How do you get rid of bed bugs?

Signs of bed bugs

The main signs of bed bugs are small rust-coloured spots on sheets, shed skins along mattress seams and itchy bites in lines on the skin.

NEA says bed bugs prefer places where they can hide and feed regularly: sleeping areas, under wallpaper, behind picture frames, in electrical outlets, inside spring boxes, mattress pads and night tables. NEA adds that bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases to humans, but their bites can cause discomfort, itching and allergic reactions in some people.

To check your room, strip the bed in good light and run a torch along the mattress seams and piping, the joints of the bed frame and the back of the headboard. Look inside night table drawers and behind picture frames too. Do not unscrew or poke into electrical outlets. If you think bugs are hiding there, tell the pest control company.

What to do on day one

These first steps will not clear an infestation on their own, but they reduce what is in the bed and make an inspection easier.

1. Strip the bed. Bag the sheets, pillowcases and covers in the bedroom, then wash them on the hottest setting the fabric labels allow.
2. Vacuum the seams. Use a crevice tool along the mattress seams, the bed frame, the headboard and nearby furniture such as night tables.
3. Seal and bin the bag. Seal the vacuum bag or the canister contents in a plastic bag, tie it and throw it out straight away.
4. Clear around the bed. Move clutter, boxes and bags away from the bed so there are fewer hiding places.
5. Check the sofa. If anyone naps on the sofa, look along its seams, cushions and frame for the same spots and skins.

Photograph anything you find and note where the bites happen, to show the company you call.

If the spots have stained the mattress, ask a mattress cleaning company whether it can lift them after the pest treatment, and mention the bed bugs when you book.

How bed bugs are treated

NEA says bed bugs are detected by visual inspection of furniture and by surveillance traps. Treatment combines non-chemical and chemical methods, such as vacuuming, hot laundering, steam and heat treatment, eliminating harbourages (the places they hide) and the use of insecticides.

There is also a Singapore Standard for pest management services. NEA's background on SS 721:2025 says it follows Integrated Pest Management (IPM): prevention first, a multi-method approach, risk-based assessment, and pesticides used judiciously only when necessary.

When you compare bed bug treatment in Singapore, turn those points into questions. Ask each company how it will inspect the room, which non-chemical methods it will use, when it would use insecticides and why, and what you need to do to prepare. If a plan relies on spraying alone, ask why other methods are not included.

Some households also book steam cleaning for a sofa or mattress. Ask the cleaner whether the service is meant to treat pests or only to clean, and use it alongside a pest control plan rather than in place of one.

Hiring a pest control company

NEA advises the public to buy vector control services, whatever the provider, from licensed Vector Control Operators, which use licensed or certified technicians and give service reports. NEA's circular on vector control licensing names the vectors as mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches, rats and rat fleas. Bed bugs are not on that list, but asking whether a company is licensed is still a useful check.

Before you agree to a bed bug job, ask for:

• an inspection of the bedroom, the sofa and nearby rooms before treatment starts
• a written plan that names the methods, the rooms and the items covered
• follow-up visits, with the number and timing set out in the plan
• a service report after each visit

Price depends on the job, including the size of your home, how many rooms are affected and how many visits the plan needs. See the guide on how to hire a pest control company for more questions to ask before you choose, and the pest control FAQ for wider answers.

Stopping them coming back

Bed bugs travel in luggage, bags and furniture, so prevention starts with what you bring home.

• In a hotel, check the mattress seams and headboard before you unpack, and keep your bag on a luggage rack rather than the bed.
• When you get home, unpack outside the bedroom, check the seams of your luggage and wash travel clothes hot.
• Inspect second-hand furniture, especially beds, sofas and night tables, before it comes through your door.

If you decide to replace or deep-clean a mattress after treatment, see the mattress cleaning cost guide before you book.

Questions