Bed bug prevention and control in the home

Use the "Find a pro" section on the official website of the National Pest Management Association to find someone who works in your area.

In Minnesota, a pest management professional must be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) to perform commercial structural pest control. Licensed structural pest control companies and applicators are listed on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website. Once you find a professional, check that site to make sure they are licensed in Minnesota.

Questions to ask the pest management professional

• Are they licensed with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture? Ask to see the MDA issued license before work commences.
  • Other states: check your state’s department of agriculture.
• Does your company carry liability insurance?
• Is the company affiliated with the National Pest Management Association? (The NPMA has drafted best management practices for their members to follow).
• Check with the Better Business Bureau to learn if the company has a complaint history.
• How much experience does the company and applicator have inspecting and treating for bed bugs? What kind of training do employees receive, and how often?
• What is the company’s standard procedure for dealing with bed bug infestations?
• What is the length of the treatment?
• What are your responsibilities as the customer in helping control the infestation?
• Ask the PMP if follow up visits after the initial treatment are part of the management plan?
• If a heat treatment is planned, does the company also use a supplemental insecticide?
• What safety precautions need to be taken during a bed bug treatment?

Review the contract

When you have selected the pest control company that you would like to hire, carefully review the contract for:

• Company name, address, contact information.
• Details on work to be completed.
• Insecticides or treatment methods to be applied.
• Any pre-treatment instructions you will need to follow.
• Start/end date and dates for follow up visits (if necessary).
• License and insurance coverage offered by the company.
• Any possible exclusions, cancellation policy, and arbitration clause to settle disputes.
• Guarantee.
• Price.

If insecticides are to be applied, you can request a copy of the product label and copies of the material safety data sheet (MSDS). Reputable pest control companies will provide these documents and review them with you as part of your service contract.

Hiring a pest control professional has additional questions to ask for a variety of pest control services.

There are a number of options to effectively get rid of bed bugs, but sometimes it can get confusing when trying to decide which option would be best for your situation. Here is some basic information regarding the two most common methods used by pest management companies to kill bed bugs.

Whole room heat treatments

Whole room heat treatments involve a pest management professional (PMP) bringing in specially designed equipment to raise the temperature in your home to kill the bed bugs.

Bed bugs and eggs die within 90 minutes at 118°F (48°C) or immediately at 122°F (50°C). During a heat treatment, the air temperature in the room is typically between 135°F (57.2°C) and 145°F (62.7 °C).

The PMP will place remote thermometers throughout the home, to make sure the right temperatures are reached. The PMP watches the thermometers closely to ensure that it gets hot enough to kill bed bugs. A heat treatment typically takes between six and eight hours, depending on the condition of the area being treated.

During the heat treatment pets and any heat sensitive items that may melt or be damaged at temperatures up to 150°F degrees should be removed from the area being treated. Make sure you discuss this with your PMP as anything not treated with heat will need to be treated in another way.

Heat treatments do not offer any residual effects and your home could quickly become reinfested after a heat treatment if prevention steps are not taken. 

Often, a residual insecticide will be applied to the border of the area being treated for bed bugs as a prevention step.

Insecticide treatments

Effective insecticide treatments may require three types of chemicals: residual chemicals that have a specific duration, immediate acting chemicals that come in contact with bed bugs, and dust applied to hiding areas of bed bugs away from human activity.

Thorough insecticide treatments by a licensed PMP can be a very effective way of controlling bed bugs. There are many different brands of insecticides, but one of each of the following broad categories should be used.

• A fast-acting, contact insecticide for use on surfaces that people in the home frequently touch, like furniture.
• A residual insecticide for inside furniture, cracks and crevices and the underside of surfaces we touch.
• A dust insecticide for cracks, crevices and voids, such as electrical outlets and baseboards.

Your PMP may offer other services such as container heat treatments, steam applications or freezing infested items. Usually, items treated with these optional controls do not require an insecticide treatment so fewer insecticides are needed.

A thorough insecticide treatment should involve 2 to 3 visits from the PMP, as it is unlikely all the bed bugs will be killed in the first treatment.

