How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?

Anyone who has bed bugs in their home wants them gone as quickly as possible. A few simple measures can help. However, bed bugs are persistent – ​​often professional help is necessary. The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) therefore recommends seeking assistance from a pest control company.

To get rid of bed bugs , they must be eliminated along with their eggs. Young bugs hatch from the eggs within a few days, grow rapidly, and can spread further. The eggs, and initially the young bugs, are barely visible to the naked eye – this can make control difficult. Adult bugs can grow up to 0.5 cm long, and up to 1 cm when engorged, at which point they are easily visible.

Bed bugs and their eggs cannot tolerate heat or cold. To kill them, sustained temperatures above 55°C or below -18°C are required. Therefore, simply cleaning infested items is insufficient.

To ensure that eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs are eliminated, the cleaning materials must then be treated with heat or cold. Bed bugs crawling around can also be squashed with a foot or, for example, a fly swatter and disposed of.

What can I do myself to get rid of bed bugs?

Several measures can help against bed bugs and their eggs:

• Clean hiding places: If a bed bug hiding place is found, it can be cleaned. The insects and any loosely attached eggs can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Residue clinging to the surface can be scraped off with a spatula or a thin plastic card and then vacuumed up. Bed bug eggs can also be removed with strong adhesive tape.
• Vacuuming: Bed bugs can be removed with a vacuum cleaner. It’s best to vacuum the entire apartment thoroughly. The vacuum cleaner should have a dust bag. Bagless vacuum cleaners are only suitable if the dust container fits in the freezer. Eggs that aren’t firmly stuck to the surface can also be removed with the vacuum hose, especially if you lightly scrape the surface beforehand.
• Cleaning: Cleaning infested surfaces can remove any eggs and tiny young animals that may have remained after vacuuming.
• Washing: Bed linen and affected clothing are best washed at a minimum of 60°C. If possible, tumble dry on high heat.
• Freezing: Smaller items, books, and delicate laundry can be frozen. To do this, pack them in garbage bags and seal them tightly, for example with tape. At typical freezer temperatures of -18°C, it takes about 3 to 4 days to kill bed bugs and their eggs.
• Heat in the oven: Heat-resistant items can be heated in a sealed pot or roasting pan in the oven for at least one hour at a minimum temperature of 55°C.
• Steam cleaning : If a steam cleaner is available, larger items such as mattresses or suitcases can be treated with hot steam (preferably dry steam, a low steam flow, and a wide, bristle-free nozzle). Steam cleaning is suitable for items that can withstand heat and moisture.

After cleaning, it’s a good idea to put all cleaning supplies, such as used cloths, spatulas, or tape, into a garbage bag, seal it tightly with tape, and freeze it to kill any eggs.

This also applies to the vacuum cleaner bag: the normal seal isn’t sufficient to keep bed bugs out. After 3 to 4 days in the freezer, the garbage bags can be disposed of with regular household waste.

What tasks are best left to the experts?

Chemical insecticides, for example in the form of sprays or foggers, are freely available for purchase – however, since 2025, only after consultation with qualified personnel.

Bed bugs have now become accustomed to many active ingredients and developed resistance. This means that the products cannot reliably eliminate the bugs, and it is becoming more difficult to control them.

Therefore, such products are best left to professionals: they often use a combination of several active ingredients. Furthermore, pest control professionals are trained to prevent health risks from insecticides.

An alternative to insecticides is the large-scale application of heat or hot steam. Professional providers can heat entire rooms using special equipment.

The cost of professional pest control varies considerably. It depends, for example, on the severity of the bed bug infestation and how many rooms need to be cleaned. It can be worthwhile to obtain several quotes.

Regardless of the treatment method used, a follow-up inspection after approximately two to three weeks is advisable: Are there any new signs indicating the presence of bed bugs? If any bed bugs or eggs have survived, it is important to repeat the treatment promptly. This will prevent the infestation from re-expanding.