Most homeowners pay about $917 to $1,917 for professional bed bug treatment. For an infestation that’s isolated to one room, homeowners can expect to pay around $308. You could pay as much as $5,267 to treat an infestation of the whole house.
The infested area’s size, the type of bed bug treatment used, and the infestation’s severity will affect the overall cost. When you spot a bed bug in your home, call a professional exterminator right away. The longer you wait, the more you’ll pay.
How Much Does Bed Bug Treatment Cost?
Not only are bed bugs among the most challenging pests to eradicate, but they also love to snack on your blood. When you’re burdened with a bed bug infestation, you want these bloodsuckers out fast — and for good. But how much is winning back your peace of mind going to cost you?
- Typical Range: $917 to $1,917
- Low End: $308
- High End: $5,267
The average costs listed above should help you estimate how much you can expect to pay for bed bug treatment in your home. Remember that many factors can affect the total cost, including the extent of the bed bug infestation and the treatment type you require.
On average, homeowners can expect to pay $917 to $1,917 for bed bug control. If the infestation is small, you could pay as little as $308. If your home is ridden with bed bugs, you could pay as high as $5,267 to treat your whole house. In extreme cases, treatment costs can rise to $50,000.
Professional bed bug exterminators typically charge by the room, total square footage, or a flat fee. Some exterminators charge a separate bill for each follow-up visit. Others include all follow-up visits in the initial cost as part of a package treatment plan.
Cost Estimator by Size of Infested Area
As a general rule of thumb, bed bug treatment costs rise with the number of infested rooms. On average, exterminators charge $200 to $400 per room to get rid of bed bugs.
If your bed bug infestation is confined to only one room, treatment cost will be minimal. An infestation of your whole home will be most expensive. See below how infestation size can affect cost:
| HOME SIZE | TYPICAL COST RANGE * per visit |
| 1 Bedroom | $333 to $850 |
| 2 to 3 Bedrooms | $533 to $1,200 |
| 3 to 4 Bedrooms / Whole House | $1,000 to $2,200 |
Other Factors That Affect Cost
The number of infested rooms isn’t the only factor affecting the total cost of your bed bug treatment. Again, most homeowners pay $200 to $400 per infested room. However, your bill may be higher or lower depending on inspection rates, bed bug treatment types, the number of follow-up visits required, and the severity of the infestation.
Bed bug inspection rates
Visual bed bug inspections usually cost $65 to $192, though many pest control companies will offer a thorough inspection for free.
Some bed bug treatment companies may even offer dog sniffing inspections. Well-trained dogs can detect bed bugs with 95% accuracy, even if the infestation is mild. Prices typically range from $300 to $600 for this type of inspection.
Bed bug treatment type
The type of bed bug treatment will significantly affect how much you pay. Some bed bug treatments are more expensive than others and/or require more follow-up visits.
| TREATMENT | TYPICAL COST RANGE |
| Heat Treatment | $2,000 to $4,000 ($1 to $3 per square foot) |
| Fumigation | $4,500 to $50,000 ($4 to $8 per square foot) |
| Chemicals and Pesticides | $183 to $500 per room |
| Steam Removal | $250 to $1,000 per room |
| Freeze Treatment | $500 per room |
Heat treatment
Homeowners typically pay $2,000 to $4,000 (or $1 to $3 per square foot) for heat treatment to get rid of bed bugs.
Heat treatment is a chemical-free process in which hot air is pumped into the infested space to raise the temperature to over 120 degrees. Because bedb ugs can’t tolerate heat, this method is highly effective at killing them.
- Heat treatment kills bed bugs at every stage of life.
- Exterminators often will use their generators so as not to run up your electricity bill.
- This treatment does not prevent reinfestation.
- You’ll need to remove items with a low heat tolerance before treatment.
Fumigation
Costs for fumigation typically start around $4 to $8 per square foot, or $4,500 total. In extreme cases, fumigation can cost as much as $50,000.