An insecticide treatment typically takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours per room depending on size and condition of the room. Once the treatment is complete you should wait until all the insecticides have dried before reentering your home, or until the PMP says it is safe to re-enter.

We strongly recommend against treating with insecticides by yourself. Controlling bed bugs with insecticides is a challenging and time-consuming process that requires expertise. In many states, a license is required to apply the insecticides that kill bed bugs. The insecticides that can be purchased in a hardware store, such as foggers, are not effective in controlling bed bugs and we strongly recommend against using them. 

Preparing for treatment

Before any treatment, the PMP should give you a detailed list of instructions for how to prepare your home. It is very important to follow these directions closely. Improper preparation is one of the main reasons that treatment for bed bugs fail.

Following these instructions is critical for successfully controlling bed bugs and may include:

• Laundering your clothing and bedding.
• Reducing clutter, picking up all objects from the floor.
• Making physical repairs to your home.
• Moving furniture and items so the perimeters of rooms are accessible.
• Emptying closets, bedside tables and dressers.
• Encasing mattresses and box springs.

After the professional has completed treatment, contact the company if you have concerns or questions.

If you have had a professional treatment and it has been three weeks since the end of the treatment with no signs of continuing infestation such as bites, live bugs, new fecal matter or cast skins, then it is likely that your bed bug infestation has been controlled. But there may be several complicating factors.

The size of the original infestation

The larger the infestation, the more difficult it will be to treat. As bed bugs increase in number they spread from their original hiding places, increasing the number of locations that must be treated and making the treatment more complex. Larger infestations may need multiple treatments for complete control.

The type of treatment

There are a number of recommended treatments for bed bugs. To understand more about the different types of professional treatment please see Understanding bed bug treatments.

If an insecticide treatment was used, it is likely that more than one application of insecticides may be necessary for complete control of a bed bug infestation. If a heat treatment is used to control the infestation it is more likely that one treatment will be enough, but retreatment may be necessary if there were some areas that were not treated completely, or if bed bugs were reintroduced.

The thoroughness of treatment

Bed bug infestations are complicated, which can make effective control challenging. If a treatment does not address all the infested areas, which can spread well beyond the bedroom, then multiple repeat treatments will be necessary to successfully control the infestation. This will increase the amount of time between when the treatment process begins and when your home can be considered bed bug free.

The type of home

Unfortunately, multi-family housing can be more vulnerable to becoming infested with bed bugs as well as making it more challenging to control a bed bug infestation. If you live in multi-family housing, it is important to speak with the property owner or manager right away if you suspect a bed bug infestation.

During the inspection and treatment process it is important to make sure that adjacent units are inspected for bed bugs as well as common areas (such as laundry rooms, lounges, and mail rooms). Your home may not be the only infested unit in the building.

Monitoring

It is important to periodically check for bites or live bed bugs. We highly recommend that you install mattress encasements on all mattresses and box springs in your home. Installing encasements will not only protect your furniture from any potential future infestations, it will also make it much easier for you to quickly do an inspection of the bed for signs of an infestation.

We also recommend installing interceptor traps. These traps are designed to be placed under the legs of beds, chairs and sofas to monitor for bed bug infestations. Pest management professionals may also have other types of traps that you can use.

Using these monitoring tools will help you assess if an infestation has been successfully controlled. If you continue to see bed bugs or signs of a bed bug infestation, another inspection and treatment may be necessary.

• Do not bring furniture, mattresses, box springs, or bed frames found on the street into your home.
• Check all used or rented furniture for bed bugs. Only get used or rented furniture from a place with a bed bug prevention policy.
• Do not place backpacks, purses or bags on beds, couches or other areas where you rest or sleep.
• When traveling, check for bed bugs in your hotel room. Check the bedding, furniture and luggage storage. Keep your suitcases off the bed and check them for bed bugs before you leave.
• For apartments, seal cracks and crevices around plumbing and wiring, this will help prevent bed bugs traveling from other apartments.
• If you think you have come into contact with bed bugs, immediately wash and dry your clothing on the hottest setting the fabric can stand, or store them in a sealed plastic bag until you are able to do so.
  • Shoes, bags and other objects can be put in the dryer for 30 minutes at medium-high temperature or the highest temperature the material can tolerate, to kill bed bugs.

