1. Check for signs. Bed bugs will leave small black or dark brown dots on sheets or the mattress. If you see this at home be wary -- and consider hiring a pest management professional for help and to accurately locate precise areas of infestation via use of a trained k-9 or with the only other 100% accurate bed bug detection device, the professional TDS Co2 electronic portable system. If you're traveling, ask for another hotel room far, far away, and personally report the incident to the general manager and housekeeping. They don't want bed bugs either and may even credit all or part of your stay.

2. Clean up clutter. Reduce the number of hiding places that bed bugs have. Just because their name is "bed bugs," it doesn't mean that they don't like to live in the dog's kennel or that pile of clothes on the floor.

3. Consider buying a mattress/box-spring encasement. If bed bugs are in your mattress, these make it more difficult for bed bugs to get to you while you sleep. The EPA recommends that you buy a product that has been tested for bed bugs and is strong enough to last for a full year without tearing.

4. Wash those sheets. Be sure to frequently wash and heat-dry your bed linens, bed spreads and any clothing that touches the floor. It's super gross, but bed bugs and their eggs can hide in laundry containers/hampers.

5. Vacuum frequently. Thoroughly vacuuming rugs, floors, under beds,around bed legs, bed frame and all cracks and crevices around the room can help to cut your risk. After vacuuming, be sure to change the bag, placing it in a tightly sealed plastic bag and then again in an outside garbage bin so that the Bedbugs can't migrate to another part of your house.


For more detailed information on bedbug management, see this page.