Published by BuzzSkito Mosquito & Tick Control
Published October 7, 2026 · Drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources listed below
What are the signs of bed bugs on a mattress?
Bed bugs on a mattress leave five kinds of evidence: the live insects, dark fecal spots, rusty blood smears, shed skins, and eggs or empty eggshells. The EPA's guide to finding bed bugs lists all five. The University of Kentucky's bed bug fact sheet says the things to look for are the bugs themselves, the shed skins of the nymphs and the blackish fecal spots, and Penn State Extension's bed bug management guide explains that the spots are semisolid, sticky droppings passed after a blood meal.
| Sign | What it looks like | Described by |
|---|---|---|
| Live bed bugs | Adults are about 3/16 inch long, reddish-brown, oval and flat; nymphs look similar but are smaller and lighter in color | University of Kentucky |
| Fecal spots | Dark dots about the size of a bullet point that may bleed into the fabric the way a marker would; Penn State calls the marks reddish-black | EPA; Penn State |
| Blood smears | Rusty or reddish stains on the sheets or the mattress, left when a blood-filled bug is crushed | EPA; University of Kentucky |
| Shed skins | Pale yellow to tan empty skins left behind by nymphs as they grow | EPA; University of Kentucky |
| Eggs and eggshells | White, oval and tiny: about 1 mm (roughly 1/25 inch) by the EPA's figure and about 1/16 inch by Penn State's; hard to see without magnification | EPA; Penn State; University of Kentucky |
Descriptions paraphrased from the EPA, University of Kentucky and Penn State Extension pages linked above. The two egg sizes are each source's own figure.
Confirmation takes the bugs or their signs, not bites. Kentucky says so directly, cautioning that not every bite-like reaction is caused by bed bugs, and it reports that studies in infested apartments suggest about 30 percent of people do not react even when bitten repeatedly. The EPA calls bites a poor indicator of an infestation. If you catch an insect, compare it with the size, shape and color of each bed bug life stage, then check it against the beetles, bat bugs and other insects most often mistaken for bed bugs before you treat anything.
Stains and skins take more interpretation than a live bug does. A separate guide shows what bed bug droppings look like beside the marks they get confused with. If what you found looks black instead of brown, see why a bed bug or its spotting can look black. Empty skins raise their own question, whether the infestation is still active, which is the subject of how to read bed bug shells and shed skins.
Where on a mattress and box spring do bed bugs hide?
They hide in the sewn edges and on the underside of the bed. The EPA names the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, plus cracks in the bed frame and headboard. Kentucky adds that box springs offer many hiding places, especially along the upper seams and underneath, where the bottom edge of the box rests on the frame. Bugs are not always on the outside: Penn State includes the inside of mattress coils among the usual hiding places, and Kentucky notes that where the fabric has holes or tears, bugs and eggs may be inside as well as on the outer surface.
The bed holds most of the population. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's do-it-yourself guide says approximately 70% of the bed bugs in a typical infestation are on the mattress, box spring and bed frame. The EPA's rule of thumb is that a crack wide enough to hold a credit card could hide a bed bug, so look closely and work in this order:
- Strip the bed and look over the sheets and pillowcases for rusty smears and dark dots.
- Follow the piping around the top and bottom edges of the mattress, then check each seam and every sewn-on tag.
- Stand the mattress up and inspect the box spring, starting with the upper seams and then the underside where it rests on the frame.
- Look behind the fabric dust cover on the bottom of the box spring; Kentucky notes that it may have to be removed to gain access.
- Finish with the cracks and joints of the bed frame and the headboard.
By the same Texas A&M estimate, roughly three bugs in ten are somewhere other than the bed. Once the mattress is checked, move on to the hiding places beyond the bed, ranked by distance from the sleeper. For biology, bites and prevention, start from the complete bed bug reference.
Do you have to throw out a mattress that has bed bugs?
Usually not. Texas A&M's guide says it is generally unnecessary to throw away beds or bedding: replacing them is expensive, and chances are that any new mattress, box spring or bed brought into the home will quickly become re-infested. It suggests the money might be better spent on hiring a professional. Kentucky's fact sheet agrees that most belongings need not be discarded, and says that for beds the more economical option is often to encase both the mattress and the box spring. The EPA's do-it-yourself guidance is the same in fewer words: do not discard furniture if you can safely eliminate the bed bugs from it.
