How to Prevent Bed Bugs: 15 Tips for Home, Apartments and Travel

By Jeffrey Grill, Editor | Last reviewed and fact-checked: October 30, 2026

Quick answer: Bed bugs don't come from dirt. They hitchhike in on luggage, used furniture, clothing and bags. To prevent them, leave curbside furniture alone, put travel clothes and used fabrics through a hot dryer for 30 minutes, keep bags out of the bedroom, encase your mattress and box spring, and set interceptor cups under the bed legs so you catch any bugs early.^1,2,3,4

Key Takeaways

They're hitchhikers, not a sign of a dirty home. Anyone can pick them up in a hotel, a used couch or a friend's apartment.^5,2
Your dryer is your most reliable prevention tool. Washing alone often won't kill them, but 30 minutes on high heat kills all stages.^6,7
They crawl; they don't jump or fly. They usually stay within about 8 feet of where people sleep but can travel more than 100 feet in a night.^2,3
Apartments share them. In one Purdue study, about half the apartments next to an infested unit also had bed bugs.⁸
Covers and cups help you catch them early. They won't make your bed bug-proof, but they find bugs while they're few.^3,9
Spraying to "prevent" bed bugs doesn't work. Save insecticides for a professional treating a real infestation.^3,10,5

Nobody can make a home completely bed bug-proof. But a few habits make it much less likely you'll bring them home, and much more likely you'll catch them early if you do. This guide covers your home, apartment buildings, travel, work and school, and what doesn't work.

In this guide

How do bed bugs get into homes?
15 ways to keep bed bugs out of your home
How to avoid bringing bed bugs home
How to protect your bed
How to prevent bed bugs in an apartment
What doesn't prevent bed bugs
What to do if you think you were exposed
For landlords and building managers
FAQ

How Do Bed Bugs Get Into Homes?

Bed bugs hide in the seams and folds of luggage, bags, folded clothes, bedding and furniture, and people carry them home without knowing it.² Used beds and mattresses carry the highest risk.¹¹ A few facts shape how you prevent them:

Clean homes get them too. Cleanliness doesn't decide whether bed bugs show up, though clutter gives them more places to hide.^5,3
They don't live on people. They feed and leave, so they don't travel on your body the way lice do. They ride in your belongings.⁴
Pets aren't a likely route in. Bed bugs may bite pets, but pets are an unlikely way to bring them home.¹²
They're not only active at night. They mostly feed at night, but hungry bugs come out in daylight, especially if you sleep during the day.^13,3
They move between apartments through cracks, pipe and wiring openings, and by walking down hallways and under doors.^3,8

Hotels get the attention, but homes are where pest professionals find bed bugs most often. In NPMA's 2018 survey, pros reported finding them in:

Place	Pest pros who found bed bugs there (2018)
Single-family homes	91%
Apartments and condos	89%
Hotels and motels	68%
Nursing homes	59%
Schools and day care	47%
Offices	46%
College dorms	45%
Hospitals	36%
Public transportation	19%

The survey asks where professionals found bed bugs that year, not how likely you are to pick them up there. Source:¹⁴

For more on where infestations start, see bed bug infestations and where bed bugs hide.