Watch How to prevent bed bugs from entering your home (video: 02:17). This video discusses the most common ways bed bugs get into your home and helps you learn how to prevent this pest.

The thought of having bed bugs in your home or carried in by visitors can cause unnecessary stress during the holidays. By following a few simple steps you can reduce the risk of encountering bed bugs.

For many people, holidays are an important time to enjoy time with family and friends. Isolating yourself or others due to issues with bed bugs is unnecessary and not a healthy or practical way to deal with a bed bug situation.

Prevention tips for hosting parties

If you are having a party and are worried about bed bugs here are some simple steps to take:

• Do not put your guests’ coats or bags on your beds. There may be bed bugs on these items and they could move from these items onto your bed.
  • Clean out your front closet and use for guests coats and bags during the party. If you are worried about bed bugs you can vacuum the closet after the party to reduce the risks. If you use a vacuum to capture bed bugs, seal and dispose of the vacuum bag as soon as you are done.
  • If space is limited, place a sheet over the bed before putting any coats on the bed. As soon as possible after guests leave, place the sheet in a dryer on medium-high heat for at least 30 minutes and vacuum the bed.
• While it is unlikely that bed bugs will be on shoes, you can place shoes on a plastic mat near the door as an extra precaution. The plastic mat can be washed with hot soapy water once guests have left.

Prevent bed bugs from entering your home with overnight guests

If a visitor is coming to stay and you know they have had bed bugs in their home, you can reduce the risk of bed bugs coming into your home.

Remember that people do not usually carry bed bugs on their bodies, but bed bugs will sometimes hitch a ride on clothes. Bed bugs are more likely to travel on personal belongings such as bags, purses, luggage, wheelchairs and other portable objects.

You can take these precautions to reduce the chance of bed bugs entering your home:

• When overnight guests arrive at your home:
  • Ask your visitor to change into clean clothes.
  • Wash all their clothing; see Laundering Items to Kill Bed Bugs.
  • Place suitcases and bags into a plastic box or large plastic bag that can be sealed shut.
  • Wipe shoes with a damp cloth and hot water (up to 120°F), or if possible place in a dryer. Some dryers have shoe racks designed for this purpose.
• Use a bed bug mattress encasement on guest beds.
• If your guests will be sleeping on a couch, place a sheet over the couch. Launder the sheet and vacuum the couch thoroughly when guests leave.
• If your visitor is bringing gifts and you are worried about bed bugs on these gifts, after the gift is opened:
  • Launder any clothing or textiles.
  • Wipe down plastic or wood items with a hot, damp cloth.
  • Immediately throw away boxes and gift wrapping in a sealed plastic bag.

Traveling and dealing with bed bugs

If you are going to stay with friends or family who have been dealing with a bed bug infestation, you can reduce the risk of bringing bed bugs home:

• Put mattress encasements on the bed you will be using, or ask your host to do so.
• Don't put your suitcase, clothing or other personal items on the bed. If possible keep these items distant from the bed.
  • Bring a couple of large plastic bags and store your suitcases inside the bags.
• After returning home, immediately launder your clothing, or seal in a plastic bag until you are able to do so.

Above all, do not panic! With a few simple steps, bed bugs are easily preventable and should not become an all-consuming worry during holidays.

When staying in a hotel it is a good idea to inspect your room for bed bugs as soon as you arrive. Do not unpack or settle in until you have checked to see if there are bed bugs in your room.

Bring a small flashlight with you when going to stay at a hotel; this will make it easier to inspect your room. As soon as you arrive, keep your suitcase on the floor away from the bed or place it in the bathroom. These areas are less likely to have bed bugs.

