⚠️ Do not move mattresses, furniture, or bedding to other rooms. This is the most common mistake — it spreads bed bugs to previously unaffected areas and makes treatment significantly harder.

Step 1: Confirm It's Bed Bugs

Before doing anything else, confirm you actually have bed bugs. Look for: rust-colored stains on bedding from crushed bugs or bleeding bite sites, dark brown or black dots on mattress seams (droppings), translucent shed skins in mattress seams, and live bugs — flat, reddish-brown, apple-seed sized — in mattress seams, headboard joints, and behind outlet covers near the bed.

Bite marks alone do not confirm bed bugs — not everyone reacts to bites, and many insects bite at night. Look for physical evidence before reacting.

Step 2: What NOT to Do in the First 24 Hours

  • Do not move furniture or mattresses to other rooms. This spreads bed bugs to new areas before treatment, significantly increasing the scope and cost.
  • Do not throw away your mattress. In most cases this is unnecessary, does not solve the problem (bed bugs live in the walls and baseboards), and creates a disposal problem. Wait for professional assessment.
  • Do not spray retail bed bug sprays. These products scatter bed bugs to untreated areas without eliminating the infestation. They also do not affect eggs. Wait for professional treatment.
  • Do not fog or bomb the home. Foggers are almost completely ineffective against bed bugs and cause them to scatter to new hiding areas.

Step 3: Contain the Infestation

Keep sleeping in the same location — this sounds counterintuitive, but moving to another room causes bed bugs to follow the food source and spreads the infestation. Install a mattress encasement if you have one available. Reduce bedroom clutter to give bed bugs fewer hiding places.

Step 4: Call a Professional

Call (855) 424-9709 to be connected with a local bed bug specialist. Professional assessment confirms the extent of the infestation and recommends the right treatment — heat treatment, chemical, or a combination — based on your home size, severity, and situation.

✓ Heat treatment (raising home temperature above 120°F) eliminates all life stages including eggs in a single treatment. Chemical treatment requires 2-3 visits over 4-6 weeks. Your specialist recommends the right approach for your situation.

Step 5: Prepare for Treatment

Once treatment is scheduled, your specialist provides a preparation checklist. Generally: wash and bag all bedding and clothing in sealed bags, reduce bedroom clutter, pull furniture away from walls, remove pets and heat-sensitive items for heat treatment. Do not pre-treat the mattress yourself — this can scatter bugs before professional treatment arrives.