15 Ways to Keep Bed Bugs Out of Your Home

Tip	Why it works	How strong is the evidence?
1. Don't take curbside mattresses, sofas or beds	These are the highest-risk items, and bugs hide deep inside them	Strong: expert consensus
2. Inspect used furniture before it comes inside	You can spot dark spots, shed skins and live bugs before they spread	Strong
3. Heat-dry used clothing and fabrics before you store them	Dryer heat kills all stages, including eggs	Strong: lab data
4. Unpack trips in a garage or bathtub, and put clothes straight into the dryer	Catches hitchhikers before they reach the bedroom	Strong: expert consensus
5. Keep luggage, backpacks and coats out of the bedroom	Bed bugs settle near sleeping people	Moderate
6. Encase the mattress and box spring	Removes hiding spots, traps any bugs inside and makes bugs easier to see	Moderate: lab tests
7. Put interceptor cups under the bed legs	Catches bugs climbing up and gives early warning	Strong for detection: field studies
8. Pull the bed away from walls; keep bedding off the floor	Leaves the legs, and the cups under them, as the only way up	Expert advice
9. Cut clutter, especially around the bed	Fewer hiding spots and easier inspection	Moderate: expert consensus
10. Vacuum often and throw out the bag sealed	Removes stray bugs before they settle	Moderate
11. Seal cracks, baseboards and gaps around outlets and pipes; add a door sweep in apartments	Limits movement through walls and from hallways	Moderate: expert advice, not tested on its own
12. Use light-colored sheets and mattress covers	Bugs and their spots are easier to see	Expert advice
13. Bag laundry for shared machines and fold it at home	Avoids picking up bugs at laundromats and laundry rooms	Expert advice
14. Learn what bed bugs look like and check your bed now and then	Early detection makes control easier and cheaper	Strong: expert consensus
15. Ask before hosting someone from an infested home	Visits and overnight guests spread bed bugs	Moderate

Sources:^{1,5,6,3,10,15,4,16,17,18,11,19,20,21,22,23,9,7,24}

Not sure what to look for? See bed bug identification and signs of bed bugs.

How Do You Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home?

Used furniture, clothing, moving and storage

Leave street furniture on the street. Infested curbside items can carry bugs into drawers, tables and even electronics.^4,25
Inspect anything used before it comes in, especially beds, mattresses and upholstered pieces. Look for dark spots, shed skins and live bugs in seams and joints.^1,3,15
Dry used clothes and fabrics on high before you put them away.³
Moving? Ask movers and storage companies how often they check for bed bugs, inspect rental trucks, store items in sealed plastic and check items as they come out of storage.²⁶

Visiting someone who has bed bugs

Daytime visits are low risk because bed bugs hide during the day.³ To keep it that way:

Sit on a hard chair, not a bed or sofa, and keep coats and bags off beds, sofas and floors.^3,27
Carry only what you need and leave the rest in the car.²⁷
At home, change before going inside if you can, seal your clothes in a plastic bag, then wash them and dry them on high. Shoes can go in a hot dryer for 30 minutes.²⁷

Work, school, dorms and camps

Work and school: infestations there are very unlikely, but these places can pass bugs along. Keep your things off the floor and away from coat piles and upholstered lounge furniture.^28,19
Kids' backpacks and coats: keep them out of bedrooms and put them in the dryer on high for 30 minutes once a week. If the school reports bed bugs, keep school items in a sealed plastic bin away from beds.²⁹
Dorms: check the mattress seams and room before you unpack, report anything to housing staff, and be careful with secondhand dorm furniture.³⁰
Summer camp: ask the camp about past problems, keep suitcases in plastic bags during the stay, and wash and dry everything on high when your child gets home.³¹

Travel

Check the mattress, headboard and luggage rack with a flashlight before you unpack.^6,32
Keep your suitcase zipped and on the rack, away from the bed and wall, and leave clothes out of drawers.¹⁸
If you find bugs, ask for a room in a different part of the hotel.^3,18
At home, unpack in the garage or bathtub, put clothes straight into the dryer, and store luggage away from bedrooms.^6,18

Sealing clothes in large zip-top storage bags (we earn a small commission) on the trip makes the last step easier. For a full checklist, see our bed bug travel tips.

Things you can't put in the dryer

Freeze them in a sealed bag at 0°F for at least 4 days, and check your freezer with a thermometer, because home freezers can run warmer.^33,10 A portable heat chamber can work for suitcases and shoes, but pack items loosely: in a Rutgers test, loosely packed suitcases got hot enough to kill every stage, while tightly packed ones heated more slowly and never reached the target temperature.³⁴ One option is a portable heat chamber (we earn a small commission); follow the maker's directions.¹

How Do You Protect Your Bed From Bed Bugs?

