed bug excrement.

Can you sleep in a bed with bed bugs?

Although many may shudder at the thought of continuing to sleep in an infested bed, it might be for the best until you’ve taken measures to eliminate any and all bed bugs. If you sleep elsewhere in the house, the bed bugs may migrate in search of you or another host to feed upon. It’s more difficult to eradicate all of the bugs if they’re spread across your home.

You may even bring some bugs with you if you temporarily move out to sleep in a hotel or at a friend’s place.

Why do bed bugs bite me and not my partner?

Bed bugs could be feeding on your partner just as much, but your partner’s body may react less and show little evidence of bites. Bed bugs can also have a preference for blood types. For example, if the bed bugs in your room grew up feeding on your AB positive blood, they might find your partner’s O negative blood unappealing and stick to feeding on you.

How fast do bed bugs spread?

Bed bugs can cover a few feet in just a minute, so they can move throughout your house quickly. Females can lay eggs every few days, and once the eggs hatch it only takes a few weeks for them to mature. If left unchecked, you can be dealing with generations of bed bugs within a year.

Conclusion

Bed bugs are tiny, oval-shaped insects that fit into crevices and cracks in luggage, furniture, even clothing. Bed bugs flourish inside box springs and mattresses because they’re close to their favorite food source—you.

Keeping your home clean and washing any clothing after a trip prevents the likelihood of an infestation. Never bring any used mattresses, box springs, or furniture without first checking for bed bugs. Finally, if you suspect you have bed bugs, contact your local pest control.