Isolating your bed is one of the best ways for you to take charge of your bed bug problem, because it allows you to sleep again. Lack of sleep affects your thinking, your moods, the whole way you look at the world. In fact, lack of sleep will literally drive you crazy. It is, in my opinion, one of the main reasons having bed bugs is so emotionally draining. You feel miserable because you are EXHAUSTED. So turning your bed into a secure fortress is the first step in turning the tables on those bastards.

I know, I just said you have to sleep in your bed, so that bed bugs don’t spread throughout the house. But it doesn’t mean that you have to let yourself be eaten alive at night. You can prepare your bed so that the bugs can’t get to you. But because they are attracted to your body heat and the carbon dioxide of your breathing, they will stay close by.

Some people call this “isolating your bed.”

I call it “creating a place where you can finally get some rest to recover your sanity.”

What You’ll Need

First of all, you need to get zippered dust-mite encasements for your mattress, box spring and pillows. These are basically large bags that are designed to keep dust mites inside the encasement and away from you. Allergy sufferers use them to keep dust mites sealed in the mattress. And you will use them to keep bed bugs sealed inside.

Mattress cases are made of either fabric or vinyl. Fabric is more comfortable to sleep on, but is more expensive. Vinyl tends to tear more easily (which is very bad, because the bugs that you’ve trapped inside can escape) and is not very comfortable to sleep on, but is cheaper. Vinyl is also easier to clean than fabric. You can also find hybrid covers that are a combination of vinyl and fabric. These tend to be the most expensive, but combine the best of both worlds.

Regardless of which you choose, make sure it is rated to isolate dust mites (and if it mentions bed bugs, even better)

Search Google for “dust mite mattress case” and you’ll find many retailers.  One of the most praised mattress covers is National Allergy’s SatinSoft Classic Impermeable Mattress Covers.  This is a combination vinyl/fabric cover.  The Bedbugger.com website has a deal with them where you can get a 7% discount on a new cover.  Follow this link for details .

Secondly, you’ll need to visit the hardware store to buy some tough, wide duct tape and contractor grade trash bags (not lawn and leaf bags, but the thick contractor grade trash bags, at least two or three mils thick, like these) and cable ties (usually found in the electrical section, like these). You’ll also need some wide double-sided tape.

Thirdly, you’ll need bed lifts (these are little stands that you set the legs of your bed frame into to raise it off the ground). Bed, Bath and Beyond has them (see here). Note that if your bed frame is already fairly high off the ground (like, a foot or more), you don’t need the risers.

Four metal bowls large enough to place the bed lifts in (heavy duty plastic bowls are fine, too. Either way, they have to be unbreakable). Pet stores have nice metal bowls that are ideal for this.

XXL Ziploc bags Find them at Target or online at Amazon.com. Costs about $7 for 3.  You can also find them at your local Target store.

Food-grade freshwater diatomaceous earth. Also known as DE, diatomaceous earth is an abrasive mineral powder that kills bedbugs and other crawling insects by scratching open their skins, which dehydrates and kills them. Think of this stuff as razor wire for bedbugs. They will be able to crawl through it, but the damage they suffer is deadly. You can get DE everywhere, such as online at Dirtworks , or at your local Home Depot (it’s sometimes marketed as an ant killer), or at pet supply stores (they sell the food grade stuff to sprinkle on pets to kill fleas). Make sure you don’t get swimming pool grade diatomaceous earth – that is the wrong stuff. Also, get a dust mask while you are at Home Depot - you’ll need it.

Another option is to get a DE-based product that also contains pyrethrin, such as Results from Diatect. This product is laced with an insecticide that kills the bed bugs faster than just DE alone. Results is labeled for use on bedding. See the manufacturer’s site here. Also visit Dirtworksfor their pyrethrin-enhanced DE.

A note about DE: While DE is considered generally safe, you need to carefully read the label and follow all safety instructions. Wear a dust mask or respirator when applying it.

