The Complete Guide to Getting Rid of Bed Bugs Without an Exterminator

Your home should be your safe haven, so there’s nothing worse than finding out that you have uninvited guests. You might have woken up one day with a cluster of bites on your arm, or you might have found tiny dark spots on your curtains. 

When you notice the telltale signs of a bed bug infestation, it’s never too early to get started on extermination. Effective, professional extermination can be quite costly, however, ranging from $500 to $5,000. If hiring an exterminator near you is out of the question, consider these DIY options to treat, clean, and prevent bed bugs.

Can You Get Rid of Bed Bugs Without an Exterminator?

A DIY extermination will be much more affordable than the cost of professional pest control services. However, getting rid of bed bugs on your own without an exterminator will require lots of hard work and patience. It won’t be as easy as completing just one of the tasks below, as you’ll need to do everything necessary to clean, treat, and seal your home.

Before getting started, make a game plan for how you will tackle each task. Whether you’re working with a tight budget and can’t afford an exterminator, or simply prefer a DIY lifestyle, you can make different choices to stay within your ideal cost range. By planning ahead, you’re more likely to succeed.

Bed Bug Treatment Process for the Bedroom

If you have a bed bug infestation, there’s an 85% chance that they’re in your bedroom, according to the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Once you discover the pests, your first instinct might be to sleep somewhere other than your bedroom. 

However, that’s not a good idea since bed bugs can move with you to a new room. It’s best to tackle the issues in your bed and bedroom instead.

Protective Covers

After thoroughly vacuuming the mattress and bed springs, you should purchase protective covers. The cover will keep the bugs inside until they die, and it’ll keep any bugs out of the mattress too. Mattress covers cost $10 to $40, and box spring covers cost $30 to $60.

Bed Bug Interceptors

Once you take care of the mattress and box spring, you need to stop new bed bugs from crawling onto your bed. The first thing you should do is move your bed at least 6 inches from the wall. Also, remove any items that you might be storing under the bed. Don’t use bed skirts or allow bedding to touch the floor.

Next, you need to install bed bug interceptors for at least a year. These are specially designed cups that sit under each foot of your bed and keep bed bugs from climbing your bed frame. The interceptors cost $13 to $30.

Bed Bug Treatment Process for the Living Room

Bed bugs are commonly found in bedrooms and within 15 feet or so of the bed, reports North Dakota State University. Depending on the layout of your house, this could mean that your living room is a prime target for the pests.

Bed bugs like upholstered furniture, so the best place to start is with your couch and chairs. In particular, inspect the seams in the furniture, as the bed bugs can burrow and hide inside. Carefully check the carpet edges, under your rugs, and behind wall hangings.

DIY Cleaning Tips After a Bed Bug Infestation

Photo: Maskot / Maskot / Getty Images

If the tiny bed bugs are giving you nightmares, the best thing you can do is start cleaning as soon as possible. You can start cleaning with items you probably already have in your house, or you can invest a little money in products. And if it’s within your budget to rent some strategic pieces of equipment, it will speed up your cleaning process.

Soapy Water

You can use soap and water to wipe down all hard surfaces to destroy bed bugs and eggs. Mop the floor and wipe down window sills and walls. Don’t forget about the furniture, including your bed frame, dressers, and cabinets.

It’s a good idea to stick to only using soapy water or other non-chemical methods for bed bug treatment if you’re dealing with nurseries or kids’ rooms.

Vacuum

Thorough vacuuming can get rid of a lot of the bed bugs. Use a HEPA vacuum if possible, and take advantage of the attachments. The smaller wands will help you get to the bugs hiding in small cracks and seams.

Disassemble all furniture to carefully clean all of the small recessed parts like screw holes. Every time you finish vacuuming an area with bed bugs, you need to empty the contents into a trash bag and throw it away immediately.

Laundry

Double-bag all of your bedding, clothing, and drapery. Wash with hot water for 30 minutes or tumble dry for at least 30 minutes on high heat.

Seal Cracks

Make sure bed bugs can’t crawl their way back into your home by sealing cracks with caulk. Look for spots in your walls, windows, and doors.

