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Bed Bugs

Cimex lectularius
Updated Oct 18, 2023
 
1

Make a Positive Identification

Bed bugs are specialized insects that feed on blood from humans and other animals. They cause itching, skin irritation, and embarrassment. Take action to control this human health pest.

Bed Bugs
Species: Bed Bugs
Closeup photo of bed bug

Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Adult bed bugs are flattened, oval, and about ⅕-inch long. Their color is reddish brown. They have distinct horizontal bands across their bodies. Bed bugs have long antennae.

Species: Bed Bugs
Adult bed bugs on a dime for size comparison

Patrick Porter, Bugwood.org

The photo shows the size of adult bed bugs compared to a dime.

Species: Bed Bugs
Bed bug eggs

Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org

Female bed bugs lay 200–500 tiny eggs in cracks and crevices. Eggs are yellow-white and about 1/20 of an inch: the size of the period at the end of a sentence. Eggs hatch in 6–15 days at room temperature.

Species: Bed Bugs
Bed bug nymphs and adults

Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

The photo shows bed bug adults and nymphs in various stages. Eggs hatch immature bed bugs (nymphs) lighter in color than adults. They go through 5 stages of growth to become adults. Each stage includes feeding on the blood of people or animals and then molting (shedding their exoskeleton).

Species: Bed Bugs
Signs of bed bug activity on mattress

Matteo Lanciano, iStock

Look for signs of bed bugs such as discarded skins, reddish stains, and tiny dark fecal spots as shown in the photo.

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2

Bed Bugs Benefits

  • Bed bugs are annoying insect pests. They don’t have any benefits for people or the environment.
 

Bed Bugs Risks

  • Bed bugs are specialized insects that feed on blood from humans and other animals.
  • Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. You can easily pick them up when you travel or bring used furniture or clothing into your home. Take steps to keep from introducing them to your home.
  • They aren’t known to transmit diseases to people.
  • Controlling them takes time, patience, and a variety of methods.
Risk Card
Does it cause harm?
Adults & Children
High
Property
High
Pets
Some
Annoyance
High
Environment
None
Action Highly Recommended
 
3

TAKE ACTION

If you discover bed bugs in your home, take action to get rid of them.

What damage do bed bugs cause?

  • Bed bugs are highly specialized insects. They live where people sleep and sit for long periods of time.
  • They cause itching, irritation, and embarrassment.
  • Scratching can lead to secondary infections.
  • Bed bugs aren’t known to transmit disease. But they are considered a human health pest.


Do I need to take action?
Yes, take action for bed bug infestations.

Keep from bringing bed bugs into your home. Take precautions when traveling and bringing used furniture or clothing into your home. Use preventive measures for best results.

What if I do nothing?
Bed bug infestations get worse and harder to manage the longer you wait to take action.

NEED HELP?

Consider a licensed pest control company. Learn How to Hire a Pest Control Company.
Your local Extension Specialist in Oregon  and other states  can suggest other methods.

 
4
Solutions for Bed Bugs
  • Controlling bed bugs takes time, patience, and a variety of techniques.
  • We recommend hiring a professional pest control company if you have a bed bug infestation. The company will perform a thorough inspection. Professionals have special skills and tools to get rid of bed bugs.
  • Cooperate with your pest control company. They will advise you and provide methods for cleaning your home and belongings.
  • Insecticides available at stores are NOT EFFECTIVE to get rid of a bed bug infestation. Using them puts you and your family at risk and they won’t work.

Jump To

Method Does it work? Is it safe? Recommendation
A
Inspection & Cleaning
Effective
Low risk
Recommended
B
Bed Bug Treatments from Pest Control Companies
Effective
Moderate risk
Recommended
C
Insect-Killing Foggers
Does not work
Very high risk
Not Recommended
D
If Using Insecticides, Protect Yourself & Minimize Risks
E
Prevent Bed Bugs
 
A

Inspection & Cleaning

Non-Chemical Method

wildpixel, iStock

Inspection & Cleaning

Recommended
  • Watch for signs of bed bugs. Cleaning your bedding and home are required steps to get rid of an infestation.
  • These steps need to be combined with chemical methods to get rid of bed bugs.
Does it work?
Effective

Works when combined with chemical treatment from a pest control company.
How much effort?
High effort
What's the risk?
Low risk
Possible risk of exposure or harm from chemicals
NONE
  • If you discover bed bugs or their signs in your home or on your belongings, follow the steps below to clean your home and belongings.
  • These activities will not get rid of a bed-bug infestation on their own. Use them in combination with chemical methods from a pest control company.
Diagram of bed bug life cycle

blueringmedia, iStock

Understand Bed Bug Biology

The photo shows a diagram of the bed bug life cycle. Adults lay eggs. Eggs hatch into nymphs. They go through 5 nymph stages (diagram shows only 3) of growth to become adults. Each stage includes feeding on blood of people or an animal and then molting (shedding their exoskeleton).