Murphy’s Oil Soap. . Murphy’s is a wood cleaner made by Colgate-Palmolive that also has pesticide properties. It cleans wood bed frames and floors, and will kill bed bugs. Here is its homepage. Gardeners sometimes use it for general purpose pest control. You can find it everywhere. If you want to buy online, you can find it at Amazon. Buy the spray bottle.

A new set of white sheets, pillowcases and covers. You are going to replace your existing bedding with new white linens, to better spot any fresh fecal spots or blood.

New pillows: Your current ones might be infested, so let’s start over with new ones.

Optional: Something that kills bed bugs on contact. Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle will do it. You can dilute the alcohol with a bit of water to make it last longer – 9 parts alcohol, 1 part water. 

Before We Get Started…

This is the point, before you begin, that your pest control technician should get involved in the process. For example, he has chemicals that kill any bugs hiding on the mattress, box spring, headboard and frame. So, depending on what your pest control tech tells you, some of these steps may not be necessary for you to do on your own. Again, clear the following plan with him before you begin.

What to Do

Step 1: Clean your Linens and Bedding

First you need to pull all the bedding off your bed – sheets, mattress cover, comforter, pillows and pillow cases. Everything. These are infested with bedbugs, so you need to immediately stuff them into the trash bags and tie the bags off.

Now wash every item in hot water. Only remove the items from the bags that you are going to wash, and immediately put them into the washer. Don’t let those infested linens touch other linens or clothing items. Then dry them on high (at least 140 degrees) for 4 hours, or two complete drying cycles. When done, put each item into an XXL Ziploc and seal it.

Put your pillows in a bag, seal it, and throw it in the trash. You can, in theory, wash and dry pillows to kill the bugs, but in my opinion (though I am no expert), the heat inside the pillows may not reach the 140 degrees needed to kill them. So I say, better safe than sorry. Toss them.

Step 2: Vacuum Your Mattress and Box Spring

You are now going to clean the mattress and box spring of any bugs, eggs, or larvae.

Get out you vacuum cleaner and clean EVERY INCH of your mattress. I mean everything. A recent article in PCT Online suggested that just scraping the end of the vacuum attachment vigorously over the harborage area is better than using a brush, because the bugs cling tightly to the surface, and the eggs are cemented to it. So you get better results by scraping them off than brushing them off. Clean every inch of the surface, the tufts along the edges, and the sides of the mattress. Lean it up against the wall and then vacuum the other side.

Pull your box spring off the bed frame and do the same thing. Tear that flimsy dust cover fabric off the bottom of the box spring, seal it in a plastic bag and throw it away. Lean the box spring against the wall, and vacuum the insides, making sure to get every bit of fabric, as well as the wooden frames and support.

Don’t steam the mattress – although steam will kill bed bugs, you run the risk of introducing moisture into the mattress, which could lead to a mold problem.

When you are done vacuuming, remove the bag from the vacuum, seal it in a plastic garbage bag, and throw it out. The vacuum bag will have bed bugs in it, and you don’t want them to crawl out.

Step 3: Clean the Frame and Eliminate Hiding Places

If you have a metal one (like I do), you are in luck, because these are fairly easy to clean. Grab the vacuum and clean all the nooks and crannies. Pay special attention to inside corners, joints, the areas where the wheels attach to the frame – any dark little corners where bed bugs might hide during the day.

Spray it down with rubbing alcohol to kill anything you missed. Use caulk or duct tape to fill in any holes or gaps between the metal pieces. If the bed frame has any sharp edges, cover them with duct tape. You don’t want them tearing your box spring and mattress encasements.

Some metal frames have wooden slats to hold the mattress. If you can, throw these out, go to the hardware store, and get some new ones. If the slats are bolted to the bed frame, unbolt them, vacuum them, then wipe with Murphy’s Oil Soap. Spray the holes where the slats are bolted into the frame with rubbing alcohol.

