Do Bed Bug Traps Work?

Bed bugs are a nightmare, they are a terrible infestation. You don’t know where to sleep, and don’t feel safe in your bed. You worry you’ll spread the infestation to friends just by visiting. It takes over your life!

What can you do? Do bed bug traps work?

Yes, some bed bug traps work, but they’re only a piece of the puzzle. Any exterminator will tell you that while they work great for keeping an infestation under control, they are not a long-term fix.

The bed bug trap methods include:

  • Bed bug lures
  • Bed bug interceptor traps
  • Bed bug glue traps

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at bed bug traps, and explain what they’re good for and where they fall short.


What Are Bed Bug Traps?

A bed bug trap is what its name suggests—a tool used for trapping bed bugs. Bed bugs accidentally enter the traps and are captured there. As a result, the population of bed bugs in your house will be swiftly reduced.

In theory, anyway.

It is important to note that there are several bed bug traps, and you must choose the one best suited to your house. 

Spend some time reading up on the bed insect trap operation and reading internet reviews. If you choose the incorrect one, bed bugs will evade the trap, continue to reproduce, and grow in number.


Do Bed Bug Traps Work?

It’s crucial to remember that using bed bug traps, even if they are effective, is not a long-term solution. When you set up bed bug traps, you kill the adult bed bugs but not the eggs. Bed bug bombs have the same issue: they get the adults, but not the eggs. Your infestation feels like it is being extinguished, but then it comes roaring back.

For this reason, you’ll still need to do more to deal with a bed bug infestation.

When you set up bed bug traps, you kill the adult bed bugs but not the eggs.

Your bed bug traps will also aid in lowering the bed bug population in your house. They are also excellent for tracking bed bug activity in your house. But you won’t be able to catch them all if there is a significant infestation. 

As a result of the overwhelming numbers, bugs will scramble into your bed and hide inside your mattress, furniture, cracks in the walls, etc. When that happens, the traps won’t be able to reach the bed bugs, which is difficult or even impossible to control.

That is the point where bed bug specialists come in. They can help rid your entire home of bed bugs.


Pros and Cons of Bed Bug Traps

Here is a table that compares the advantages of bed bug traps against the disadvantages. It will equip you with essential information if you are contemplating using them.

Bed bug traps – ProsBed bug traps – Cons
Theoretically, you could use a plastic trap indefinitely. Its price is also reasonable.Traps don’t deter bed bugs because they don’t use chemicals.
The trap would catch a bed bug even if you only carried one home. Before the infestation even begins, you would put a stop to it.There might be bugs in your mattress, but a trap can’t tell you if there are because they don’t catch them there.
Traps limit the number of bites you receive.Glue and attractant-based bed insect traps will eventually need to be replaced.
The term “monitors” also applies to bed bug traps. The reason for this is that you can use them to check for bed bugs before you have an infestation.Only bed bugs passing the trap get caught. Those that don’t pass it will ignore it in favor of your blood
Pesticides are not used in traps to eradicate bed bugs.Traps won’t be particularly effective if you have a severe infestation.

Methods of Trapping Bed Bugs

1. Using Bed Bug Lures

The theory behind bed bug lures and traps is that our body heat and the carbon dioxide (CO2) we exhale attract pesky creatures. The lures imitate humans using various chemicals, directing the bed bugs into the trap. Some lures contain adhesive to ensure that every trapped bug has somewhere to go, while others trap the drawn-in bugs in chambers they cannot escape from.

If you want to determine the extent of the infestation, this is one of the best bed bug traps. Furthermore, the bait emits a scent that can draw pests from nearby facilities. To examine and manage the infestation effectively, use this trap with other equipment.

Additionally, using a lure trap is appropriate if you need quick results or want to ensure that there are no bugs in your hotel room.

2. Using Bed Bug Glue Traps

Bed bugs are tiny, flat insects, approximately the size of an apple seed. They can hide almost anywhere. It’s not uncommon for people struggling with infestations to have never seen a live bug — just bed bug shells, smeared bed bug poop, and squished bugs.

For this reason, glue-surfaced traps can be useful.

Bed bugs are tiny, flat insects, approximately the size of an apple seed. They can hide almost anywhere.

You can place the sticky bug traps throughout your house and locations where the bugs are more prone to hide. That can include the joints between your wall boards and floor boards, the carpets, the furniture, and other surfaces the bed bugs often pass through.

By checking in on glue traps, you can identify the extent of the infestation and lower the number of bites you receive each night.

3. Using Bed Bug Interceptor Traps

One great way to safeguard your bed against infestations is by using interceptor bed bug traps. The straightforward idea behind this device leans on the observation that bed bugs are poor climbers and cannot fly.

One great way to safeguard your bed against infestations is by using interceptor bed bug traps.

You place the pitfall trap under the bed, near the legs. This is commonly where bed bugs travel to feed. Bed bugs can surface from their hiding spots and enter the interceptor trap, but because the inside walls of the trap are smooth, they cannot escape.

If you intend to keep an eye on the infestation and determine whether bed bugs are present in the house, interceptor traps are a decent choice.

The interceptors contain no pesticides and are completely eco-friendly. While your family will be safe doing it this way, you must clear the collected bugs. To prevent re-infestation, you can do this outside the house or with warm, soapy water.

Regularly clean the traps and watch out for bugs escaping the pitfall while emptying it. Do not let the infestation spread!

Remember that the newly discovered invasive pest species known as the tropical bed bug can climb more efficiently. The hairy legs of this bug leave a sticky residue that makes it easy for them to climb smooth surfaces.

The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius), present in most US households, differs from other species, according to recent studies, highlighting the usefulness of traps like interceptors.


Ways of Eliminating Bed Bugs Completely

You need to take specific steps to kill the existing bugs, destroy all the potential hiding places, and prevent re-infestation. Even the best bug trap will work better if you add a couple more protection layers. 

Here are the measures you can embrace:

1. Wash your garments and bedding

Your washer and dryer (on the high heat setting) will be your best friends during a bed bug infestation. High heat kills bed bugs, and your washer can put a lid on an infestation.

Wash all of your bedding, towels, all of your clothing, and anything else you can find — stuffed animals, pillows, etc. Bed bugs love your stinky laundry, so staying on top of the laundry is super important.

You most certainly have bed bugs if you have red bites on your skin, blood stains on your bedding, or rusty residue on the floor and walls.

Lastly, use higher temperatures and a laundry additive to destroy all bed bugs for the greatest results. By doing this, you’ll be able to lessen the number of bugs, eggs, and waste they produce.

2. Pick up a Bed Bug Spray or Diatomaceous Earth

Although washing your clothes and blankets will kill some bugs, you should remember that they are small and skilled at hiding. That is why you need to use specific bed bug sprays or diatomaceous earth to cover all the surfaces. The mixture is harmless to you and your family but lethal to bed bugs.

It will eradicate any specimens hiding in the mattress, carpet, or tiny crevices in the walls. One of the greatest ways to lessen the number of bed bugs and get rid of them over time, along with washing everything, is to do this.

3. Practice Preventive measures

Following this advice will allow you to concentrate on prevention and avoid re-infestation. This action lowers the likelihood that bed bugs may reappear in a simple yet effective method. It’s important to eliminate every bug since if only one female specimen remains, it can lead to a new infestation.

Additionally, you can protect your mattress and pillows after cleaning them. The protecting sheets will keep bugs out of the bed while allowing you to sleep comfortably.