Domakihub How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs: A Step-by-Step Guide
Identify, treat, and prevent bed bug infestations in your home, rental, or hotel room.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Bed bugs are a growing problem for homeowners, holiday rental hosts, and hotel operators across Greece — they travel easily in luggage and second-hand furniture and spread fast through shared accommodation. The video above walks you through the core treatment process; this guide adds a complete five-step plan you can follow yourself, plus advice on when to call a licensed pest control professional. Act quickly: a small infestation is far easier and cheaper to eliminate than one that has had weeks to multiply.
Why Bed Bugs Are Hard to Eliminate
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are resilient insects that hide in cracks, seams, and upholstery during the day and feed on human blood at night. They are not a sign of dirty living — they hitchhike on suitcases, clothing, and used mattresses equally regardless of cleanliness.
What makes them difficult to eradicate is their ability to survive for months without feeding and their growing resistance to some chemical insecticides. A successful treatment must therefore combine heat, vacuuming, and targeted pesticides — no single method alone is reliable enough.
Spot the Signs Early
Before you treat, confirm you actually have bed bugs. Look for small rust-coloured stains on bedding (from crushed insects or excretion), tiny white eggs or shed skins in mattress seams, and live bugs roughly the size and colour of an apple seed. Bites alone are not a reliable indicator — they resemble mosquito bites and not everyone reacts visibly.
Check every potential harborage point: mattress seams, bed frame joints, headboard cracks, behind picture frames, inside electrical outlets near the bed, and along baseboards. The earlier you detect an infestation, the fewer treatment rounds you will need.
How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs: 5 Steps
- 1
Prepare the Room
Strip all bedding, curtains, and clothing and seal them in plastic bags before carrying them to the washing machine. Wash everything at 60 °C or higher and dry on the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes — sustained heat above 50 °C kills all life stages of bed bugs. Declutter the room: remove books, picture frames, and loose items so that bugs have nowhere to retreat when treatment begins.
- 2
Vacuum Thoroughly
Use a powerful vacuum with a crevice attachment to work along every mattress seam, box spring edge, bed frame joint, baseboard, and upholstery seam. Vacuum the mattress on all sides, the headboard, the bed slats, and the surrounding floor. Immediately seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose of it outside the building. If your vacuum uses a canister, empty it directly into a sealed outdoor bin and wash the canister with hot water.
- 3
Apply Heat Treatment
For items that cannot be washed — shoes, stuffed animals, small furnishings — seal them in black plastic bags and leave them in direct Greek summer sunlight for several hours, or use a purpose-built bed bug heat chamber. Portable steam cleaners set above 120 °C are highly effective on mattress seams, baseboards, and furniture joints; move the steamer slowly (about 2.5 cm per second) to allow heat to penetrate. Steam is chemical-free and safe for use in children's rooms and around pets.
- 4
Treat with Insecticide
Apply an EPA- or EU-registered residual insecticide to cracks, crevices, baseboards, and the underside of furniture — never to sleeping surfaces directly. Use a contact spray for immediate knockdown and a residual dust (diatomaceous earth or a pyrethroid dust) inside wall voids and electrical outlet cavities for long-term protection. Follow the product label exactly. Repeat treatment after 10–14 days to catch any nymphs that hatched after the first application, since no insecticide reliably kills eggs.
- 5
Encase and Monitor
Once the room is treated, encase the mattress and box spring in purpose-built bed bug-proof covers and seal them with the supplied zipper lock. Place bed bug interceptor cups under each bed leg to catch bugs trying to climb up from the floor. Inspect the interceptors weekly for at least three months — this is the most reliable way to confirm the infestation is gone. If live bugs reappear, retreat immediately or contact a licensed pest control company.
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Get a vetted pest control pro in your city — one number, booked in EN/EL/DE.
FAQ
- Can I get rid of bed bugs completely on my own?
- A mild, early-stage infestation caught in one room can often be eliminated with a rigorous DIY approach combining heat, vacuuming, and residual insecticide. However, a heavy or multi-room infestation — common in holiday rentals or hotels where many guests have passed through — usually requires a licensed pest control operator with access to professional-grade heat chambers or chemical treatments. If DIY treatment has not cleared the infestation after two full treatment cycles (about four weeks), call a professional.
- How long does it take to get rid of bed bugs?
- Expect a minimum of four to six weeks for a thorough DIY treatment, since you need at least two application rounds spaced 10–14 days apart to catch newly hatched nymphs. Professional heat treatments can knock back an infestation in a single day-long session, though follow-up monitoring for residual activity is still recommended for 30 days afterward. Rushing or stopping treatment early is the most common reason infestations return.
- Do bed bugs spread from apartment to apartment?
- Yes. In multi-unit buildings — apartment blocks, small hotels, and guesthouses common throughout Greece — bed bugs can travel through wall voids, pipe runs, and shared corridors. If you live in an apartment or manage a multi-room property, notify adjacent occupants and property management immediately, and treat all affected units simultaneously. Treating one room while leaving neighbouring infestations untouched almost always leads to re-infestation within weeks.