Bed Bug Traps: What Works and How to Use Them

Quick answer: Bed bug traps work well for finding bed bugs, not for getting rid of them. Put interceptor cups under every leg of your bed and sofa, pull the bed away from the wall, and check the cups every week or two. Even one bug means you have them. Empty cups don't mean you're clear until they've stayed empty for about two months.^1,2,3,4

A bed bug trap is any device that catches bugs as they crawl to or from a sleeping person. Used the right way, traps tell you whether you have bed bugs, where they're coming from and whether a treatment worked. This guide covers which traps are worth buying, where to put them, how to read the results and how to make your own.

Do Bed Bug Traps Work?

Yes, for finding bed bugs. No, for getting rid of an established infestation.^1,4 Bed bugs crawl toward a sleeping person at night, and traps catch them on the way to or from the bed.¹ In field studies:

• Interceptor cups left out for 1 to 2 weeks found 93% of infestations. Trained dog teams found 44% on average.⁹
• In apartments with only 1 to 9 bugs, interceptors found 70% of infestations in a week, and a dry ice trap found 60% in one night.⁶
• Penn State gives interceptors a detection rate of about 89% on their own and 99% when combined with a visual inspection.¹⁰

Can traps kill off bed bugs? Only very small infestations, and slowly. In a Rutgers study, an average of 22 interceptors per apartment (13 to 35) cleared about half of very light infestations (10 or fewer bugs) in 16 weeks.³ That's too slow if you're being bitten every night. For real treatment, see how to get rid of bed bugs.

What Types of Bed Bug Traps Are There?

Costs are approximate retail prices in 2026. Sources:^{1,5,6,11,9,12,7,13,14,15,16,17}

Most store-bought lures copy chemicals on human skin, though some makers don't say what their lure contains.^16,18 Interceptor cups don't use any lure at all; they rely on bugs heading for the person in bed.¹

What Are the Best Bed Bug Traps to Buy?

1. Interceptor cups (best overall)

Interceptors are the proven, low-cost choice. The outside is rough so bugs can climb up; the smooth inner walls keep them from climbing out. Bugs coming from the floor land in the outer well, and bugs coming down from the bed land in the inner one.^19,20 One option is ClimbUp interceptors (we earn a small commission), which also come in an XL size for large legs.¹⁴

2. Lure monitors (add-ons)

Small pitfall monitors with a lure, such as the Ortho Home Defense Max Bed Bug Trap (we earn a small commission) and Riddy monitors (we earn a small commission), fit beside bed legs, along the headboard and near sofas. The Ortho trap comes in a 2-pack; you press a button to release its lure, and each trap lasts 2 weeks. Ortho says it's for confirming bed bugs, not for getting rid of them.^16,18 Claims about how well these lures work come from the makers, though a lure developed at Rutgers did double interceptor catches in the first week of a study.^11,21 They don't protect the bed, so use them alongside interceptors.²⁰

What to skip

• Sticky traps as your main tool. They catch few bed bugs.^13,17
• NightWatch and the Bed Bug Beacon. A major U.S. pest-supply store no longer stocks NightWatch, and the Bed Bug Beacon has been discontinued by its maker.^22,23 In one study, NightWatch found only 10% of very light infestations in a night.⁶

Where Should You Put Bed Bug Traps?

Sources:^{2,3,10,4,20,12,24}

The bed setup matters. If bedding touches the floor or the bed touches a wall, bugs can skip the cups. In one study, bedding on the floor made interceptors less effective.^6,4 See where bed bugs hide.

How Do You Read Bed Bug Trap Results?

• One bed bug means you have bed bugs. Act on it.¹ Which trap caught it shows roughly where they're hiding.²⁵
• Zero means "none found yet," not "none here."^26,13
• After treatment, keep checking. In a Rutgers study, four checks in a row, 14 days apart, with no bugs gave at least 97% confidence they were gone. That takes about two months. Rutgers' fact sheet sets a shorter minimum: stop treating only after a month of finding nothing.^2,3
• Consider a final check 9 to 12 months later. In the Rutgers study, bugs turned up again in two apartments at 7 and 12 months.³
• Bitten but catching nothing? Keep trapping, and call a professional if the bites continue.¹

Bed bug eggs take about 6 to 10 days to hatch, so a two-week check is too short to call a room clear.²⁷ ClimbUp's directions say to leave cups in place at least 21 days, ideally for good.²⁴ To dump a cup, empty it into a smooth plastic tub so you can see what's there, then drown the bugs in soapy water and flush them.^20,24 See signs of bed bugs and bed bug identification.

How Do You Make a Dry Ice Bed Bug Trap?

Rutgers entomologist Changlu Wang designed this trap. Dry ice gives off carbon dioxide, the same gas you breathe out, which is the strongest bed bug lure. In a study, it found 60% of very light infestations in one night.^26,6

What you need

• A plastic double-bowl pet dish
• A small insulated jug or thermos with a spout (about 1/3 gallon)
• Talcum baby powder and a cotton ball or small brush
• Masking tape or fabric strips and glue
• About 2.5 pounds of dry ice per night, and gloves

The first night costs about $15 to $16.⁷ Each night after that needs fresh dry ice.^1,26

Steps

1. Turn the pet dish upside down and cover the outside with masking tape or fabric so bugs can climb up.^26,7
2. Dust a very thin layer of talc inside the trough so bugs can't climb out.^26,7
3. Wearing gloves, fill the jug with dry ice and leave the lid slightly open.^26,7
4. Set the jug in the middle of the dish, not touching the edges, and place the trap next to the bed or sofa in the evening.^26,7
5. Check inside and around the dish the next morning. If it's empty, repeat for a few nights.^26,7
6. Flush any bugs, then put the dish in the freezer for at least 4 days before you use it again.^1,26

How Do You Make a Homemade Bed Bug Interceptor?

University of Florida entomologists designed this version from household containers.¹²

1. Glue a small container that fits the bed leg inside a larger one, leaving at least 1/4 inch between them.¹²
2. Wrap masking tape tightly around the outside of the large container so bugs can climb up.¹²
3. Coat the inside of the gap with a thin film of talc so bugs can't climb out.^12,7
4. Put one under each bed leg, on a tile or plywood square if you have carpet.¹²

Some guides add diatomaceous earth to the well. It isn't needed for trapping (the university design uses talc only) and seldom helps get rid of bed bugs.^4,12,29 The University of Nebraska says to use talc, not cornstarch powder.⁷

Should You Use Traps Before Moving In or After Travel?

• Empty apartment: interceptors need a sleeper to draw bugs, so they work poorly in a vacant unit. A carbon dioxide trap run for a few nights may find bugs there, but no result proves a unit is clean.^26,30,10
• After a trip: put interceptors under the bed legs, check them every week or two, and leave them in place for at least three weeks (ideally for good).^2,24 See bed bug travel tips and how to prevent bed bugs.

When Should You Call a Professional?

Call a pro if traps keep catching bugs, if you're bitten but can't find the source, or if several units in your building have bed bugs, which usually takes a building-wide treatment by a professional.^1,2 See 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).

Free Bed Bug Trap Guides

• How to Use ClimbUp Interceptor Bed Bug Traps (PDF, from the maker, Susan McKnight Inc.)
• Do-It-Yourself Bed Bug Trap, by Barb Ogg, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension (PDF)
• Rutgers: Detecting Bed Bugs Using Bed Bug Monitors

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