Never put your suitcase, clothes or personal items on the bed as this is the most common way to get bed bugs in your possessions and transfer them to your home.

Watch How to Inspect Your Hotel Room For Bed Bugs (03:18 ). This video shows you where to look in a hotel room for bed bugs, how to prevent bringing bed bugs home and provides useful tips for avoiding bed bugs while traveling.

A basic inspection

Start your inspection with the mattress, as this is the most common area for bed bugs. Gently remove the sheet and mattress pad inspecting the four corners of the mattress and box spring.

Another important place to inspect for bed bugs that is often overlooked is the luggage rack or valet. Inspect carefully, concentrating on cracks and crevices. Bed bugs maybe found on the luggage rack if they have come in on other travelers' luggage.

An in-depth inspection

If you want to do a more in-depth inspection of your room we recommend the following:

• Inspect along the edging, seams and other small areas of the mattress and box spring.
  • Continue your inspection with the headboard. In most hotels, the headboard is attached to the wall.
  • Use your flashlight to look in the crack between the wall and the headboard.
• Next, inspect the furniture around the bed, and any pictures hanging on the wall. Bed bugs are known to hide behind framed pictures and around or on furniture.
• Make sure you inspect all the cracks and crevices of the nightstand, including screw holes, joints and in the drawers.
• Once you have insured that these areas do not have bed bugs move on to other furniture in the room, especially upholstered chairs. As you are inspecting pay special attention to the seams.
• If you find bed bugs in your hotel room notify the front desk immediately and ask to be moved to a new room that is not next door to the room where you found bed bugs.

Precautions

When staying in a hotel bring along a large plastic bag to put your dirty clothes into. Bed bugs are attracted to the odor that we leave behind on our clothing. Putting dirty clothing into a plastic bag will reduce the chance that you will get bed bugs on these items, and then bring them home with you.

To reduce the risk of bringing bed bugs into your home after a hotel stay:

• Immediately launder all the clothing you brought with you, or seal inside a plastic bag until it can be laundered.
• Vacuum your suitcase, inside and out. When you finish vacuuming your suitcase, immediately empty the contents of the vacuum in a plastic bag that can be sealed tightly and then put it in the trash.
• Store your suitcase inside a large plastic bag or box to insure that if bed bugs did hitchhike, they cannot move from your suitcase into your home.
• Wipe down shoes with a damp cloth and hot water to reduce the risk of them being infested with bed bugs.

Do-it-yourself bed bug control starts with carefully looking for bed bugs and squashing them or capturing them. To be successful you have to be patient and check all the places bed bugs may be hiding. This method will not kill all the bugs at once, but it can reduce the number of bed bugs in your home if done repeatedly.

Tools you need to kill bed bugs by hand

These tools are easy to use and available at hardware stores or around your home:

• Flashlight
  • Bed bugs hide in dark areas and in cracks and crevices.
  • Bed bugs are a dark red to brown color, but they can be light brown if they haven’t been feeding. This makes it very hard to see them.
  • When hunting for bed bugs hold your flashlight parallel to the surface being inspected, this will cause eggs and small bed bugs to cast a shadow, making them easier to find.
• Playing card or old credit card
  • Use one that is plastic or that has a plastic coating which allows their edges to be pushed into cracks and crevices.
  • Move the card’s edge along cracks and crevices to push bed bugs out where they can be captured or killed.
• Roll of tape
  • Wide, clear plastic shipping tape is a good option because it enables you to capture bed bugs, and it provides a closer look at them to confirm that it is a bed bug.
  • As you see insects, or as you are digging along cracks and crevices, have a sticky edge of the tape exposed to quickly trap bed bugs.
• Cloth and hot soapy water
  • Have a bucket of water handy and as you wipe an area, check the surface of the cloth for bed bugs and then immerse the cloth in the bucket.
  • Wring the cloth to remove excess water; you do not need to soak the surface that you are wiping.
  • Check the area that you just wiped because heat may cause hungry bed bugs to move.
  • The cloth is particularly effective when you find a cluster or group of bed bugs.
  • Keep in mind that wet surfaces will reduce the effectiveness of sticky tape as a trapping method.
• Plastic bags
  • Shopping bags and garbage bags are useful for holding items like clothes and bedding that may be infested.
  • Place infested items in bags to help you move them without spreading bed bugs into other areas.
• Mattress encasements
  • Mattress encasements are large fabric bags that you place a mattress inside.
  • Once zippered closed, any surviving bed bugs will eventually starve.
  • You will need an encasement for each mattress and box spring in your home.
  • If there are bed bugs in your mattress or box spring, they will start to die within two weeks inside an encasement, but encasements should be left on for at least a year.
  • There are many types of encasements so it is important to make sure you use an encasement designed for bed bug control. 

