Bed bugs are a notorious pest that can be extremely difficult to get rid of. They are sneaky, nocturnal creatures that hide in cracks and crevices during the day, only coming out late at night to feed. This makes it hard to locate them in order to treat an infestation. However, there are some tricks that may lure bed bugs out of hiding and make them easier to detect and eliminate.
Why is it hard to find bed bugs?
Bed bugs are masters of hiding. During the day, they tuck themselves away in tiny cracks and crevices where they can remain undetected. Their flat, oval bodies allow them to squeeze into the tiniest spaces, like behind wall plates, picture frames, switch plates, beneath carpeting near baseboards, inside couches and mattresses, and many other places.
Bed bugs usually only come out late at night when they sense the presence of a sleeping human, their preferred blood meal source. When they emerge, they move extremely quickly, making their way to the bed or upholstered furniture to feed. After getting their fill of blood, which takes just 3-5 minutes, they scurry back into their hiding spots.
This nocturnal behavior and ability to hide in the smallest spaces makes bed bugs notoriously difficult to detect in the initial stages of an infestation. Often, people don’t realize they have bed bugs until the infestation has grown large, encompassing more rooms and hiding spots.
Signs of bed bugs
Though catching the bed bugs themselves is tricky, there are some signs that may indicate their presence:
- Small dark blood spots on sheets and bedding or upholstered furniture. This is from crushed bugs or bug excrement.
- Molted bed bug skins. Bed bugs shed their exoskeletons 5 times as they grow from nymphs to adults.
- A sweet, musty odor. Large infestations emit an unpleasant smell.
- Bites on the skin, often in lines or clusters. Some people do not react to bites.
- Rust-colored stains on mattresses or furniture from bed bug excrement.
If you suspect bed bugs, a thorough inspection is required to locate them and confirm an infestation. This can be difficult, as their hiding places range from the mattress and bed frame to behind wall hangings and under rugs. A professional inspection may be needed.
But are there ways to make bed bugs come out of hiding on their own? Let’s look at some tricks people have tried.
Using carbon dioxide
One of the key ways bed bugs locate hosts to feed on is by sensing carbon dioxide emitted in breath. They are attracted to the CO2 and will emerge from hiding when concentrations of it are high.
Some pest management professionals use portable CO2 releasing devices to help draw bed bugs out. These release a constant stream of carbon dioxide into the air, mimicking a human’s breath. Pairing CO2 with heat and chemical lures may provide an even stronger attraction.
While professional CO2 releasing equipment can be expensive, some people have tried DIY traps using dry ice as a CO2 source. The dry ice sublimates and releases CO2 as it melts. However, these traps capture very few bed bugs, as the CO2 disperses too quickly. CO2 equipment made specifically for bed bug detection is best.
Using heat
Bed bugs are also drawn to sources of warmth, as this can indicate a nearby host. Adults can detect heat signatures from over 4 inches away. Portable heaters have been used to help draw bed bugs out of hiding spaces by warming up the room to temperatures above those preferred by the bugs.
Specialized heating equipment for bed bug detection heat up walls and furniture to temperatures of 122-135°F. This high heat drives bed bugs out of hiding but does not kill them. Once emerged, the bugs can then be caught and eliminated. Using heat alone may have limited effectiveness, but works best when combined with CO2.
Caution must be taken when using any portable heating devices to avoid fire hazards. Professional heat equipment designed for bed bug detection is recommended.
Using pheromones/chemical lures
There are certain pheromones and chemical compounds that can attract bed bugs. Various lures mimicking bed bug aggregation and alarm pheromones are commercially available. Most work by releasing vapors that bed bugs detect with their antennae.
Some options like Climbup interceptor traps contain pheromones along with a physical trapping component. The bugs are drawn in by the pheromone lure but then cannot escape. Other products can be applied around potential bed bug hiding spots to draw them out. These may be effective but often work best coupled with carbon dioxide release.
Homemade lure recipe
A homemade attractant option some people try is making a lure with yeast, sugar, and water. The fermenting yeast releases carbon dioxide along with alcohols and acids that may mimic bed bug aggregation pheromones.
Recipe:
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup warm water
Mix ingredients, allow to sit 1-2 hours until foamy. Soak cotton balls in mixture and place around areas bed bugs may be hiding. Fermenting yeast produces CO2 and other organic compounds. However, homemade lures are generally less effective than commercial products designed specifically to mimic bed bug pheromones.