Illustration of bed bug infestation with magnifying glass

wildpixel, iStock

Perform a Thorough Inspection

  • Use a flashlight and magnifying glass to look for signs of bed bugs.
  • Signs include reddish stains, tiny dark spots, and live bed bugs on bed sheets, box springs, furniture, baseboards and wall crevices, and personal belongings.
Gloved hand with vacuum attachment on mattress

FotoDuets, iStock

Vacuum mattresses, box springs, baseboards, and other hiding places.

Steam cleaning of upholstery

SaevichMikalai, iStock

Steam cleaners effectively clean soft surfaces such as your mattress or upholstery.

Gloved hand cleaning baseboards

FotoDuets, iStock

Look carefully for bed bugs. Capture or squish them. Use hot soapy water to wash baseboards and crevices as shown in the photo.

Bed bug trap with captured insects

“IMG_0204 copy” by UNL PSEP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

After you get rid of a bedbug infestation, use bedbug traps to monitor for bed bugs. Take action right away when you find a few bed bugs. Keep the population from growing and becoming a bigger problem.

Bed Bug Biology

  • Bed bugs require human or animal blood to survive and reproduce. They live in cracks and crevices in bedding, furniture, and baseboards close to where people sleep or sit for long periods of time.
  • Bed bugs can survive months without feeding. They may be present in vacant, clean homes.
  • When people arrive, they resume feeding and reproducing.
  • Bed bugs usually feed at night and hide in dark cracks and crevices during the day.
  • Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. You can easily pick them up when you travel or bring used furniture or clothing into your home.
 
B

Bed Bug Treatments from Pest Control Companies

Chemical Method: Use with caution

invincible_bulldog, iStock

Bed Bug Treatments from Pest Control Companies

Recommended
  • Licensed pesticide applicators have access to insecticides that effectively control bed bugs.
  • Follow their instructions to keep your family from harm.
Does it work?
Effective

Yes, combined with cleaning activities. Follow cleaning instructions from the pest control company.
How much effort?
High effort
What's the risk?
Moderate risk

Follow the instructions from the pest control company to minimize risks to your family and property.
Possible risk of exposure or harm from chemicals
Using insecticides includes some amount of risk. The lowest risk comes with using alternative methods.

You may be exposed to an insecticide if you:

  • Get it on your skin
  • Breathe it in
  • Eat or smoke afterward without washing hands
  • Touch surfaces that are wet with spray (you, pets, or children)

Follow directions closely to reduce risk.

Professionals have special skills and tools to get rid of bed bugs. Cooperate with your pest control company. They will advise you and provide methods for cleaning your home and belongings.

 
C

Insect-Killing Foggers

Not Recommended

Weston Miller, Oregon State University

Insect-Killing Foggers

Not Recommended
  • Foggers and other treatments from stores DON’T WORK to get rid of bed bugs.
  • Using them puts you and your family at risk.
Does it work?
Does not work
  • Research shows that insect-killing fogger products don’t effectively control bed bugs.
  • The insecticide mist kills insects that it contacts directly. Bed bugs hide in crevices and folds of fabrics that the mist can’t penetrate.
How much effort?
High effort
What's the risk?
Very high risk
  • Fogger products pose risks. Some foggers may be flammable. Insecticide residue left on counters, bedding, and fabric is a problem. You must wash these items before you use the area that’s been fogged.
  • See Bug Bombs Dangerous and Not Always Effective  (University of California ANR).
Possible risk of exposure or harm from chemicals
Using insecticides includes some amount of risk. The lowest risk comes with using alternative methods.

You may be exposed to an insecticide if you:

  • Get it on your skin
  • Breathe it in
  • Eat or smoke afterward without washing hands
  • Touch surfaces that are wet with spray (you, pets, or children)

Follow directions closely to reduce risk.
 

If Using Insecticides, Protect Yourself & Minimize Risks

Chemical Method: Use with Caution
Family on bed

fizkes, iStock

Why Is It Important to Read Insecticide Labels?

  • They have detailed information on how to use the product correctly and legally.
  • They contain information on potential hazards of the product.
  • They provide instructions you should follow for poisonings and spills.

Key Safety Tips for Insecticides

  • Read the entire label front to back. Follow the instructions.
  • Review the instructions even for brands you know.
  • Only apply the product where the label says it may be applied.