Establish the clean zone

To begin your search for bed bugs, establish a clean zone into which you can move furniture and items that you have inspected and cleaned. This will reduce the chance that they will be re-contaminated.

Start in the corners and along edges of an open wall. With the playing card, work your way along the wall and see if you can dig things out of the cracks and crevices.

• If you are checking a baseboard along the floor, see if you can get the card between the baseboard and the floor, as well as the top of the baseboard and the wall.
• If you have a bare tile or wood floor, use a damp cloth or mop to wipe the floor. Don’t use too much water as floors can be slippery. Look for anything moving after you wipe the floor.
• If you have carpeted areas, vacuum the cleaned area.
• Don’t forget to check pictures and other items on the wall.

Inspect other items and put these into the clean zone. As you continue to move things into the clean zone, more of the room will open and you can expand this clean zone.

Using this method means you will not have to move furniture and items more than twice. This will allow you to concentrate on searching for bed bugs rather than moving furniture.

Sort clothes, bedding, and other items that can be laundered. Fewer things to inspect makes the job easier. 

Searching for bed bugs

With your tools by you, begin searching for bed bugs. Remember you are looking for adults, young bed bugs, eggs, molted skins and fecal spots. 

Start with the bed, including the mattress, box spring and bed frame.

• Inspect the visible areas of the mattress first. Look along all edges and corners. Also check along all stitch lines and the mattress label.
• Five sides of the mattress can be checked while the mattress is on the bed.
• When you are finished checking the upper surfaces, you can then stand the mattress upright so you can check the bottom of the mattress.

Repeat this same search with the box spring.

• Box springs usually have plastic edge guards and a loose fabric called "ticking" stapled on the underside. The seams and edges on the underside of the box spring are very common hiding places for bed bugs.
• To ensure there are no bed bugs inside the box spring, remove the ticking and check the wood, cracks and crevices, and screw holes within. After inspection, the ticking can be re-stapled in place. 

Check all sides of the bed frame, even if it is a metal frame.

• Pay attention to where the frame is joined together and any overlapping parts.
• The headboard and footboard are particular areas where bed bugs may set up their first infestation.
• Carefully check all surfaces, and look closely at any slots, screw holes and cracks in the furniture.

After the bed is complete, continue with any furniture that is in the room. The larger furniture should be inspected first because it can be placed safely against the wall, in the clean zone, and other items can be placed around the larger furniture.

• Start with the visible areas of furniture. Look along all edges, corners and overhangs.
• Carefully look at molding details and any gaps.
• Move the furniture out from the wall and check the back. Look closely at the seam along the backer board and any screw holes.
• Remove any drawers and check all sides, corners and edges. Remove items from the drawers and sort for laundering or other appropriate treatment.
• Once the furniture is empty, check the bottom. You may need help to move the furniture and place it on its side.
• To protect the finish of the furniture, use a towel or soft item between the furniture and the floor. 

Continue checking furniture and other items until everything is in the clean zone. You may have to expand the clean zone to accommodate everything. To expand the clean zone follow the same steps that you used to originally establish the clean zone. 

After you are finished with all the furniture and objects in the room, check the remaining areas of the room that are not in the clean zone. Check along baseboards and in any other cracks or crevices.

Once you are finished, put the furniture back and do your laundry. Anything that was not inspected will have to undergo one of the other control methods (freezing, steam) or you may have to throw away the item.

