How to Prevent Bed Bugs

Co-authored by Kevin Carrillo and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: December 17, 2020 Approved

Bed bugs are a growing concern since they’ve become more common in recent years and are extremely difficult to exterminate. While hotels are high on the list of bed bug concerns, any public place can be a haven for bed bugs. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent a bed bug infestation in your home. By avoiding contaminated materials, avoiding bed bugs while traveling, and protecting your home, you can prevent bed bugs.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Protecting Your Home

While this may seem like a very short time to have a mattress, it may be a smart action to take in order to eliminate the problem at its source. Once bed bugs have gotten into your bed, it’s extremely difficult to tell how many are in there, figure out exactly where they are, and get them out. Additionally, bed bugs can linger in other areas around your home but they are most often going to be in your bed.^{[1]
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2
Use protective covers on your mattresses and box springs. You can keep bed bugs from infecting your bed by encasing your mattress and box springs in a plastic protective cover. There are plastic covers especially designed for this purpose; these will be more effective than regular sheets or mattress covers. While you may already have a protective cover on your mattress, adding one to your box springs will eliminate hiding places.^{[2]
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- If you do bring home bed bugs, your protective cover will make it easier to see the bugs quickly. First wash all of the clothing and other fabric that you travelled with, and then check the cover so that you can immediately recognize and address the problem.^{[3]
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- If bed bugs have already gotten into the mattress and box spring, it’s better to dispose of them immediately than try to remove the bed bugs.
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3
Vacuum carpets and rugs often. Vacuum at least weekly. If you suspect that you’ve come into contact with bed bugs, then vacuum daily until you’re sure that your home is clear.^{[4]
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- Dispose of the vacuum contents carefully in a plastic bag that you can seal, then remove from your home immediately.
- If you do have bed bugs, failing to empty the vacuum cleaner can allow the bugs to spread.
4
Use essential oils to repel bed bugs. There are several scent options for keeping away the bed bugs, so you just need to pick the one you like. Add 6-10 drops of pure essential oil to a small spray bottle filled with ¼ cup of water. Spray your scented water in your house and on items you take with you in public, such as your outerwear, handbags, totes, backpacks, and luggage.^{[5]
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- Essential oils that repel bed bugs include the following: cinnamon, lemongrass, clove, peppermint, lavender, thyme, tea tree, and eucalyptus.^{[6]
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- You can make a repellant for your body if you mix the oil in a carrier oil, such as jojoba or grapeseed oil.^{[7]
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Clear out clutter. Clutter gives bed bugs a place to hide and makes it easier for the bugs to infest your home. It’s much harder to monitor for the presence of bed bugs if you can’t get to items or easily move them around.^{[8]
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Kevin Carrillo
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Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.} Minimizing the places where the bugs can hide is essential for keeping the bugs out.^{[9]
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6
Install door sweeps or door jams. If you live near other homes, such as in an apartment building or townhouse row, seal off your apartment by blocking the gap below your door. You can either install a door sweep or purchase a door jam that completely covers the open space. This will make it more difficult for the bugs to come into your home.^{[10]
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- If your home has cracks or other damage to the walls or ceiling, get these repaired so that the bugs can’t enter that way.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Avoiding Bed Bugs While Traveling

