Guides
All guides
Every guide on the site, in one place. If you’re not sure where to begin, start with the step you’re at right now.
Start here
- Signs of bed bugs: how to check your bed and be sureWhat bed bugs look like, the signs they leave on sheets and mattress seams, where they hide, and a simple step-by-step check of your bed.
- Found bed bugs? Your first steps, in orderJust found bed bugs? What to do first, step by step: confirm it, tell your landlord in writing, call a licensed professional, and contain your laundry.
- Getting ready for bed bug treatmentTreatment is booked. Follow your pest control company’s prep list first, then use these general tips for bedding, clothes, clutter, family and pets.
- After bed bug treatment: keeping watch and getting back to normalYour home has been treated for bed bugs. How to keep watch, unpack clean things, keep follow-up visits, and know when to call the professional back.
- Keeping bed bugs outTravel, furniture and laundry habits that help.
By situation
- Renting an apartment with bed bugs: what to do and what to askRenting and found bed bugs? What to ask before you move in, how to tell your building in writing, and how to work with treatment in an apartment.
- Bed bugs and hotels: a two-minute room check and how to bring your suitcase homeBed bugs in hotels: how to check reviews, a two-minute room check when you arrive, where to keep your luggage, and what to do with your suitcase at home.
- Bed bugs and stuffed animals: what to do with your child’s toysCan bed bugs live in stuffed animals? How to sort, wash and bag your child’s toys, what to do with big ones, and how to keep your kids calm.
- How to get bed bugs out of clothes, including delicatesSort clothes into wash, dry-clean and donate piles, bag them right away, handle delicates, shoes and purses, and keep clean clothes sealed until treatment.
- Second-hand furniture and bed bugs: what to check before it comes through your doorHow to check used and curbside furniture for bed bugs before it comes inside, what to skip, and simple habits for a new mattress and bed.
- Laundry day: how laundry helps you spot bed bugs and keep them containedBed bug laundry tips: what to look for on sheets and towels, why to use sealed bags and a smooth bin, and how to use a shared laundromat with care.
More guides
- Bed bugs outside the bedroom: offices, libraries, theatres and planesBed bugs go where people are, including offices, libraries, movie theatres and planes. Why, and the small habits that help you leave them behind.
- Does garlic keep bed bugs away? What we knowThe honest answer, and what to do instead.
- What attracts bed bugs, and what doesn’tWhat attracts bed bugs? People: our warmth, the carbon dioxide we breathe out and used laundry. Where they hide, how they get in, and why dirt isn’t it.
- Why bed bugs spread so easily (and why it’s not your fault)Bed bugs travel in luggage, bags and furniture, hide well and come out at night. Why they spread so easily, and why having them isn’t your fault.
My story
This guide shares my own experience and general tips. I’m not a pest control company. If you think you have bed bugs, a licensed pest control professional can confirm it and treat your home.