We recommend that you put mattress encasements on your mattress and box spring. Encasements reduce the number of areas you would have to re-inspect and make it easier to find and control bed bugs in the future.

Videos on controlling bed bugs by hand in English, Hmong, Somali and Spanish.

If your home has a bed bug infestation there are many objects that need to be cleaned. One thing that many parents worry about is cleaning children's toys. Different types of toys will need to be cleaned differently.

Soft toys

Soft toys like stuffed animals or cloth books should be put into a dryer. The dryer should be at a medium to high heat setting. The toys should be in the dryer for 30 minutes. The heat of the dryer will kill all the bed bugs. After the toys have been in the dryer they should be kept in a clean plastic bag or box until the home has been treated for bed bugs.

Plastic or wood toys

Plastic or Wood toys can be cleaned with a warm damp cloth. It is important to wipe of all the surfaces of the toy. Make sure you clean all the cracks and crevices in the toy. Rinse off your cloth often as you are cleaning the toys. If the toy is very complicated and difficult to clean put the toy in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag in a freezer that is at least 0°F (-18°C) for four days. After the toys are clean, keep them in a clean plastic bag or box until the home has been treated for bed bugs. 

Books

The best way to treat books that may be infested with bed bugs is to place them in a plastic bag freezer that is at least 0°F (-18°C) for four days. Freezing items that have bed bugs is easy, but takes time and care. Please make sure to read “Using Freezing Conditions to Kill Bed Bugs“ if you are going to use this method.

Washing clothes and bedding is a simple and cheap method of killing all bed bugs. It is a very important part of both do-it-yourself bed bug control, and when you have a professional pest control company apply insecticides. Washing will kill some of the bed bugs, but it is the heat of drying that will kill any remaining bed bugs. With a few common-sense practices, you can easily disinfect clothes and ensure these items do not become bed bug hiding places as you remove bed bugs from the rest of your home.

There are three main steps to think about when washing items to remove bed bugs: sorting clothes, washing and drying, and storing clean clothes.

Sorting clothes

• In the infested area, pre-sort clothes as you would when you normally wash clothes and place each sorted pile into its own plastic bag. Make note of the washing instructions. This will allow you to set the highest allowable wash and dry temperatures for your clothes.
• Separate dry-clean-only clothes because these should not be made wet, but they may be placed in a dryer.
• Seal the bags prior to moving your laundry. This will prevent bed bugs from moving into other areas of your home or the laundromat.

Washing and drying clothes

• Tip each bag into a washer (or the dryer for dry-clean-only).
• When each bag is emptied, fold the bag opening into the center then wrap the rest of the bag around the opening.
• Immediately put empty bags into another clean bag and seal before disposal.
• Wash and dry the clothes on the hottest temperature the fabric can safely withstand.
• For dry-clean-only clothes that can be put in a dryer, put into a dryer on at least medium to high setting and run the dryer for at least 30 minutes. Then take them to a professional cleaner for cleaning and pressing. Drying will kill the bugs but not clean the clothes.
• If you want to only kill bed bugs and do not need to wash your clothes, simply putting infested items in the dryer for 30 minutes on high heat will kill all the bed bugs.

Storing cleaned clothes

• Fold clothes as soon as they are removed from the dryer.
• If you are doing laundry in a commercial laundromat or laundry facility in an apartment complex, place the clothes immediately into a new plastic bag. Do not set your clothes on a folding table unless you have inspected the table for bed bugs.
• Keep the clean clothes in clean bags until you get home.
  • If you have successfully controlled bed bugs in your home, take the laundry out of the bag and put it away.
  • If you still have an infestation, keep the folded laundry in the bag and remove clothes as needed. This will prevent the clothes from becoming reinfested.

Watch Kill bed bugs through laundry (04:02). This video is also available in Hmong, Somali and Spanish.