Most three, four, and five star hotels have fixed policies on how often they change out mattresses and pillows. Staying in a nicer, more expensive hotel won’t ensure a bed bug-free environment, but it definitely increases your chances.
2
Check the bed, nightstand, and upholstered furniture for signs of bed bugs. Move the sheets and look in the crevices of the mattress and box springs. Look for reddish-brown bugs, small red spots, yellow skins, and egg casings, which look like tiny translucent sacks. Check seams and crevices of all furniture.^{[11]
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- Don’t neglect the headboard and other wooden furniture near the mattress. Bed bugs can hide in the cracks.^{[12]
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- If you find a bed bug, contact the front desk and leave immediately.
- You may not always be able to see the bed bugs. Just because you can't find them doesn't mean they are not there. If you wake up and have developed an itchy rash, then bed bugs may be in your bed.
3
Keep your luggage away from the bed. Even if you don’t find signs of bed bugs, it’s best to avoid placing luggage on the bed, even for a moment while removing items from it. Your luggage is the item most likely to carry bugs back from your trip and it’s the hardest to treat. Keeping it free of bugs will give you the best chance at preventing an infestation.^{[13]
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- While you initially inspect the room, place your bag in the bathtub where it’s unlikely to pick up bugs.^{[14]
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4
Use the luggage rack. After you check it for contamination, move the luggage rack away from the wall and put your luggage on top of it.^{[15]
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- If there’s not a luggage rack, the bathroom and tub are the safest locations in the hotel room for you luggage.
When you get home, avoid bringing in hitchhiking bugs by removing the contents of your suitcase outside. Place all clothes in plastic bags for immediate washing, and leave your suitcase outside until you’ve inspected it.^{[16]
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6
Wash your travel clothes separate from other laundry immediately. Include all of the clothes that you brought on your trip in your washing, not just the clothes you wore. Wash and dry the clothes on the highest setting that the fabric can withstand or take items to the dry cleaners.^{[17]
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- Undress on a hard surface floor rather than on carpet if you suspect bed bugs are on your clothing. Wipe off the floor to capture any bed bugs that fall off the clothes.
The heat from a dryer can kill bed bugs at any stage of their development. Washing alone won’t kill the bugs. To get the best results, wash the items in hot water and then dry them for 30 minutes on high heat.^{[18]
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If you can’t dry an item, placing it in the freezer can also kill bed bugs. Place items that are better suited for cold in your freezer.^{[19]
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9
Vacuum your luggage. Use an attachment on your vacuum cleaner or a handheld vacuum to clean your bag. Pay special attention to the crevices.^{[20]
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- You can also use a no-pest strip to treat your bag if you’re worried you may have encountered bed bugs. Place the strip and your luggage in a large garbage bag. Seal it and let it sit for two weeks.^{[21]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Avoiding Contaminated Materials

1
Check secondhand furniture and clothes. Secondhand items are one of the biggest risks for bed bug infestation, so buying new items is always the safest bet. If you choose to buy secondhand furniture and clothing, make sure to carefully inspect the seams and crevices of all secondhand items for small reddish-brown bugs or red spots.^{[22]
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- Don’t take pieces of furniture or mattresses from the dumpster or trash.
- Immediately wash and dry any washable items. Drying on high heat kills the bugs, so run items like pillows through the dryer.
Don’t let your clothes sit in the washer or the dryer. As soon as your clothes finish drying, take them out and place them in your own container. Don’t put them in the facility carts or on a folding table. Fold your clothes at home to avoid picking up any bugs that may have traveled with other patrons.^{[23]
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3
Inspect clothes you’re going to purchase. New clothing can become infected from other shoppers or contact with bed bug-infested parcels during shipping. Pay special attention to the seams of the clothing. Don’t just look for the bugs; remember to check for the tell-tale red spots.^{[24]
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- When trying on items, put your own clothes on the hooks in the dressing room rather than the seating area because bugs are most likely to hide there.^{[25]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

Are bed bugs hard to get rid of?

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

Bedbugs are handleable on your own, but most people start to lose heart once they've done all of their laundry and gone through all of their things, and then are still getting bitten. Really make sure to look in all of the areas that the bedbugs can be hiding. Start at the bed and work your way out from there. Ideally, you want to have a good high powered flashlight with you. Look in all of the cracks and crevices starting at about two millimeters wide.

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Question

Can the human eye see 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

Bed bugs, nymphs, and all of their forms are 100% visible to the human eye as long as you have proper lighting. Bed bug eggs are also visible and are usually the size of a pinhead.

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Question

Can you mistake other types of bugs for 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

Absolutely. The most common bugs that are mistaken for bed bugs include carpet beetles, cockroach nymphs, Shiny Spider beetles, and book lice.

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Tips

Bed bugs are reddish-brown with a flat, oval body that measures approximately ¼ of an inch (6.35 mm) long.^{[26]
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Although bed bugs are generally found on or near the bed, most insects found there are not bed bugs.^{[27]
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Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.}

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Bed bugs are more common where many people sleep or where there’s a lot of turnover, such as apartment complexes and hotels.

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Warnings

Do not use pesticides that you are not qualified to use. Instead, get a professional to deal with them.

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Don’t panic and throw away your items. Bed bugs are treatable.^{[28]
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