For fumigation, exterminators will seal off your home and fill it with fumigation gas to kill the bed bugs. You’ll need to vacate your home for a few days to avoid chemical poisoning and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Fumigation kills bed bugs at every stage of life.
- It is effective at killing other critters (such as termites) in the house.
- It does not prevent reinfestation.
- It can reach bed bugs hiding in cracks and crevices.
Chemicals and pesticides
Paying for the use of chemicals and pesticides to rid your home of bed bugs will cost roughly $183 to $500 per room.
This treatment involves spraying bed bug-killing chemicals and pesticides throughout your home.
- Chemical treatments and pesticides are not reliable on their own and are typically combined with another treatment method.
- Bed bugs have some resistance to pesticides.
Steam removal
For steam removal of bed bugs, homeowners typically pay $250 to $1,000 per room.
During a steam removal treatment, exterminators use hot steam that is over 200 degrees to kill bed bugs on contact.
- Steam removal kills bed bugs at all stages of life.
- It is effective at reaching into cracks and crevices.
- Steam removal is a chemical-free treatment.
- It can penetrate soft materials, such as mattresses and furniture.
- Steam removal does not prevent reinfestation.
- Steam removal may cause moisture damage.
Freeze treatment
Homeowners usually spend $500 per room for freeze treatment to get rid of bed bugs. Freeze treatment converts liquid carbon dioxide to a dry-ice “snow” that’s then pumped into the infested area to kill the bed bugs.
- Freeze treatment kills bed bugs at every stage of life.
- It is a great alternative to steam vapor because it does not cause any moisture damage.
- Freeze treatment is chemical-free.
- It is safer for surfaces that cannot tolerate high heat but may not penetrate soft surfaces as effectively as other treatments.
- It does not prevent reinfestation.
Number of visits
Sometimes bed bug reinfestation occurs. It only takes one pregnant female bed bug to start an infestation. While most bed bug treatments are nearly 100% effective, there is always the chance a stray bed bug made it out alive. There is also the possibility that a stray bed bug began migrating to a new room before the scheduled treatment.
Bed bugs are some of the most difficult pests to exterminate. They can go more than a year without feeding, and they reproduce quickly. You may find yourself paying for multiple treatments, effectively running up your bill.
Keep in mind that most exterminators conduct follow-up visits to ensure bed bugs don’t reinfest your home. Some exterminators might charge you per visit, while others might include the follow-up visits in the total cost of your bed bug treatment plan.
Severity of bed bug infestation
The severity of your bed bug infestation is another factor that can affect cost. The worse the infestation, the more you can expect to pay for treatment.
Light bed bug infestations usually cost homeowners $200 to $300 per room. Moderate infestations cost $300 to $400 per room, while a severe bed bug infestation costs about $4,000 to $5,267 to treat the whole home.
Keep in mind that a structural fumigation treatment targeting a substantial home with a severe bed bug infestation can cost as high as $50,000.
Extra Services
Many exterminators and pest management companies are qualified to exterminate more than one type of pest. If your bed bug exterminator is licensed to control other unwanted household guests (the insect or rodent kind), you may want to consider requesting additional pest control services.
Bed bugs are a terrible nuisance to have in the home, but so are many other pests, including termites, ants, cockroaches, and rodents.
Termite Control
Termites can wreak havoc on your home’s wooden structures, including your walls, floorboards, or deck. Termites will often cause homeowners to spend thousands of dollars on wood repairs.
The average rate for a termite inspection ranges from $82 to $260. The typical cost for termite treatment runs from $275 to $863, with most homeowners paying $558.
Ant Control
Ants are food thieves that will raid your kitchen or backyard picnic table, and kicking them out of your home is an added cost. Expect to pay $168 to $328 (or $217, on average) for ant treatment.
Fire ants (painful bites) and carpenter ants (damaging to your wooden structures) are the most concerning troublemakers. Fire ant extermination typically costs $300, while carpenter ant control runs closer to $500.
Cockroach Control
Some cockroach types, such as the German and American cockroaches, can carry bacteria and viruses harmful to humans. If you suspect you have a cockroach infestation in your home, you’ll want to eradicate these pests right away.