Using traps
There are many traps designed to catch bed bugs that may lure them out of cracks and crevices through heat, CO2, pheromones, or other attractants. Some types are:
- Interceptor traps – These trap bugs attempting to travel between furniture and floors. They use walls coated with talcum/baby powder or petroleum jelly that bed bugs cannot climb.
- Adhesive traps – Sticky glue traps that can catch bed bugs once they emerge.
- Pitfall traps – Containers with steep smooth sides that cause bugs to fall in and not escape.
- harborage traps – Small cardboard shelters containing attractants that bugs can enter but not exit.
Traps may capture some bed bugs, but often do not catch them all or interrupt the infestation. They work best alongside other control methods to eliminate the population. CO2, pheromone, or heat releasing devices can help maximize trap effectiveness.
Using desiccant dusts
Desiccant dusts like diatomaceous earth (DE) or silica aerogel can also help draw bed bugs out. These very fine dusts are abrasive and absorb the outer waxy coating on the exoskeleton of bed bugs, causing them to dry out and die.
Lightly dusting these desiccants into cracks, crevices, and wall voids where bed bugs are hiding disturbs them and forces them out into the open where other treatments can be applied. Avoid breathing in dusts. Professional products like CimeXa and Drione work better than food-grade DE.
Whole-room heating
Heating up an entire infested room to lethal temperatures will kill bed bugs where they hide and force survivors out into the open. This is often done by professional heat treatment services using powerful fan heaters. They heat rooms to 120-140°F for several hours, killing all life stages of bed bugs through thermal death.
Attempting to do whole room heating yourself with space heaters is not recommended due to fire risks. Improper heating can also cause bed bugs to scatter and spread the infestation. Leave it to qualified professionals.
Cold treatment
While bed bugs prefer warmth, extreme cold can also drive them out of hiding spaces as they attempt to avoid freezing temperatures. Portable air conditioners or exterior freezing devices used by professionals rapidly cool rooms down to temperatures lethal to bed bugs.
One hour at 0°F or below will kill any bed bugs that don’t find warmer harborage. This method requires professional equipment to avoid damaging furnishings with condensation. Like heat, any bed bugs that escape will disperse to other areas.
Can you get bed bugs to come out with sound?
Certain sounds and vibrations have occasionally been reported to stimulate bed bug activity. Some pest professionals have used recordings of mating vibrations made by male bed bugs to supposedly draw female bugs out. However, peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of sound at luring bed bugs is lacking. There is little evidence it works.
Can you force them out with light?
As nocturnal bugs, bright light and illumination does not make bed bugs emerge from hiding. In fact, it causes them to retreat further into crevices to avoid detection. Brightly lighting rooms makes doing proper inspections for bed bugs much easier. Natural sunlight can also help eliminate harborage spots if cracks and crevices can be fully exposed.
Does making rooms messy lure them?
Some think keeping infested rooms cluttered and messy might draw bed bugs out, as it provides more hiding spots. However, this will only help spread the infestation and make it harder to locate and treat them. The best tactic is to de-clutter and simplify rooms as much as possible to eliminate potential harborage sites.
Conclusion
While bed bugs are expert hiders, there are some techniques that can potentially drive them out of their hiding spots and make them easier to detect and treat. Heating, freezing, CO2, pheromones, dusts, traps, and other methods can prompt bed bugs to expose themselves so they can then be eliminated. However, no single technique is a magic solution.
Eradicating an infestation requires diligence, patience, and typically repeated applications of a combination of methods. Eliminating all harborage spots is key. Continued monitoring after treatment is also vital to ensure all bed bugs have been killed. Stopping bed bugs requires an integrated pest management approach targeting the specific infestation.
Summary of Bed Bug Lures
| Method | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Carbon dioxide | CO2 mimics human breath and attracts bed bugs |
| Heat | Warmer temperatures make bed bugs active and draw them out |
| Pheromones/lures | Chemical attractants mimic bed bug pheromones |
| Traps | Interceptors and harborage traps catch bed bugs in sticky or walled containers |
| Desiccant dusts | Fine abrasive dusts irritate bed bugs forcing them to leave hideouts |
| Heating rooms | High temperatures over 120°F force bed bugs to escape lethal heat |
| Freezing rooms | Extreme cold under 0°F drives bed bugs to seek warmth |