Whether you’ve woken up to a suspicious line of small red bites on your skin or you’ve noticed brown spots in your bed, signs of bed bugs are never fun. Immediately, your mind goes to exterminators and bug bombs, but could a simple bed bug trap actually be the solution?
These devices promise big results, but how effective could a sticky trap really be? If you’re dealing with an infestation, then the answer is not at all.
But, if you’re looking for early signs of bed bugs, they might do the trick. And if you've invested in one of our top mattresses of the year, you'll certainly want to catch any pests early to save your bed.
So, we’re looking closer at what these traps are, how they work and whether they’re worth your time. We’ll also be offering our top tips on how to spot bed bugs early, as well as the most effective, tried and tested ways to get rid of bed bugs and improve your sleep hygiene.
What are bed bug traps?
Bed bug traps are small devices that are designed to lure and trap bed bugs. Rather than a solution to get rid of bed bugs, their purpose is to help you spot the pests as early as possible so you can take quick action before a small problem turns into an infestation.
There are different types of bed bug traps. Some are simple pieces of cardboard covered in sticky glue, like the Harris Bed Bug Early Detection Glue Traps (from $5.99 at Amazon).
These can be placed between mattresses and box springs, underneath beds and near headboards. When a bed bug walks over it, it will stick to the glue, becoming trapped.
Another popular design includes a lure for the bed bugs, like the Ortho Home Defense Max Bed Bug Trap (from $13.57 at Amazon). To activate these traps, you can press a button and a scent will be released that attracts bed bugs.
When they walk into it, they become stuck. This is an effective solution that doesn’t rely on the ‘luck’ of a bed bug walking across a trap.
Do bed bug traps really work?
For bed bug detection, these can be a quick and easy way to identify whether you’ve got pests living in your home. Setting up multiple traps and leaving them for up to two weeks at a time will improve their effectiveness.
However, if you opt for a simple glue trap, unless you have plenty dotted around the house, there’s a chance you’re either not placing them in the right spot or the bed bugs are simply not walking over them. Make sure you place the traps in the 9 most common places to find bed bugs.
We’d suggest opting for a trap with an attractant to make it more likely you’ll actually catch them.
Another important thing to remember is that these traps are not designed to catch all of the bed bugs in your house and therefore, do not offer a solution to an infestation. They are made simply for detecting whether bed bugs are present in your home.
Once you’ve confirmed there are bed bugs, you can take steps to get rid of them.
Can you make a DIY bed bug trap at home?
Most bed bug traps are very simple. So, if you want to save yourself a few dollars, then opting to get crafty and make your own can be a good idea.
For a simple trap, follow these steps:
- Take a plastic container and one smaller plastic container that a furniture leg will fit in.
- Cover the outside of the larger container in rough tape to make it easy for the bed bugs to crawl up it.
- Glue the smaller container inside the larger container.
- Place underneath the leg of a bed frame (so the leg sits in the smaller container).
- Sprinkle baby powder in the inside of the larger container so bed bugs cannot crawl back out of it.
- Wait and check regularly for trapped bed bugs.
For full, detailed instructions, check out the video below.
Other ways to spot bed bugs early
If you’ve had no luck with traps so far, there are other early warning signs that bed bugs are living in your home.
Look for reddish stains and black spots
An obvious sign that bed bugs have been crawling between your sheets is small brown, reddish stains.
This is common to see after bed bugs are crushed by you in bed, or from the bugs biting you. These will be very small spots of blood, so you’ll need to look very closely.
Another tell-tale sign is seeing small black spots. This is the excrement from the bed bugs which may have transferred to your duvet, sheets and even pillows.
Smell your bed
Sounds weird, right? But bed bugs are known to give off a certain ‘musty’ odor that’s pretty distinctive.
This smell is often described as sweet, almost berry-like, and it’s because of the pheromones the bugs release.
Not everyone can detect the scent, but a stronger smell means a larger infestation.
Check for bites
And finally, the most obvious sign is bites. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the bites you’re waking up with are from bed bugs or another culprit. But bed bug bites are quite distinctive.
Look out for small, oval red or purple bites that are usually in a straight line or in clusters of around three to five bites. On white skin they typically look red, and on black and brown skin they may have more of a purple color. They can feel itchy and sometimes even blister.
The most effective way to get rid of bed bugs
If you’ve confirmed there are bed bugs in your home, don’t panic. While infestations can be widespread, you can completely get rid of bed bugs. Here are some of the most effective ways:
Vacuum and wash
If you think you’ve caught your bed bugs relatively early, cleaning your room, vacuuming and washing might be enough to prevent a full infestation.
Follow these steps:
- Declutter your room: Clean and tidy your bedroom, taking out any rubbish in sealed plastic bags. Be careful not to move items to other places in your home without them being properly sealed, otherwise you may spread the bugs throughout your house.
- Vacuum: Using a powerful vacuum with an upholstery setting or a specific mattress vacuum, vacuum the full surface of your mattress and bed, including the headboard and pillows, vacuuming any bed bugs you can see. Also vacuum any rugs or carpets in your room.
- Wash your bedding and clothes: Anything fabric-based that can be washed should be washed. All sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases and clothes should be put in a washing machine on the hottest cycle. This will help kill any eggs and remaining bed bugs.
Heat / freeze treat
Heating and freezing can kill bed bugs and bed bug eggs. Steam cleaning can kill bed bugs in your mattress, but it’s not a suitable solution if you’ve invested in one of this year's top memory foam mattresses.
The moisture can get trapped in the materials leading to mattress mould.
Alternatively, you can freeze your bed sheets and pillows (depending on the size of your freezer) to effectively kill bed bugs.
Chemical solution
If you want to know for certain that you’ve killed all the bed bugs in your house, then the chemical approach might be your best bet.
You can opt for using pesticides yourself, in the forms of sprays, bug bombs or fogs. You can also try this pet-friendly pest killer that has proved popular for getting rid of bed bugs among the Reddit community.
Alternatively, you can book a professional pest or bed bug exterminator. They’ll be able to assess how bad your infestation is and deal with it appropriately.
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