How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Believe us when we say bed bugs are much more than a mere nuisance. They can bite your loved ones, cause you to lose sleep, and make it difficult to enjoy your property.

Working with a professional pest control expert is the best way to deal with bed bugs. However, you might be able to do a few things in the early stages of an infestation without needing to call an exterminator.

Strip Your Bed

Bed bugs — hence their name! — are most attracted to beds, which provide the perfect hiding place. Think you have a bed bug problem? The first thing to do is to remove all your bedding and wash it in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then, place your bedding in a dryer at the highest heat setting for another 30 minutes.

It’s also a good idea to vacuum any bed bug eggs from your mattress and around your bed. You can also spray your bed frame with a pesticide.

Isolate Your Bed

The next step is isolating your bed. That means creating a barrier that prevents bed bugs from coming into contact with you while you sleep. This process involves:

  • Moving your bed at least 6 inches from the wall
  • Encasing your mattress and box spring
  • Placing sticky pads under the legs of your bed
  • Ensuring your bed linen doesn’t touch the floor
  • Keeping your bed linen clean

Use the Right Chemicals

Various sprays, pesticides, and other chemical products on the market might help you overcome your bed bug problem. These include:

  • Contact insecticides
  • Insecticide dusts
  • Insecticide strips
  • Insect baits
  • Pyrethroid products

It’s important to follow instructions when using any bed bug product you purchase from the store. Some chemicals might cause an allergic reaction or pose a safety risk if used indoors.

Declutter Your Home

Bed bugs can hide in cluttered spaces and start to multiply. So, remove any books, toys, or other items on your floor, and make sure nothing is under your bed.

You’ll also want to clean clothing, curtains, drapes, and other items where bed bugs might hide. That might take a while, but it could improve your chances of getting rid of these insects from your property.

Call in the Professionals

While the above methods can help with a bed bug problem, sometimes it’s better to enlist a pest control expert. These professionals know where bed bugs are most likely to hide in your property. They also have access to industry-leading chemical products that kill these insects and stop them from returning.

Remove Pests From Your Property

With 60 years of combined experience, Pest Shield is your local expert for bed bug removal. Based in Mount Airy, Maryland, we can inspect your property, identify the cause of bed bugs, and find the right solution for this problem based on your budget.

Our service areas include:

Pest Shield can banish your bed bugs for good! Request a FREE inspection, or call us at 301-829-0060!

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Troy replied quickly - easy to deal with and removed a significant hornet nest safely. Highly recommended.
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30 August 2026
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Troy was great in treating a yellow jacket nest in our wall. Timely, efficient, and reasonably priced. Would definitely use Pest Shield again.
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22 August 2026
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Awesome service. Large aggressive bald faced hornet nest removed. Done professionally and expeditiously.
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17 August 2026
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Troy inspected my home carefully, made a recommendation, gave me a bid and did the work competently. He explained the termite life cycle n how the pesticide treatment worked. He indicated they may swarm again but after 90 days all evidence of live termites should be gone. He explained his warranty n yearly inspection.
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6 May 2026
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Great expertise. Very professional and thorough. I would highly recommend.
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26 April 2026
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Control or Inspect for Termites I was deeply impressed by the expertise and professionalism of Troy and Jeff. They have great knowledge about the biology and behavior of termites as well as years of experience working with residential customers. They knew exactly what needed to be done, were on time, worked hard, and patiently answered any questions I had. Having them do the job gave me great confidence that my pest problem will be promptly resolved.
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25 April 2026
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Troy is the best! As realtors, we work with Pest Inspectors a LOT and have had issues with multiple companies being wrong or missing some sort of infestation. Troy is the ONLY guy we can always trust will do an amazing job. He is quick to respond and usually can get the job done very quickly! We really appreciate you!
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8 December 2025
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Look no further. They offer free initial inspections. Robert from Pest Shield came out and quickly developed a plan to solve our yellow jacket problem. His advice provided quick and complete eradication of the yellow jackets and a plan for any future concern. Pest Shield offered the honest and pressure free service we appreciate. Pest Shield is now our “go to” for any future pest control issue.
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22 September 2025
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Fast and reliable and professional service. Price was very reasonable. I would definitely recommend!
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14 September 2025
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Great service, called them about an issue I was having with yellow jackets flying in and out of the siding of my house, Troy came out the very next day and assessed the situation and got the problem fixed, he even checked in a couple days later to make sure the yellow jackets were not coming back. I would highly recommend them for the super quick service they provided and the fact that they check up on their work. Thanks again
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