Why are bed bugs so hard to get rid of yourself?

Bed bugs are small, flat and very good at hiding. They tuck into mattress seams, bed frame joints, the backs of headboards, behind baseboards and inside outlets, and they can go a long time between meals. Eggs are about the size of a pinhead and easy to miss. If even a few bugs or eggs survive, the problem comes back.

What goes wrong with DIY treatments?

  • Foggers and bug bombs scatter bed bugs. The mist settles on open surfaces and rarely reaches the cracks where bed bugs live. Bugs that sense it move deeper into baseboards, seams and even neighboring rooms.
  • Sprays miss eggs and hidden bugs. Many bed bug populations no longer respond well to common insecticides, and sprays only work where they actually land.
  • Moving things around spreads them. Carrying bedding, cushions or furniture to other rooms, or out to the car, can take bed bugs with them.

What DIY steps actually help?

  • Wash bedding and clothes and dry them on high heat, then keep them in sealed bags.
  • Vacuum mattress seams, bed frames and baseboards, and empty the vacuum outside into a sealed bag.
  • Stop moving items between rooms until you have a plan.

These steps reduce numbers, but they don’t reach the bugs and eggs inside furniture, walls and outlets.

What does a professional do differently?

A professional confirms you’re actually dealing with bed bugs (many bites turn out to be something else), then treats the whole space at once. With heat, rooms are brought up to roughly 130–150°F using commercial heaters and air movers, and technicians check temperatures by hand with heat guns every 15 to 20 minutes, aiming at the hardest-to-heat spots. Heat reaches behind baseboards, inside outlets, behind picture frames and deep inside dressers, and it needs no chemicals.

Before treatment day, our expert gives you a personalized list of what to remove, secure or leave in place, so nothing you care about is put at risk. Learn how bed bug heat treatment works.

Is a professional treatment ever a sure thing?

No honest company can promise that. Bed bugs can be carried back in on shoes, bags, outdoor furniture, cars or visitors. We explain those risks up front and help you plan around them. That’s also why we don’t offer guarantees.

See our residential bed bug heat treatment or find your city.

DIY bed bug treatment FAQs

01Do bed bug foggers work?+

Rarely. Foggers coat open surfaces but don’t reach the cracks and seams where bed bugs hide, and they can drive bugs deeper into walls and furniture.

02Can I get rid of bed bugs by washing my sheets?+

Washing and drying bedding on high heat helps, but it doesn’t reach bed bugs and eggs hiding in the mattress, bed frame, furniture or walls.

03Why do professionals use heat for bed bugs?+

Heat reaches bed bugs at every life stage, including eggs, in their hiding places, and it leaves no chemical residue.