Cockroach control typically costs about $123 to $303, with most homeowners paying $225.
Mouse and Rat Control
Found mouse droppings on the kitchen floor? It’s time to set out some mouse traps. If the droppings continue or you’re concerned you’re hosting a whole mouse family, don’t hesitate to get a professional on the phone.
Expect to pay $317 to $600 for a full-service mouse extermination procedure that includes traps, bait, sealing entry points, and a follow-up visit.
Cost of DIY Bed Bug Removal
To successfully terminate a bed bug infestation, you almost always need a professional. Professionals have the training to locate and identify bed bugs and have the necessary equipment to exterminate an entire infestation with nearly 100% effectiveness.
Do-it-yourself (DIY) bed bug treatment is an option but not recommended. If you find signs of bed bugs around your mattress, one DIY option is to wash and dry your sheets in heat over 120 degrees. But while the heat will effectively kill the bed bug eggs and adults, the infestation could be in places other than your sheets, such as in your box spring, mattress, or furniture.
DIY bed bug treatment kits are also an option, along with using a steamer to heat the infested area.
The best way to tackle bed bugs yourself and save on treatment costs is to practice prevention techniques. If you practice good bed bug prevention methods on your own, you’re less likely to have an infestation in your home.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs
Here are 11 ways to prevent bed bugs:
1. Don’t store items under your bed –– you might unknowingly store an infested item close to your bed.
2. Store items in plastic bags or plastic containers. Bed bugs struggle to crawl on smooth surfaces. Storing your items in plastic containers can keep bed bugs from spreading.
3. Keep clutter off the floor. If a wandering bed bug happens to latch onto a toy or towel that’s left on the ground, you risk infesting other areas of your home when you return the item to its rightful place.
4. Cover your bed or box spring in dust mite-proof mattress encasements to create a barrier between you and any potential bed bugs.
5. Vacuum regularly. Vacuuming will help remove any stray bed bugs. Throw the vacuum bag in an outside trash can to minimize the chance of spreading.
6. Keep clothes off your bed. Bed bugs hiding in another person’s home may latch onto your favorite sweater during your visit. Leave the sweater on your bed, and the stray bugs could infest your mattress.
7. Inspect your lodging area. If you’re staying in a hotel, vacation rental, guest bed, or college dorm room, always check for signs of bed bugs. If you’re staying in an infested area, there is the possibility of bringing a bed bug home with you. Avoid placing your suitcases and clothes near your bed at home.
8. Wash your clothes and luggage after traveling. You never know if the place you just returned from had a bed bug problem. Wash your clothes and luggage to ensure no bugs crawled their way into pockets, backpacks, or purses.
9. Wash your sheets on the highest heat setting. Bed bug eggs and adults will die in temperatures over 120 degrees.
10. Avoid bringing home furniture you find on curbs or in dumpsters. A free couch or lounge chair might be tempting, but you never know if furniture abandoned outdoors has been exposed to bed bugs.
11. Keep your bed sheets off the floor. When making your bed in the morning or tucking yourself in at night, make sure your bed sheets don’t touch the floor. Otherwise, a wandering bed bug could easily crawl up to your bed.
How to Check for Bed Bugs
We’ve covered the prevention steps above. Now, let’s go over how to check for bed bugs.
Knowing bed bugs’ typical hiding places can help you spot an infestation sooner than later. Discovering an infestation after it’s had plenty of time to settle in can lead to higher treatment costs.
It’s a good idea to know what bed bugs look like, too.
The best places to inspect are:
- Your bed, including the sheets, mattress, box spring, bed frames, and headboard
- Couches and office chairs
- Nightstands and dressers
- Curtains and drapes
- Windows and door frames
- Ceilings, electrical outlet covers, and behind wallpaper and wall hangings (such as clocks or picture frames)
- Your clothes
- Household items, such as remote controls, alarm clocks, or lamps
- Floors and carpets
- Hotels, motels, college dorms, and theaters
Signs to Look for Bed Bugs
Bed bugs might be hard to remove, but their presence isn’t as hard to detect. Knowing the signs of bed bugs will help you visually inspect hotel rooms, guest rooms, or even your office chair:
- Bed bug eggs are pearl-white, stick to surfaces, and are the size of a pinhead.