Throw Away

Throw away all unnecessary paper products like magazines, newspapers, and cardboard. You may discover that you can’t save some of your household items, either because it’s too hard to treat it or the infestation is too severe. This commonly happens with upholstered furniture like couches and chairs. Wicker furniture is usually hard to salvage after an infestation.

If you decide to get rid of large items like furniture, make sure to take it immediately to the dump. If you set it on the curb for trash service, you should mark the furniture with a warning about bed bugs. You’ll save someone from taking the free furniture (with the bed bugs) into their home.

Using Heat, Steam, and Cold to Get Rid of Bed Bugs 

Even though it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the huge number of bed bugs in your home, you might feel better once you realize that they're not invincible. In fact, bed bugs cannot survive in extreme heat or cold. You can use this to your advantage to kill the pests without an exterminator.

Use Heat

Extreme heat is an effective way to kill bed bugs in all life stages. Generally speaking, it takes about 20 minutes at 118 degrees Fahrenheit to kill them. One method is to use a hand dryer set on high heat. You’ll have to hold the dryer in place for about 30 minutes, so this option is best for smaller items.

If you live in a warm climate, you can place bagged items in direct sunlight. If it’s at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the heat will build up in the bag and will kill any bed bugs. 

You can buy a portable heating device that’s designed specifically for bed bugs. The bags heat up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and allow you to place items inside on racks. These devices cost around $310.

There are also higher-grade, commercial heat chambers available. These can be rented for about $350 a day. If it’s in your budget, renting equipment can be a big boost to helping you get rid of the bed bugs without an exterminator.

Use Cold

You can place items in a plastic bag and then put them in the freezer for four days at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s likely that you will need to adjust the temperature because most freezers are not set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use Steam

You can use a steamer, either dry or wet, to kill bed bugs in all of its life stages. Attachments will help you get into the small cracks and crevices. If you don’t already own a steamer, you can rent one for around $30 for one day.

Using Pesticides for Bed Bug Removal

You’ve cleaned, you’ve laundered, and used heat, steam, or extreme cold to rid your house of bed bugs. At this point, you might choose to bring in a new level of attack to the table: pesticide products.

Bug Bombs

In general, bug bombs or foggers are not recommended for bed bug treatment. The bugs are so small that they hide in places out of the reach of foggers. In some cases, using a bug bomb may worsen the situation as the attack may force the bugs to move out from one area into another.

When using bombs, follow all instructions carefully. It should not be used in kitchens or around food. All of your family members (including the furry ones) need to vacate the area. After releasing the fogger, you need to wait around two hours. Afterwards, make sure to ventilate the room well. There are foggers on the market for $10 to $20.

Desiccant Pesticides

Dust-based products like diatomaceous earth (DE) or silica aerogel effectively kill bed bugs and other insects that invade your home. Buy DE formulated for indoor pesticide use. You can sprinkle it in small cracks and seams or use a paintbrush to dust any infected furniture. 

Make sure to use a dust mask, goggles, and gloves when using large amounts of DE so you don’t irritate your skin, eyes, or lungs. A 4-pound bag of DE pesticides will run you around $10 to $20.

Sprays

Contact bug sprays will kill pests on contact. Keep in mind that you can also use soapy water instead. After using pesticide sprays, you need to leave the room and keep your pets out too. All sprayed surfaces need to dry completely, and you should ventilate the room. Don’t spray on kitchen counters or dining room tables. A bottle of contact spray costs around $8 to $10.

There are also pyrethroid sprays, but it’s known that some bed bugs have developed resistance to them. These run from $15 to $30.

Pesticide Strips

Instead of using the sunlight or a freezer to kill the bed bugs, you can use pesticide strips inside bags or bins. Alternatively, place strips in very low-traffic areas of your home, like closets. 

Keep children and pets away from the strips, don’t use them near the kitchen or around food, and wash your hands well after handling. The cost ranges from $10 to $50 based on how many strips you need.

Is It Working?

Once you do everything you can to get rid of bed bugs without an exterminator, you’ll want to check weekly to see if you were successful. Check the bed interceptors for signs of bugs, or place traps under your bed and other problem areas.

To increase your chances of success, keep your house clean, inspect all of the rooms in your house, and be vigilant on what items you bring back inside the house after treatment.