How to Get rid of bed bugs

It truly is hard to sleep tight when the bed bugs bite, since these insidious creatures are very real, and very nasty. You'll have to be persistent to get rid of them.

Step 1: Know your enemy

Know your bed bugs. They're flat, oval-shaped, wingless, brownish—but will swell and be a bit reddish after feeding—and grow to be about the size of an apple seed.

Step 2: Spot the signs

Spot the signs. One is being bitten, usually in the night and in rows, but some people don't wake up. Look for other clues—rusty spots on sheets or mattresses (from crushed bugs) or dark spots (from their droppings, eggs, and shed skins).

Step 3: Look for bugs

With a flashlight, look for bugs in: the folds of mattresses, box springs, furniture, curtains; cracks in bed frames & headboards; under chairs, couches, beds; in dresser drawers; behind baseboards; under rugs & around carpet edges; crevices near doors & windows; behind loose wallpaper or wall hangings; in cracks in your plaster; & in electronics.

Step 4: Confirm your findings

Verify that you've found bed bugs by getting a pest control expert to visit your home, or sending a dead bug to a university lab, which will let you know if it is in fact a bed bug.

Step 5: Clean up

The less clutter you have on your floor, under your bed, and throughout your home, the fewer hiding places for the bugs.

Step 6: Vacuum daily

Vacuum up dirt, bugs, and eggs. Vacuum your mattress, box spring, and furniture thoroughly every day until you're sure the bugs are gone.

Step 7: Cover your mattress

Purchase a plastic or plastic and cloth encasement for your mattress.

Step 8: Clean clothes

Clean all clothes, linens, blankets, pillows, and drapes.

Step 9: Isolate your bed

Step 10: Hire a pro

Step 11: Seal your home

Step 12: Repeat