Discarding is the fallback for a mattress you cannot treat. Kentucky allows that getting rid of an item is advisable at times, and the EPA says to discard furniture responsibly when the bed bugs cannot be safely eliminated, which means destroying it so that nobody else is tempted to take it home. Penn State gives the same instruction: render discarded furniture unusable before it goes to a dumpster or landfill. If you do buy a replacement, Kentucky points out that encasements also help protect a newly purchased bed.
How do you get rid of bed bugs on a mattress?
Kill what is on the bed with heat, remove what you can with a vacuum, seal the mattress and box spring inside encasements, and cut the bed off from the rest of the room. None of these steps uses a pesticide. They also do not finish the job alone. Texas A&M warns that once an infestation has spread to other parts of the home, isolating the bed may not be enough, so treat this routine as the bed's share of the full plan for getting rid of bed bugs.
1. Strip the bed and run the bedding through a hot dryer
Bedding is treated with heat, not spray. Texas A&M's directions are to double-bag the bedding, wash it in hot water and dry it for at least 30 minutes, discarding the inner bag once the bedding is in the washer because it could have bed bugs on it.
Penn State says a dryer alone can kill bed bugs when run at a high temperature for 15 to 30 minutes, that temperatures of 131°F or above are lethal to all stages, and that a cold wash followed by a low-heat dry might not kill them. Kentucky gives a shorter figure, 10 to 20 minutes at medium-to-high heat, and notes that lethal temperatures arrive sooner when items go in dry. The sources do not agree on one number, so the cautious choice is the longest: high heat for at least 30 minutes.
2. Vacuum the seams, folds and edges
Vacuuming removes bugs and debris but does not clear a mattress by itself. Kentucky says the best results come from slowly scraping the end of the suction wand along infested seams, folds and edges. Penn State explains the limit: a vacuum picks up nymphs, shed skins and dead bugs, but eggs are rarely picked up and most adults cannot be reached. It advises reaching the top, bottom and sides of whatever you vacuum and emptying the machine immediately.
What the vacuum collects may still be alive. Bed bugs can survive being sucked up, Kentucky adds, so the contents belong in a sealed trash bag. The EPA says to seal the bag as tightly as possible and put it straight into an outdoor trash container, and Texas A&M says to carry the vacuum outdoors before you take the bag out.
3. Steam the mattress and box spring slowly
Steam kills bed bugs and eggs on contact, provided it is hot enough and you move slowly. The EPA sets the minimum steam temperature at 130°F and warns against a forceful airflow, which can scatter the bugs; a diffuser prevents that. Penn State recommends spending 10 to 15 seconds passing the steam head over each foot of surface. It also advises against small steam heads and brush attachments, because the pressure and the bristles can knock bed bugs off the fabric and onto the floor.
Penn State reports what studies found: steamers killed 100 percent of eggs, nymphs and adults on mattress surfaces, 90 percent under bed sheets and sofa fabric when treated for about 20 seconds, and those in cracks when treated for more than 4 seconds. Kentucky supplies the caveats. Steam has limited ability to penetrate fabric, and it leaves no residual protection against bugs that were missed. A related guide goes further into killing bed bug eggs with heat.
4. Zip the mattress and the box spring into encasements
An encasement traps whatever survived inside and takes away the seams that bed bugs hide in. The EPA's explanation is that with covers that seal, the bed bugs get trapped inside and die. Texas A&M describes a bed-bug-proof encasement as a fabric sack with a zipper tight enough to hold in even the smallest life stages, woven so that bugs cannot bite through it, and smooth on the outside so there are few places to hide. Cover the box spring as well as the mattress. The EPA and Kentucky both specify the pair. Texas A&M's order of work is to keep clean bedding off the bed until the bed has been treated, has dried and the encasements are on.
Plan to leave the covers on for a year. The guides linked on this page do not give a removal date, but a separate EPA tip sheet, its top ten tips for preventing or controlling bed bugs, says to leave encasements on for a year and to buy one strong enough to last the full year without tearing. Kentucky adds a limit: an encasement will not keep bed bugs from crawling onto the bed and biting, which is what the isolation step below is for.