- Is your mattress, bed sheet, or couch covered in small black spots? Those could be bed bug feces, which soak into the surface and leave behind black dots that look like ink dots from a marker tip.
- Bed bugs shed their skin and leave behind a molten, translucent shell. The shell will usually look like a bed bug, only empty.
- Small bites on your body may be a sign of bed bugs. Not everyone reacts to bed bug bites, so an absence of bites does not always mean there’s no infestation.
Keep in mind that these bites may be from another bug, like a mosquito. Learning how to tell the difference between a mosquito bite and a bed bug bite could help you uncover what’s biting you.
Cost of Bed Bug Treatment by Location
Where you live can have a significant impact on your total bed bug treatment costs. Some areas are more prone to bed bug infestations than others, especially cities with lots of apartment buildings, such as New York City or Atlanta. High infestation rates are often due to bed bugs quickly spreading from room to room, or apartment to apartment.
Extermination companies working in areas with numerous bed bug infestations are likely to charge more for bed bug treatments than locations with lower infestation rates. Why? Higher demand for bed bug treatment means local companies are likely to set higher prices.
FAQ About Bed Bugs
There are different ways to prepare for various bed bug treatments. Your exterminator will provide a list of required preparations for the treatment that is best for your infestation.
You may be asked to:
— Push furniture away from walls so the pest control team can treat the baseboards.
— Remove furniture that needs to be protected from heat.
— Vacuum floors to remove any dead bed bugs.
— Box up clutter so your technician has better access to the infested area.
— Empty drawers and closets to protect your clothes and grant better access to any infested areas.
— Wash your clothing and bed sheets in hot water. You’ll need to store these items away before you put them back after bed bug treatment. How long you’ll need to wait to put them back will vary depending on the treatment method.
— Remove yourself or other living things. You may need to remove animals and plants, depending on the treatment. In some cases, people will need to vacate the home (for fumigation, for example).
— Remove food and medications. You may need to remove these items depending on the treatment.
Bed bugs are hitch-hikers. They can get into your home by latching onto your clothes or luggage. If you visit neighbors who have an infestation on their couch, you may bring home a bed bug without even knowing it. If that bed bug is a pregnant female, an infestation may occur in your own home.
Visitors also could bring bed bugs into your house. If they have an infestation in their home, the bed bugs could hitch a ride on their jacket or travel bag.
If you like to shop at thrift stores, wash any clothes you purchase before tossing them into your drawers or onto your bed. You never know if the store has an infestation. The same goes for flea markets –– that stylish couch you bought for $20 could be full of bed bugs.
When it comes to disease spreading, bed bugs aren’t the culprits you need to worry about. However, some people may experience an allergic reaction to bed bug bites that leads to hives, itching, or blisters. If you have an allergic reaction to bed bugs, contact your doctor.
The main concern around bed bugs is the anxiety and stress they cause many homeowners. These pests are difficult to get rid of, and no one likes going to bed at night knowing small bugs are waiting to suck their blood.
Conclusion
When it comes to bed bugs infesting your home, skip the DIY treatments, and click to call a local pest control professional near you. The best way to send these stubborn pests packing is by hiring a qualified exterminator.
Remember, the best thing you can do for your wallet is practice prevention techniques so you can minimize your chances of bringing a bed bug into your home.
Most homeowners pay about $917 to $1,917 for bed bug extermination. Some homeowners could pay as little as $308, while others might pay as much as $5,267 for a more severe infestation.
The worst-case scenario? That is treating a bed bug infestation that’s been ignored for too long and has taken over your large home, which can cost up to $50,000 for fumigating the whole house.
Main Photo Credit: British Pest Control Association / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
