How Did I Get Bedbugs, and How Do I Get Rid of Them?

Over the last decade, bedbugs went from an obscure parasite to a well-known nuisance found all over the world. Unfortunately, bedbugs can be tough to get rid of once they get into a home. But there are simple ways to keep them out of your home and to keep yourself free of bedbug bites. Read on to learn more about bedbugs and what to do if you find them in your home. 

What are bedbugs?

Bedbugs are small bugs that feed on human blood and only bite people who are sleeping. Unlike ticks and mosquitos, bedbugs do not spread any diseases. They are “nest parasites”, which means they stay close to where humans sleep — beds and bedrooms. 

Many people have reactions to bedbug bites and develop welts when bitten. 

Bedbug bites are not dangerous but they are distressing. The bites are extremely itchy and can cause people to lose sleep, from the constant scratching as well as the worry of being bitten night after night.

Although bedbug numbers went down following the widespread use of insecticides, they’ve made a comeback over the last decade. Bedbugs have been found all over the world, including at five-star hotels and resorts. The rise in bedbugs is partially attributed to an increase in human travel and increased bedbug resistance to pesticides. 

Signs you could have bedbugs

There are three major ways to tell if there are bedbugs in a room: developing symptoms of bedbug bites, finding signs of bedbugs, and actually finding live bedbugs. 

Developing bedbug bites

Developing bedbug bites is the most obvious sign that bedbugs are living in a room. Bedbug bites are itchy and red. Because bedbugs only come out while a person is sleeping, people will often wake up with more bites than they had the day before. If you think you have bedbug bites, look for signs of bedbugs and for live bugs. 

It’s helpful to remember that not everyone has reactions to bedbug bites. If a roommate or bedmate does not have symptoms of bedbug bites, don’t assume bedbugs are the problem. It’s possible for some people to get bitten by bedbugs and not develop any symptoms. 

Finding signs of bedbugs in the home

Because bedbugs are active at night and then hide during the day, they can be tricky to find. But you can look for other clues that bedbugs are in an area. 

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Physical signs of bedbugs, which you can find on furniture, sheets, and mattresses, include: 

• Brown spots about the size of a pencil tip due to bedbug droppings and excrement 

• Reddish stains caused by crushed bedbugs

• Pale yellow skins from bedbug moltings or hatched eggs

Finding live bedbugs

Bedbugs are small, about the size of an apple seed. Adult bedbugs are flat and oval-shaped before feeding, and rounder and redder afterward. Baby bugs, or nymphs, may look yellow-white. Neither adult nor baby bedbugs have wings. Since they like to hide in dark places, use a flashlight to help in your search. 

Bedbugs like to hide close to where they feed so they don’t have to travel too far at night to eat. So look for them in their preferred hiding places:

• Seams of furniture, e.g., upholstered chairs, couches, and between cushions

• Mattress seams, headboards, bedding, and bed frames

• Electrical outlets and appliances

• Cracks in walls and junctions in walls, e.g., where the wall and ceiling meet

• Under loose wallpaper, wall hangings, and curtain folds

If you find a live bug, use a reference picture to help tell the difference between a bedbug and other common household bugs.

What do bedbug bites look like?

Bedbug bites may be hard to tell apart from other insect or mosquito bites. The bites are small, red, raised, and very itchy. There are some distinct features of bedbug bites that can help tell them apart from other types of bug bites. Bedbug bites:

• Usually happen in a zigzag line or clusters of three — also called “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” bites

• Are present on exposed areas of skin, like the face, neck, arms, and legs. Bedbugs won’t bite through clothing so areas covered by pajamas are safe.

Treating bedbug bites

Most bites will go away after 1 to 2 weeks.  You can treat itching by using Benadryl as directed on the bottle or by applying over-the-counter steroid cream on the bites. If possible, avoid scratching the bites, which can lead to infection. 

If bites become swollen, painful, or start to ooze pus, the bites could be infected. Infected bug bites need treatment with antibiotics. If you think your bites could be infected, see your healthcare provider immediately. 

In rare cases, some people can develop anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, to bedbug bites. Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical care.

Getting rid of bedbugs

Bedbugs can be difficult to get rid of because they are resistant to many pesticides. Fortunately, bedbugs don’t reproduce on people like scabies and lice, and they can’t fly. These two things make it easier to contain bedbugs. There are several options for bedbug control that you can try yourself, but usually professional help is required. 

Do-it-yourself options

Some things you can try at home to get rid of bedbugs include:

• Putting a mattress cover over beds —choose a mattress that encloses the entire mattress so bedbugs can’t get in or out

• Removing any clutter from bedrooms so there are fewer places for bedbugs to hide, but checking those items for bedbugs first so you don’t accidentally move the bugs to another room

• Vacuuming mattresses, furniture seams, and along baseboards, and throwing away the vacuum bag immediately after use

• Washing bed linens and other washable items in hot water for at least 30 minutes, then placing them in a dryer on the highest setting for at least 30 minutes to kill bugs 

• Placing unwashable items in a plastic bag, then putting them in the freezer for about three days at –32℉

You may need to repeat these steps several times to get rid of all the bugs. 

Contact a professional

If you have trouble getting rid of bedbugs, contact a pest control professional who has specific experience with getting rid of bedbugs.  

People may try to use pesticides, but many bedbugs are now resistant to them. If you use a pesticide, make sure it is Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved and follow all directions listed for the product. 

Pest control professionals have several means to remove bedbugs, including:

• Sealing a room and heating it to over 122℉, which kills bugs and eggs

• Using bedbug-specific chemicals or pesticides that are available only to licensed professionals 

• Fumigating a room or home

How to prevent getting bedbugs

Bedbugs can’t move very fast but, because they can survive for long periods of time without feeding, they can hitch a ride on suitcases or clothing and get into homes. Many people unknowingly bring back bedbugs from hotels when they go away on vacation because the bugs can crawl into clothing and suitcases. College students can bring home bedbugs from their dorm rooms, and kids can bring them home from summer camp. It’s hard to get bedbugs out of a home once they’re inside. Fortunately, it’s much easier to keep bedbugs out in the first place. 

It’s helpful to look for signs of bedbugs whenever you sleep outside your home.That way, you can avoid getting bitten. Check hotel rooms, dorm rooms, and other communal living areas for signs of bedbugs when you arrive. If you find signs, ask for a new room. Even if you don’t find signs of bedbugs, try and keep suitcases off the floor and don’t store items under beds so that bugs can’t crawl into your travel gear and go back home with you. 

Bedbugs may also hide in old, upholstered furniture that you bring into your home. Before buying or picking up used furniture, check for signs of bedbugs. If you see any, reconsider the purchase.

Finally, bedbugs can crawl through cracks in walls and outlets from unit to unit in apartment complexes and multi-dwelling buildings. If you’re renting a new place or buying a new home, look for signs of bedbugs along seams in walls, along baseboards, and around outlets before signing any agreements. 

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Written by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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