Getting rid of Bed Bugs is essential once you have discovered them, however, it’s not always a particularly cheap endeavour. This post takes a look at ‘how much does it cost to get rid of Bed Bugs’ both using DIY methods and when calling in the professionals.
How Do I Know If I Have Bed Bugs?
When it comes to bed bugs, there are a few signs that you can look out for.
Bed Bug bites are red and can be quite large. Bed bugs often prefer to feed from just one host, so you might find only one person out of two or three who sleep in the same room is getting bitten.
Another sure sign of Bed Bugs is red spots on your mattress that look a bit like blood. This is where the Bed Bugs have fed during the night and then been rolled onto and squished. You can also look out for signs of their faeces which look like small black dots.
You might also be able to spot the insects themselves. They are typically a dark red colour after feeding and light brown if they’ve not managed to feed for a few months.
Why Are Bed Bugs So Hard To Get Rid Of?
There are a few things that make bed bugs particularly tricky to get rid of.
First, they have quite a long life cycle. So even if you manage to kill off all live Bed Bugs, chances are you won’t have killed all of the eggs and the cycle of feeding, mating and egg-laying will just continue over and over again.
Bed Bugs can crawl into the tiniest nooks and crannies which makes finding them to get rid of tricky. They also only come out at night and only if they can detect that they are people in the room that they can feed from.
Bed Bugs can go as long as a year without feeding which is another reason they are so difficult to eliminate – even if you move out of the room they were found in, they can still be lurking there several months later.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
‘How much does it cost to get rid of Bed Bugs?’ is one of those how long is a piece of string questions.
It depends on lots of factors like how much you can realistically afford to spend, how bad the bed bug infestation is, where it is and whether you want to spend money on using DIY methods in the knowledge that they may not work and you might need to pay to get exterminators in anyway.
Here are a few of the things you might need to pay for when getting rid of bed bugs:
Prices are approximate at the time of writing
- New Duvet, Pillows and Bedding (£50)
- New Mattress (£120)
- New Bed Frame (£80)
- New Carpets
- Smoke Bombs (£15)
- Bed Bug Spray (£5)
- Bed Bug Mattress Cover (£15)
- Diatomaceous Earth (£7)
- Bed Bug Traps (£10)
- Bed Bug Tape
- Bed Bug Castors (£17)
- Professional Extermination Consultation (£80)
- 2 x Professional Treatments (£400)
As you can see there is a wide range of things you can try to get rid of Bed Bugs all with varied costs.
If you do decide to attempt to get rid of the bed bugs yourself, you may need to use several of the methods mentioned to completely get rid of them over the course of several months.
Related Post: Home Emergencies That Require Professional Help
Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs – DIY Methods
Heat Wash Or Replace All Bedding, Duvets and Pillows
The first thing to do when you discover you have Bed Bugs is to either get rid of all of your bedding and start afresh or wash and then tumble dry everything on the highest possible setting.
Do not put any of the bedding back (new or washed) until the Bed Bugs have been eliminated.
Cost: Duvet, Pillows and Bedding Approx depending on size £50
Replace Or Cover Your Mattress
The next step is to consider replacing your mattress as there could be Bed Bugs and their eggs living in it.
If you can’t afford to replace a Bed Bug proof mattress cover could be a solution. These cover the mattress completely so that any Bed Bugs inside cannot get out and feed and eventually die. No existing Bed Bugs can get to the mattress either so it’s a win-win.
Cost:
New Mattress From £120 (depending on size and quality)
Bed Bug Spray
Bed Bug spray is useful for eliminating any Bed Bugs that can be seen with the naked eye but this is unlikely to help you exterminate them completely.
Cost: Bed Bug Spray £5
Bed Bug Smoke Bombs
Bed Bug Smoke Bombs work by releasing chemicals into the air that kill bugs. While this might seem like a good idea, it tends only to have limited success as bed bugs like to hide in the tiniest of spaces and often only come out at night when there are people sleeping.
Cost: Bed Bug Smoke Bombs £15 for 4
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth can stop Bed Bugs from getting to your bed as they don’t like to crawl over the fine powder. In fact, it can actually damage their shells and cause them to die if they do.
If you’re worried about having eliminated all Bed Bugs from space this can be a great solution for adding along walls and carpet and preventing Bed Bugs from reaching their human targets.
Cost: Diatomaceous Earth £7
New Bed Frame
As well as replacing your bedding and mattress you may also want to consider purchasing a new bed frame as this is one of the most common places Bed Bugs like to hide and eliminating all Bed Bugs from the frame can be especially tricky.
Experts suggest opting for a metal bed frame instead of wood if you are concerned about Bed Bugs. Metal bed legs are harder for bed bugs to climb and metal is more difficult for them to burrow into.
Although this won’t eliminate them completely, it is a good step in the right direction.
Cost: New Bed Frame from £80
Bed Bug Castors
If you have decided to buy a new Bed Frame but are worried you’ve not managed to eliminate Bed Bugs from all areas such as carpets and walls, Bed Bug Castors might be a good idea.
You can place one under each leg of your bed and they stop Bed Bugs from being able to crawl up the bed legs and their human host to feed.
For extra protection, you could add Diatomaceous Earth or vaseline to help trap the Bed Bugs in the castors.
Cost: Bed Bug Castors x 4 £17
You could also try bed bug traps but in my experience, these are too small to really make any difference.
For a DIY option try wrapping double-sided tape around your bed legs although this will only work if the Bed Bugs are living in the carpet and not the bed itself.
New Carpets
While deep cleaning your carpets could help to avoid the need for new ones, you might still feel they need replacing anyway to ensure that no Bed Bugs remain.
Carpets can vary hugely in cost depending on the size of the room, quality, underlay and fitting costs so this was one area I didn’t even think I could give a rough estimate on the cost.
Will Steam Kill Bed Bugs?
Yes, steam will kill bed bugs.
This is good news if you already own a steamer and want to try some DIY extermination. However, it can be tricky to get all bed bugs this way as they do like to hide deep within carpets and crevices.
Getting Rid Of Bed Bugs: Calling In The Professionals
Hiring professionals to help you to get rid of Bed Bugs can easily run into hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, depending on how bad the infestation is and how many treatments it takes to get rid of them.
Getting expert help with a bed bug problem is probably the best way to go if you can afford it, as you could try all of the DIY methods mentioned and still find you’ve not got rid of all the bed bugs and their eggs.
How Do Exterminators Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?
Typically exterminators get rid of bed bugs by using a heat treatment method. This involves sealing off the affected room (or the entire house if needed) and using specialist equipment to significantly raise the temperature.
The bed bugs, bed bug eggs and larvae die straight away if the temperature of the room or the house is raised to over 50°C.
Professional exterminators may also use chemical treatments but as these are less successful, so several may be needed before all bed bugs are killed.
Professional Extermination Consultation From £80
Before you even think about getting a professional bed bug treatment, you’ll need a consultation to ensure that bed bugs are actually the problem and to discuss the most suitable method for getting rid of them
This type of consultation starts from around £80 but could be more depending on where you live and how long the consultation takes.
Professional Treatments Starting From £200 Each
As explained above, typically this type of treatment involves heat as bed bugs dislike hot temperatures and the heat will also dry out any eggs.
It may also include chemical extermination as a combination of both heat and chemicals can be effective.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Rid Of Bedbugs – Final Thoughts
While trying DIY methods to get rid of bed bugs is usually cheaper, it’s not always successful and you may need to try several different methods before you see any results.
With professional exterminators, you might be paying more but you know the problem will be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
Either way, getting rid of bed bugs can be a very costly endeavour!