The Label is the Law

ALWAYS read the label before using insecticide products. The label is a legal document that provides information on how to safely use the insecticide. This helps avoid harm to human health and the environment. Using an insecticide in off-label ways is illegal. It can result in legal enforcement actions.

READ THE LABEL & Follow Instructions
It has instructions to protect you and the environment.

  • Labels are different for every product and they often change over time.
  • Use a magnifying glass.
  • Pay attention to CAUTION, WARNING, and DANGER statements.
  • Pay attention to the PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS.
  • The law states you must read and follow insecticide instructions.

Protect Yourself
Eye, skin & lung irritants

  • Wear gloves, safety glasses, a long-sleeve shirt, pants, socks, and shoes.
  • Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing.
  • Wash hands after mixing or applying, and before eating or smoking.

Protect Children & Pets
Keep out of the reach of children.

  • Keep children and pets away from the application area.
  • Remove toys and pet dishes from the area before applying insecticides. Wait until spray has dried or dust has settled.

Storage & Disposal

  • Store out of the reach of children and pets.
  • Store in a cool and dry place.
  • Never pour down any drain.
  • If you mix too much, apply it rather than storing it.
  • Don’t put pesticide containers in the trash unless instructed by the label.
  • Take unused insecticides to a hazardous waste facility.

Call  1-800-CLEANUP (1-800-253-2687) to find out where to dispose of pesticides.

For the Portland metro region in Oregon, contact Metro’s Recycling Information. Call  503-234-3000, email   or visit Metro’s website  

More about:

About Using Pesticides on School Grounds in Oregon

If using pesticides on school grounds, there are special rules in Oregon. See School Integrated Pest Management  (Oregon Department of Agriculture).

NEED HELP?

The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)  can answer questions about pest control chemicals.
 1-800-858-7378 or npic@ace.orst.edu  

Consider using a licensed pest or weed control company. Learn How to Hire a Pest Control Company.

Your local Extension Specialist in Oregon  and other states  can suggest other methods.

 

Prevent Bed Bugs

Signs of bed bug activity

Matteo Lanciano, iStock

Watch for Signs of Bedbugs

Know how to identify bed bug eggs, discarded skins, fecal marks, and stains.

Traveler packing suitcase on bed

Martin-dm, iStock

Be Aware of Bed Bugs when Traveling

When you return home from a trip, inspect your luggage and clothing. Launder your clothing upon your return.

Pile of used clothing

by sonmez, iStock

Wash Used Clothing

If you acquire used clothing, launder it right away, before you store or wear it. Use the high heat setting in the clothes drier. The heat is enough to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

Bed with bedding removed
Home Maintenance
  • Bed bugs need places to hide close to where people sleep or sit for long periods of time.
  • Change your bedding regularly. Look for signs of bed bug activity when you change bedding.
  • Remove clutter around your sleeping area(s). Don’t give bedbugs a place to hide.
  • Repair cracks and crevices in your structure. Seal around windows and baseboards.
 

Hire a Professional

Hire a professional pest control company to advise and help you solve bed bug problems. They have the expertise and tools to get the job done right and minimize risks to your home and family.

See How to Hire a Pest Control Company for details.

Pest control worker

AndreyPopov, iStock

SEE OTHER COMMON PACIFIC NORTHWEST INSECTS

Content provided by editor Weston Miller and writer J. Jeremiah Mann. Pesticide safety information edited by Kaci Buhl.

 Reviewed by OSU Department of Horticulture.

Photo of Weston Miller

Weston Miller

Project Founder and Content Writer

Weston Miller served as Community and Urban Horticulture faculty for Oregon State University Extension Service for Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. Weston is an author for content for this website. He developed funding partnerships with Portland area agencies to initiate and build out the Solve Pest Problems website focused on this goals:

J. Jeremiah Mann

J. Jeremiah Mann

J. Jeremiah Mann completed a Physical Science undergraduate degree at Humboldt State University, and M.S, Ph.D focusing on plant science topics at UC Davis. He went on to work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service and in a leadership position serving a private agricultural technology company. He currently lives in Sacramento California where he consults on pest and property management topics.

Photo of Kaci Buhl

Kaci Buhl

At the state level, I lead the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP). The program hosts live recertification events around the state, serving over 1,000 licensed pesticide applicators each year. We also produce web-based training modules and license-preparation study manuals. Special training for unlicensed pesticide applicators is also available through a grant from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The PSEP at OSU works closely with the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Pesticides Division.

Bed Bug References

Bed Bugs FAQs  
Centers for Disease Control

Bed Bugs  
University of California IPM

Bed Bugs  
University of Minnesota