If there are any hollow areas in your bed frame (sometimes, the legs are hollow), those are perfect places for the bugs to hide. Spray the interior with alcohol and vacuum them out.

Headboards: A Bed Bug’s Favorite Place to Hide

If you have a headboard, you should get rid of it. The headboard is one of the most likely places the bugs will hide and lay eggs, and if you have one, I can pretty much guarantee you that it has bed bugs hiding on it. If you want to keep it, put it in a garbage bag. If it doesn’t fit in a single bag, use multiple bags, or wrap it in plastic sheeting. Seal it tight, tape up any open parts of the plastic, and place it in storage for 18 months.

Or, if you want to get rid of it, put it in a plastic bag, carry it to the dumpster, spray paint the words BED BUGS on the package, and throw it in. It is important to wrap the headboard in plastic before it leaves your bedroom. You don’t want any bugs jumping off in the hallway on the way to the door.

About Wooden Bedframes

If you have a wooden bedframe, unfortunately, life is a little more complicated for you. There are many little nooks and crannies for the bugs to hide in, and in order to make this work, you have to clean them all. So you need to disassemble it, and wash it down with Murphy’s Oil Soap. Once you have the frame disassembled, vacuum it like you did with your mattress and box spring. You may need to use a stiff brush to dislodge any eggs or bugs in the nooks and crannies. Now spray the Murphy’s onto the frame, making sure to spray it into any little cracks and crevices.

Step 4: Clean and Prepare the Floor Around Your Bed

When you reassemble the bed, you have to position it away from the walls and furniture. You don’t want the bed touching anything else that the bugs might be able to use to crawl onto your bed. Usually, this involves moving your bed toward the center of the room and the night stand or tables away from the bed. Go for at least two feet of clearance from any other object, because if your hands or feet hang off the bed when you are asleep, you don’t want them forming a bridge for the bugs to cross.

Anyway, decide where you are going to move your bed, then carefully vacuum the floor in that area. If you have any carpets or rugs, I think you should roll them up, put them in the trash bag, seal the bag tightly and put it in the garage or storage for the next 18 months. But consult with your PCO. Rugs can be treated by with chemicals, so it’s your call as to what to do. But bed bugs like to hide in and around rugs, and less clutter means fewer hiding places to deal with.

As always, treat the vacuum bag with care. It probably has some bedbugs or eggs in it. Take the vacuum bag carefully out of the machine, put it in a garbage bag, and seal the bag. Take it out of your home and toss it in the trash.

Sprinkle the floor you just cleaned with a light dusting of DE. No piles. It does no good to build little mountains of this stuff. The bed bugs will just avoid it. What you want is for them to walk through it. And for them to walk through it, they must not notice it. So, use a baby powder bottle or some other plastic bottle that can puff out a very light layer of the stuff. You can also purchase puff applicators or hand bellows from the place your purchased the DE.

Warning: DE is almost lighter than air, and it takes some practice to get used to. As with any pest control product, READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. Wear a dust mask or respirator when applying.

Step 5: Reassemble the Bed Frame

Now reassemble your bed frame and move it to the middle of the room, over your dust field. Put the legs of the bed frame on the lifters, and put the lifters in the bowls. In other words, the bowl is on the floor, the lifter is in the bowl, and the bed frame is on the lifter.

Needless to say, don’t store anything under your bed from now on.

Because you’ve got a clean mattress and box spring now, your remaining bugs are living elsewhere in your bed room. So in order to get to you, they have to crawl up the legs of your bed. That’s why you are now going to turn those legs into a death trap. Wrap plastic wrap around the legs of your bed (regular Saran Wrap is fine for this), then wrap double sided tape over the Saran wrap (the Saran Wrap does nothing to kill the bugs. I just don’t want the tape to damage the legs of your bedframe).

For additional protection, spread Vaseline on the legs above and below the double sided tape. This is an old trick from the turn of the century, and another obstacle to gum up any bugs that get past the tape.

