Bed bugs (bites, spots, or bugs in the bed)

This is stressful, but you are not dirty and you are not alone — bed bugs happen in clean Canadian homes too. Your first three jobs are simple and cheap: confirm it, keep it from spreading, and get set up for treatment.

tuneWhat are you noticing?

Select anything that matches and the checklist below reorders to fit. Not sure? Skip it.

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Start here

In Canada, start by confirming it is really bed bugs — bites alone are not proof. With a flashlight, check the mattress seams, the box spring, the headboard, and along baseboards for live bugs (apple-seed-sized, flat, reddish-brown), tiny dark blood or fecal spots, and pale shed skins. Bites in rows or clusters are a hint, not a diagnosis. This look costs nothing and decides everything that follows.

Ranked from real-world failure data. The order updates as you select what you’re noticing above.

Likely causes, in the order to check them

Showing the typical order

Beginner-friendly Doable, with care Safety-critical Call a pro

visibilityHow to confirm it is bed bugs

Strip the bed and, with a flashlight, inspect the mattress seams and tufts, then the box spring (including under the fabric dust cover), the headboard, and the bed frame joints.
Look for three signs: live bugs (flat, oval, apple-seed-sized, reddish-brown), tiny dark spots (dried blood or droppings, like marker dots), and pale, empty shed skins.
Widen out to the baseboards, the edge of the carpet, and any furniture near the bed. Bites in a row or cluster support the picture but are not proof on their own.
If you find live bugs or clear spotting, treat it as confirmed and move to containment and calling a licensed pest professional. If you are unsure, capture a bug in a sealed bag or clear tape for a pro to identify.

buildflashlight schedule20 min

verifiedWhy this one goes to a pro

Bed bugs are one of the hardest household pests to eradicate: they hide in tiny cracks, survive many over-the-counter sprays, and a few survivors restart the whole infestation. Trying to clear an established infestation yourself usually just spreads it and wastes weeks. A licensed pest-control professional — often using heat treatment that raises the room above the temperature bed bugs can survive — is the reliable fix. Your job is to confirm, contain, and follow their prep instructions.

Your notes travel with the request — what you saw, what you ruled out, when it started — so the pro arrives with a head start instead of a mystery.

report Do NOT use foggers or drag infested furniture through the homeTwo common reactions make things much worse. Foggers and "bug bombs" do not reach where bed bugs hide — they scatter the bugs deeper into walls and furniture, and the flammable propellant near pilot lights or electronics is a real fire risk. Dragging an infested mattress or couch through the house spreads bugs along the way, and leaving it at the curb passes the problem to whoever takes it. Bag items before moving them, mark discarded furniture as infested, and let the pest professional guide disposal.

handymanHow to fix it

Contain and prepare: launder and HIGH-HEAT dry all bedding and washable clothing, seal the mattress and box spring in bed-bug-proof encasements, reduce clutter around the bed, and keep infested items bagged and in the affected room. This slows the spread and makes professional treatment far more effective — it is preparation for the fix, not the fix itself.

Gather all bedding and washable clothing into sealed bags in the affected room, then move them straight to the laundry — do not carry loose items through the house.
Wash what you can and, importantly, dry everything on the HIGHEST heat the fabric allows for a full cycle; the heat, not the wash, is what kills bed bugs and eggs. Items that cannot be washed can often go through a hot dryer alone.
Encase the mattress and box spring in labelled bed-bug-proof covers and leave them zipped shut; this traps any bugs inside and gives you a smooth surface to inspect.
Reduce clutter around the bed so there are fewer hiding spots, keep the bed pulled slightly away from the wall, and hold everything in place for the professional treatment — do NOT relocate infested items to other rooms.

schedule120 min savings$50–150

Bed-bug-proof mattress and box spring encasementsZippered covers labelled bed-bug-proof / allergen-proof, sized to the mattress and box spring Heavy plastic bags for containmentContractor-grade bags to seal laundry and items before moving them through the home

warning Heat-treat items the safe wayHeat is what kills bed bugs and their eggs, but do it inside your appliances, not with improvised heaters. Use the clothes dryer on its highest heat setting for a full cycle, and follow the fabric care guidance so you do not scorch or shrink items or overload the machine. Do not use space heaters, ovens, or homemade heat boxes to treat belongings — that is a fire and damage risk. Whole-room heat treatment is equipment a licensed professional brings.

gavel Check your province first AB: homeowner may do this · BC: homeowner may do this · ON: homeowner may do this · PE: homeowner may do this · QC: homeowner may do this
Confirming, containing, and laundering are owner-permitted everywhere. In rentals, tenant and landlord responsibilities for treatment vary by province and municipality — check your local rules. Effective eradication routes to a licensed pest professional.

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Why the list is in this order

We don’t sort by likelihood alone. We sort the way a good, honest tradesperson thinks: rule out the free, safe, common causes first. That’s why the cheap checks outrank the expensive repairs — and why anything dangerous gets a hard stop instead of a pep talk. The order exists to save you money, not to sell you anything.