The survival figures explain the year. Kentucky says about 1 to 4 months without feeding is typical in a temperature-controlled building, and that survival can stretch to a year or longer at 55°F or below. Texas A&M says it takes 2 to 5 months to kill bed bugs by isolating them in bags. The EPA's rule for sealed items that cannot be treated is to leave them for up to a year. A cover with a tear or an open zipper no longer seals, so look it over each time you change the sheets.
5. Isolate the bed
Make the legs the only route onto the bed, then put a trap on that route. The EPA says to move furniture a few inches from the walls, make sure no linens touch the floor, and place interceptor traps under the legs to catch bed bugs and keep them from climbing up. Kentucky calls the result a bug-free island and warns against dust ruffles or blankets that form a bridge to the floor. Texas A&M adds that the bed and bedding must not touch other furniture either.
6. Inspect again every 7 days
One pass is not enough, because eggs keep hatching. Kentucky says bed bug eggs hatch in about a week at room temperature. The EPA tells people to look for evidence every few days after the first cleanup and to keep inspecting, interceptor traps included, at least every 7 days in case any eggs remain. Vacuum and steam again wherever you find live bugs. The EPA's overall timeline for bed bug control is weeks to months, depending on the extent of the infestation.
Can you spray a mattress for bed bugs, and with what?
Only with a product whose label lists mattresses, and only on the parts of the mattress that label names. A pesticide label is a legal document that specifies where a product may be used, and Virginia Tech entomologist Dini Miller's fact sheet on bed bug treatment using insecticides points out that it applies to consumers as well as professionals. Labels differ even between similar products. Her example is one aerosol whose label allows spraying directly on an infested mattress and another whose label does not allow application to fabric surfaces. Penn State gives the reason: labels prohibit insecticides on some of the places bed bugs prefer, such as mattresses and couches, because people may come into direct contact with the chemical.
Even where a label permits it, treatment is aimed at seams and folds, not at the surface you lie on. Kentucky describes professional practice: companies often treat the seams, folds and crevices of beds but usually will not spray the sleep surface, and they do not spray bedding or clothing, which is hot washed or heated in a dryer instead. Penn State is blunter about fabric items. Insecticides cannot be applied to sheets, pillows, blankets and clothes.
| Product | On a mattress? | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| EPA-registered spray or aerosol with both bed bugs and mattresses on its label | Yes, as the label directs | Professionals often treat seams, folds and crevices and usually leave the sleep surface unsprayed (University of Kentucky) |
| Bed bug spray whose label excludes mattresses or fabric | No | Some labels prohibit use on mattresses and couches because of direct contact with people (Penn State) |
| Silica gel or other desiccant dust | Only where the label allows | Texas A&M describes brushing dust into the seams and crevices of mattresses, Kentucky says to use tiny, barely visible amounts, Penn State says dry formulations should be limited to cracks and crevices, and the EPA says pool or food grade diatomaceous earth should not be used |
| Total release fogger (bug bomb) | No | The spray will not reach the cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide (EPA); Kentucky says foggers should not be used against bed bugs |
| Rubbing alcohol | No | It can easily ignite with a spark or a cigarette (EPA), and alcohol-based sprays do not kill eggs (Texas A&M) |
| Bleach | No | Named with alcohol and foggers on Kentucky's list of things that should not be used to control bed bugs |
Confirm on the label of the exact product in your hand. Labels differ between products and change over time.
For choosing a product, the EPA's advice is to look for EPA-registered pesticides that have bed bugs listed on the label; for a mattress, the label has to cover that site too. Expect modest results from common consumer sprays. Miller's fact sheet, which carries no publication date, says most consumer products are pyrethroids with very limited efficacy against resistant bed bugs. It also says no insecticide or repellent has been able to stop bed bugs from biting, so spraying the bed for protection does not work. Separate guides explain what rubbing alcohol does and does not do to bed bugs and whether Lysol or another household disinfectant kills them.
When is a mattress infestation too big to handle yourself?