Mattress and box spring encasements

Encasements zip around the mattress and box spring. They remove hiding spots, trap any bugs already inside until they die, and make bugs easy to spot on a smooth, light surface.^1,3,24 They keep a clean mattress clean.⁴

They don't stop bugs from crawling onto the bed to bite.³ In a Rutgers lab test, encasements pushed bugs onto the bed frame and floor instead, so check those too.³⁵

Cover the box spring as well as the mattress.³
Choose one made for bed bugs, with bite-proof fabric and a fine zipper that closes fully at the end.^36,24
Don't trust a "bed bug proof" label alone; some covers sold that way aren't well designed.²⁴
Check covers for holes every few months, and skip covers pre-treated with insecticide.²⁴

One option is these mattress and box spring encasements (we earn a small commission).

Interceptor cups

Interceptors are dual-well cups that go under the bed legs. Bugs climbing up fall into the outer well; bugs climbing down from the bed fall into the inner one.^4,23 They're one of the best early-warning tools:

In 8 infested Purdue apartments, interceptors caught about 6 times more bugs than visual inspection found.²³
In a Rutgers study, cups left out for 1 to 2 weeks found 93% of infestations.³⁷
They only guard the bed if it doesn't touch the wall or other furniture and the bedding doesn't reach the floor.^3,16
Think of them as monitors, not a treatment.²⁰

One option is ClimbUp interceptors (we earn a small commission). See our guide to bed bug traps.

Bed placement and bedding

Make the bed an "island": pull it away from walls and furniture, keep blankets and bed skirts off the floor, and put interceptors under each leg.^3,16 Wash or hot-dry bedding at least weekly, and light-colored sheets make bugs easier to spot.^10,17

How Do You Prevent Bed Bugs in an Apartment?

In apartment buildings, your neighbors' bugs can become yours. In a Purdue study of a 15-story building, 53% of the apartments next to an infested unit were also infested, and bugs were caught walking out entry doors into the hallway.^8,22

Seal the routes in. Caulk baseboards, seal gaps around outlets and pipes, and fix cracks. A door sweep helps keep bugs from coming in under your door.^1,20
Report signs right away. Many people don't know they have them. In a Rutgers study, people in 80 of 103 apartments with a few bed bugs didn't know it.⁹
Ask for nearby units to be checked. Experts advise inspecting the apartments on both sides, above, below and across the hall from any infested unit.^3,36
Don't spray on your own. Do-it-yourself pesticides in a building can scatter bugs; contact management instead.²⁰
Use shared laundry carefully. Carry clothes in a bag, use a fresh bag for the trip home, and fold at home.^1,21

Some pest experts suggest a pro apply a very light layer of silica gel dust, such as CimeXa, along baseboards and under doors in buildings with ongoing problems. In lab tests it killed bed bugs much faster than diatomaceous earth, but it hasn't been tested as prevention.^38,39 Kentucky entomologists call diatomaceous earth messy and seldom helpful.³

What Doesn't Prevent Bed Bugs?

Preventive sprays: experts don't recommend spraying a home to prevent bed bugs, and Kentucky entomologists call routine spraying of schools unnecessary and ineffective. Most bed bugs resist pyrethroids, the most common type of insecticide, and sprays alone won't get rid of them.^3,20,10,5 See bed bug sprays.
Bug bombs (foggers): they don't reach bugs hiding in cracks and can be a fire risk.^40,10
Bug repellents on your skin: mosquito and tick repellents aren't very effective against bed bugs.³
Ultrasonic devices, dryer sheets, plant oils, mothballs and rubbing alcohol: tests show they don't work, or there's no evidence they do. Rubbing alcohol is also a fire risk.¹⁰
Spraying luggage or your car: experts don't recommend it. Heat-treat suspect bags instead and store luggage away from bedrooms.^6,3
A hot car: it can work in summer only if a thermometer inside the bagged items reads at least 120°F, and parts of a car stay much cooler than the dashboard.^3,41
Washing in warm water: a 104°F wash killed adults but only about a quarter of the eggs. Only a very hot 140°F wash killed every stage, so a hot dryer is the easier, surer step.^42,7
Sleeping somewhere else: bed bugs follow you, which can spread them.¹⁰

For what does work once you have bed bugs, see natural remedies rated by the evidence.

What Should You Do If You Think You Were Exposed?