Putting infested items in a freezer can kill bed bugs if some particular conditions are met. Freezing causes ice to form inside the bed bug, causing injury or death. Freezing bed bugs is easy to do. All it requires is:

• A freezer that is at or below 00F (-18oC).
• Time.
• Some plastic bags to put the items you want to freeze into.
• A remote thermometer.

There are some things to know to ensure that freezing is effective and does not cause damage to items.

What can be frozen?

Most dry household items can be frozen, including:

• Cloth items that you cannot (or do not want to) wash or launder.
• Modern books.
• Shoes.
• Jewelry.
• Pictures.
• Toys.
• Electronics without an LCD screen.

What should I not freeze?

There are a few items that require caution when attempting to freeze or that should not be frozen. Do not freeze:

• Electronics with LCD panels.
• Historic artifacts or old books of considerable value.
• Items that cannot be replaced.
• Items that may be damaged if condensation occurs.
• Items that contain high moisture or liquids inside.

You should talk to a pest management professional about treating these items.

What temperatures are required?

• The temperature of your freezer is very important. The lower the temperature, the less time needed to kill bed bugs.
• Freezers set to 0°F are effective in killing bed bugs, but the things you are freezing must be left in the freezer for at least 4 days.
• If you are worried about ensuring that temperatures are low enough, use a remote thermometer and monitor the temperature inside the items you are freezing.
• 0°F must be reached in the center of the materials being frozen to kill bed bugs. Bulky items require more time. Start counting the 4 day exposure time when the center of the object has reached 0°F.
• Do not use temperatures above 0°F (-15°C) as eggs and small bed bugs may survive.

It’s winter, and it’s cold. Can I simply put my stuff outside or open the windows in my home?

Unfortunately, no. It is unlikely that it will be cold enough for long enough to kill bed bugs. Sunlight, humidity, temperature variations during the day increase the risk that bed bugs will survive.

Do not attempt to freeze your apartment or house by opening the windows and turning off the heat. There is a major risk of structural damage to your home and you will not kill the bed bugs.

For additional information on using freezing conditions to kill bed bugs please see Cold Tolerance of Bed Bugs and Practical Recommendations for Control.

Watch Using Freezing Conditions to Kill Bed Bugs.

Steam is a very effective method for killing bed bugs in all the stages of development if applied correctly. When using steam as a treatment the quality of the steamer is very important. Use a commercial steamer with a minimum capacity of 1 gallon, preferably with a steam volume control.

Do not use a carpet cleaning machine or a clothing steamer. These machines do not reach high enough temperatures to kill bed bugs.

Although a steam cleaner is expensive for one person to buy, it may be reasonable for a housing cooperative or another type of organization to purchase a steamer and make it available for members to use. It may also be possible to rent a steamer.

Following the manufacturer’s directions for the steamer and the additional precautions below will help you generate steam safely and get maximum control of bed bugs. Here are some additional tips to follow:

• Attach a nozzle to the steam wand. There is often a triangular nozzle that comes with the steamer and this nozzle works well most of the time. The floor nozzle will also work, but you will have to move the nozzle more slowly to get the right temperatures.
• Surfaces must reach a temperature range of 160-180°F. Below this, bed bugs may survive. Above this range increases the risk of damage to the fabric and other materials. An infrared thermometer should be used to measure surface temperatures after the wand has passed over the area being steamed. If the temperature is too low, move the wand more slowly. If the temperature is too high, move the wand faster.
• Fabric may be damp, but it should not be wet. If it is too wet, decrease the amount of steam.
• Use the steamer on all surfaces where you see bed bugs and areas where you think bed bugs may be hiding.
• After you are finished, use a fan to circulate air and help dry the items you have steamed.
• Follow the manual instructions for cooling off the steamer and ensuring the pressure is relieved.
• You may have to repeat this procedure a couple of times as this method only provides control of bed bugs that are exposed to the heat. Any bed bugs that do not come into contact with the steam will survive.