Bring in help when bugs turn up beyond the bed, when you share walls with other households, or when weekly inspections keep finding live bugs after several rounds. Texas A&M says that in an apartment or condominium it is best to alert the property manager, because a coordinated effort using a pest control company is generally needed, and that professional help may be needed once an infestation has spread to other parts of the home. The EPA's do-it-yourself page makes the same allowance: hire a pest management professional if needed. Kentucky notes that confirming an infestation often requires a professional in the first place. For budgeting, see what professional pest control typically costs.
Use any pesticide exactly as its label directs. The label is the law, and what is registered and sold varies by state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do bed bugs live inside a mattress or just on the surface?+
Both are possible, but the places the sources name first are the sewn edges on the outside. The EPA lists the piping, seams and tags of the mattress and box spring, and the University of Kentucky lists seams, folds and crevices. Penn State Extension also includes the inside of mattress coils, and Kentucky notes that where the fabric has holes or tears, bugs and eggs may be inside as well as on the outer surface. A zippered encasement over the mattress and the box spring deals with both possibilities, because it traps any bugs inside and leaves a smooth outer surface where bugs are easier to spot.
What are the small black dots along my mattress seams?+
They may be bed bug droppings. The EPA describes them as dark spots about the size of a bullet point that can bleed into fabric the way a marker would, and Penn State Extension says the droppings are semisolid and sticky and leave reddish-black marks on mattresses and nearby furniture. The University of Kentucky notes that the dark spots are often found along mattress seams or wherever the bugs have rested. Spots alone are not a confirmation. Look in the same seams for live bugs, pale shed skins and tiny white eggs, and have a specimen identified if you find one.
How long can bed bugs survive inside a mattress encasement?+
Months, which is why the cover stays on. The University of Kentucky says nymphs and adults typically last about 1 to 4 months without feeding in a temperature-controlled building, and potentially a year or longer at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says it takes 2 to 5 months to kill bed bugs by isolating them in bags, with shorter survival at warmer temperatures. The EPA's top ten tips for preventing or controlling bed bugs say to leave encasements on for a year, and to buy one strong enough to last the full year without tearing.
Will buying a new mattress solve a bed bug problem?+
No. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says it is generally unnecessary to throw away beds or bedding, and that chances are any new mattress, box spring or bed brought into the home will quickly become re-infested. By its estimate, approximately 70 percent of the bugs in a typical infestation are on the mattress, box spring and bed frame, which leaves the rest elsewhere in the room. If you do buy a new bed, the University of Kentucky notes that encasements help protect newly purchased beds and make any bugs on the outer surface easier to spot.
Does steam kill bed bug eggs on a mattress?+
Yes, where the steam reaches them. Penn State Extension reports studies in which steamers killed 100 percent of eggs, nymphs and adults on mattress surfaces, and 90 percent under bed sheets and sofa fabric when treated for about 20 seconds. The EPA says the steam must be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit and should not have a forceful airflow, which can scatter the bugs. The University of Kentucky adds two limits: steam has limited ability to penetrate fabric and leaves no residual protection, so anything that was missed survives and the bed needs to be inspected again.
Can I use a bug bomb to treat a mattress for bed bugs?+
No. A total release fogger does not treat a mattress. The EPA says the spray will not reach the cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide, that foggers should not be the only method of control, and that improper use can harm your health or cause a fire or explosion. The University of Kentucky lists bug bombs among the things that should not be used against bed bugs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension calls foggers mostly ineffective, and Penn State Extension says aerosols and foggers have shown low efficacy. Heat, a vacuum and an encasement do more for the bed itself.
Sources
- Do-it-yourself Bed Bug Control — US Environmental Protection Agency
- How to Find Bed Bugs — US Environmental Protection Agency
- ENTFACT-636: Bed Bugs — University of Kentucky Department of Entomology
- Biology, Habitat, and Management of Bed Bugs — Penn State Extension
- Bed bugs: Do-it-yourself control options — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Bed Bug Treatment Using Insecticides — Virginia Tech Department of Entomology (hosted by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)
How this guide was made: it was researched and drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed above. A second, independent AI pass then checked each factual claim against those sources. Found an error? Email support@buzzskito.ca.