Now lightly dust the horizontal parts of the bed frame with DE. Again, be sure it’s a light coating – no piles.

Put the encasement over the box spring. Put the box spring on the frame. Make sure you don’t tear the encasement as you put it on the frame! If you do, tape the tear shut.

Cover the zippered seam of the case with duct tape. Use a lot of tape, and extend it four to six inches from the end of the zipper. You are taping up the zipper because baby bed bugs are tiny, and can slip through the teeth of the zipper, so you need to seal it well.

Gently put the mattress on the box spring. Gently pull the casing over it, and tape the zippers shut. Don’t be stingy with the tape!

Now it is time to fill the bowls with soapy water. Bed bugs cannot traverse soapy water, so this becomes like a little moat, protecting the legs of your bed.

We’re almost done. Feels good to be taking the offensive, doesn’t it?

Put your new white sheets on the bed, over the encasements. With new sheets, you’ll be able to see any blood spots, fecal stains, or crushed bed bugs that might have penetrated your defenses.

Step 6: Securing the Perimeter

Put down a three or four inch wide circle of double-sided carpet tape on the floor around your entire bed (be sure that you vacuumed within this area. If you didn’t, do it now). This way, any bugs crawling from outside of your fortress will get caught (hopefully) in the tape.

And finally, be sure you have a dusting of DE extending 12 inches around the soapy water-filled bowls. You want to be sure that any bugs that try to get up those bowls have to go through the DE first. Again, this should only be a dusting of DE. You should not see much whiteness at all – thinner is better. Any more than that, and it won’t work.

Congratulations! You’ve just created a bed bug free sleep zone!

Let’s review what you’ve done: cleared the mattress and box spring of bugs, and also cleared the frame. You’ve cleared the floor under the bed, and put DE on it to kill any bugs wandering about. You’ve encased your mattress and box springs, sealing and bugs you missed inside. Finally, you put the legs of your bed in bowls of soapy water, preventing bed bugs on the floor from reaching the bed.

If everything goes as planned, you should finally be able to start getting some sleep now. Remember, your home is still infested. You’ve only dug a foxhole in the middle of the battlefield. At least you have just made the life of your unwanted guests much more difficult – their days of easy meals are gone. So you should expect them to get more and more aggressive now – expect attacks in daylight, away from the bedroom.

What if you are still getting bitten?

If you are still getting bitten, first of all, you need to be sure that you are getting bitten IN BED. When you disrupt their food supply like this, bed bugs become more aggressive because they are hungry. They will bite you during the day – while you are on the couch, sitting on a chair at the dinner table – it could be anywhere. Remember, you will not feel the bite because of the anesthetic/anti-coagulant they inject. It might be hours before your realize you’ve been bitten. So check your white linens for any fecal spotting or other indications of bed bug activity.

If you are certain that you were bitten in bed, here are some possible causes:

• Your sheets are touching the ground when you sleep, and the bugs are using them as a ladder to get to you. Tuck them between the mattress and box spring, or don’t use sheets at all.

• Your bed is touching the wall, the nightstand, or something else that the bugs are using as a bridge. Look around your bedroom. Is there any way they could be getting to you? It is possible that in severe infestations, the bugs could be climbing up the walls, across the ceiling and dropping down onto you.

• Your mattress and box spring encasement is torn, and they are crawling through the rip. Check carefully, and tape over any tears. Also be sure that you’ve taped the zippers completely shut.

• Alternatively, you can put a second cover over the box spring and mattress, double-encasing them. Place the new one over the first, but with the zipper side opposite the side of the original case. In other words, if the original zipper is at the head of the bed, then position the new case so its zipper is at the foot of the bed. Tape the zipper on the second case shut

• Your encasement is too porous, and the bugs are crawling through the fabric. Be sure your encasement is rated for dust mites.

• And I hate to say it, but if they are still biting you in bed, you need to restart the process again. Call your pest control guy. Have him clean the mattress and box spring and the bed frame. Reread these instructions and do the process again.

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