While steam is effective, it can be dangerous. There are several precautions to take when operating a steamer:

• Always read and understand the manual that came with the steamer.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• The steam is under pressure, so be careful when refilling the machine and using the steam wand.
• The steam will be hot, as high as 212-230°F. This can cause burns, so never let children use the steamer and always direct the steam away from yourself.
• When using steam, always test on an unseen area as some fabrics may be damaged. With microfiber fabrics, always steam with the direction of the microfiber.
• Steamers will sometimes spit out hot water when you start up, or after the steamer has not applied steam for a while. Pointing the wand at a towel when you first start will allow you to capture this water.
• Do not use a pin-point steam nozzle; make sure you use a nozzle to distribute the steam at lower pressures such as a floor or upholstery attachment. Pin point nozzles can blow the bed bugs away and they may survive.

Watch Using Steamers to Kill Bed Bugs.

Vacuums can be helpful in reducing the numbers of bed bugs in certain locations especially where there are groups or clusters of bed bugs. Vacuuming is not 100% effective, but will help capture bed bugs. There are some key tips that you should follow to make sure you capture the most bugs possible and that you do not spread the infestation.

• Make sure you make the suction as strong as possible. Use a crevice tool attached to the vacuum. Bed bugs have the ability to cling to fabric and wedge themselves in cracks and crevices.
• Make sure that you concentrate on those areas.
• Do not press too hard against the fabric. There is a chance that you can “flick” bed bugs and eggs off a surface instead of capturing them.
• Bed bugs can survive a trip through a vacuum hose. It is important to remove the bed bugs from the vacuum when you are done so that they do not escape.
  • When you are finished vacuuming, remove the vacuum bag and seal the bag with tape. Then place the vacuum bag into a plastic bag and seal this outer bag. This bag can be disposed of in the trash.
  • If the vacuum does not contain a bag, empty and discard the contents in a sealed plastic bag. Wash the removable container in hot soapy water to ensure any remaining bed bugs are killed. There is usually a filter attached to this container. This filter will have to be washed, frozen or discarded and replaced by a new filter. DO NOT use water on electrical components of the vacuum.
  • If you plan to use the vacuum in another location for bed bug control, place tape over the nozzle to prevent bed bugs escaping. At the end of the day, discard the vacuum contents.
• Repeated vacuuming will likely be necessary to control an infestation. Make sure you remember where you previously found bed bugs and vacuum these areas again.
• Eggs stick to surfaces, so they are very hard to remove. Adult bed bugs will gather in areas that were previously infested. Re-checking these areas and repeated vacuuming will help reduce the number of bed bugs in your home.
• Use other non-chemical techniques, such as laundering, heat or freezing to supplement vacuum removal of bed bugs. This will help you reduce the labor required for vacuuming areas and improve control.
• Try to keep your home as simple as possible. Bed bugs like to hide, so the more things you have the more likely they are to find hiding places.
• Keep infestation free items in plastic bags to reduce the number of areas you have to repeatedly vacuum.

Watch Vacuuming To Capture Bed Bugs.

• Over the counter insecticides for treating bed bugs are not effective. We recommend hiring a professional to apply insecticides.
• If you do use an insecticide, always read the entire label and follow all instructions.
• Do not use garden and agricultural insecticides in your home. They are toxic and can harm people and pets.

Products that are being sold as insecticides must be registered with the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) unless they are natural and generally regarded as safe. These products can be classified as  minimum risk pesticides.

Because these products are not registered with the EPA the companies that make them are not required to test them in the same way that other insecticides must be tested. They may not work as well as registered products and there may be other concerns. Each state has different requirements for these exempt products.

Understanding and using these products may require additional work on your part. For any insecticide product to work correctly you must understand and follow the directions, keeping in mind that product packaging may not have complete directions.

Before buying “natural” or “low risk” products:

• Check to see if the product kills on contact or the product has a residual kill.
  • If it controls on contact, it means that you must spray the bed bugs directly to kill them.
  • If the product has residual kill, it means that bed bugs will die if the insect crawls across a treated surface within a specific period of time.
• Check to see if there are independent laboratory or university studies that describe in detail how they tested the product and under what conditions the product worked.
• Look for independent information from other people who have used these products.