Bag it before it comes inside. Unpack in a garage or bathtub.^18,43
Dry clothes, shoes and bags on high for 30 minutes. Freeze what you can't heat.^27,29,33
Watch for signs for a few weeks, and put interceptors under the bed.^10,9
Save any bug you find on tape or in a sealed bag so it can be identified. One bug isn't necessarily an infestation.^29,28
Don't spray or bomb, and if you rent, tell your landlord promptly.^40,20

Found bed bugs? See how to get rid of bed bugs and how to choose an exterminator. For free quotes from local bed bug exterminators, call 1-877-673-2704 (we may be paid when you call), or ask an exterminator online (we may be paid when you use this link).

How Can Landlords and Building Managers Prevent Bed Bugs?

Have a written bed bug policy, one person in charge, and records of complaints, inspections and treatments.²⁰
Schedule professional inspections quarterly or twice a year instead of waiting for complaints.³
When one unit has bed bugs, inspect the units on all sides, above and below, and treat affected units at the same time.^3,8
Teach tenants how to spot bed bugs, and help those who can't move furniture or clear clutter.²⁵
Inspect and clean vacant units before anyone moves in, and give tenants notice before any pesticide use.²⁵

We found no state law that requires landlords to certify that an apartment is free of bed bugs. A few require disclosure or bar renting infested units:^44,45

Where	Examples of what the law requires
Maine	Inspect within 5 days of a tenant's report; don't rent a unit known or suspected to have bed bugs; tell new tenants if a unit next door has bed bugs
California	Don't show or rent a unit known to be infested; give tenants written bed bug information
New York State	Landlords who know of an infestation must notify tenants in the units above, below and next door in writing within 72 hours
New York City	Give new tenants the building's bed bug history and file a report every year
Arizona	Give tenants educational material; don't knowingly rent an infested unit

Laws change; check your state's current rules. Sources:^{46,47,48,49,50,51,52,45}

For more, see bed bug laws.

What the Research Shows

Neighbors matter. In a Purdue study of a 223-unit high-rise, 45% of units became infested within about 3.5 years, and 53% of the units next to an infested one were infested too.^8,53
Cups beat eyes. Interceptors caught about 6 times more bugs than visual inspection in infested apartments.²³
Don't trust one empty cup. In a Rutgers study, four straight two-week checks with no bugs gave at least 97% confidence they were gone.⁹
Dogs do worse in real homes. Detection dogs found 98% of planted bugs in tests, but only 44% of infestations in real apartments.³⁷
The dryer is the key step. A 104°F wash left most eggs alive; 30 minutes on hot in the dryer killed every stage.^42,7
Freezing takes days. All stages died after at least 3.5 days at 0°F.³³

Bed Bug Prevention: Frequently Asked Questions

Can you prevent bed bugs completely?

No. Anyone can pick them up. But careful habits cut the risk and help you catch them early, when they're easier to get rid of.^2,3

Do mattress encasements prevent bed bugs?

Not by themselves. They keep bugs out of the mattress and box spring and trap any inside, but bugs can still climb onto the bed.^3,24

Do interceptors keep bed bugs off the bed?

They help, if the bed doesn't touch the wall and the bedding doesn't touch the floor. Their main job is catching bugs early.^15,3,23

How long in the dryer kills bed bugs?

About 30 minutes on high for a full load. Small loads of dry items can take less.^3,4,7

Can bed bugs come through apartment walls?

Yes. They move through cracks, outlets and pipe openings, and also walk down hallways and under doors.^3,8

Do bed bug sprays prevent infestations?

No. Experts don't recommend spraying to prevent bed bugs, and most bed bugs resist the most common insecticides.^3,10,5

Can pets bring bed bugs home?

It's unlikely. Bed bugs don't live on pets the way fleas do.¹²

Do bed bugs jump?

No. Bed bugs can't jump or fly. They crawl.^3,54

Do landlords have to tell you about bed bugs?

It depends where you live. Some places, including Maine, California, New York State and New York City, require disclosure.^46,48,49,51

Is it safe to buy used furniture?

Yes, with care. Inspect it closely before it comes inside, and never take mattresses or upholstered furniture from the curb.^3,4

Free Bed Bug Prevention Guides

This page earns commissions from some product links (we may be paid when you buy), which doesn't change our ratings.

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