How Much Does a Bed Bug Exterminator Cost? (2025 Pricing)
Typical cost range:
$1,500–$5,000
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On average, a bed bug exterminator can cost $1,500–$5,000 for an entire home, based on pest control prices gathered by the This Old House team. Bed bugs are insects that feed on human and animal blood, similar to mosquitoes. While some homeowners may find getting rid of bed bugs challenging with do-it-yourself (DIY) treatments, pest control professionals have the proper training, tools, and techniques to eradicate an infestation completely.
Our team has spent dozens of hours researching bed bug extermination costs, infestation signs, and more so you know what steps to take to address bed bugs in your home. In our review, we’ll break down the cost of bed bug extermination based on several factors, such as home size, infestation severity, number of rooms, and type of treatment.
Bed Bug Exterminator Cost by Treatment Type
On average, bed bug exterminators cost $1,500–$5,000 for an entire home. Treating one room may cost as little as $150 for a small infestation or as much as $1,000 for more advanced infestations.
Since bed bug infestations often require multiple treatments, pest control prices will vary based on the severity of the issue, size of your home, and treatment type. To help you estimate costs, the following table outlines the price of common bed bug treatments.
| Treatment Type | Average Cost Range* |
|---|---|
| Insecticides | $150–$400 (per room) |
| Steam | $250–$1,000 (per room) |
| Freeze or cold treatments | $300–$1,500 |
| Heat | $400–$5,500 |
| Fumigation | $2,000+ |
*The above cost ranges are based on average pricing obtained from multiple pest control providers throughout the U.S.
Note that the above ranges represent the cost of one visit from a pest control company. If your home needs follow-up inspections after the initial treatment, you can expect to pay an average of $100–$150 per visit to confirm the bed bugs are gone. If bed bugs are detected, your home will need another round of treatments, increasing the overall cost.
Bed Bug Treatment Types
Heat treatment is generally considered the gold standard for bed bugs, but you can also consider several other types of pest control. Learn about how exterminators carry out each of these treatment types below.
- Heat treatment: Heat treatment is a preferred and effective way to kill bed bugs because it’s chemical-free and eco-friendly. Exterminators place heaters in infested rooms and the high temperatures kill bed bugs at all life stages.
- Chemical treatment: When homeowners think of pest control, they might think of spraying chemical treatments, also known as pesticides, in infested areas. For bed bugs, an exterminator would focus on treating your mattress, headboards, flooring, and other common hiding spots with these chemicals.
- Steam treatment: Like heat treatments, steam kills bed bugs on contact. Professionals recommend this treatment for rooms with many nooks or crannies, as exterminators can combine steam treatment with insecticides. The steam draws the bugs out, attracting them to the insecticide.
- Freeze treatment: Bed bugs have a high cold tolerance but will die from multiple days of cold exposure at below-freezing temperatures. With this method, professionals use specialized freezing equipment to create tiny crystals that kill bed bugs.
- Fumigation: A pest control provider may recommend fumigation if you have a severe infestation. This is typically reserved as a last resort when other methods fail because you must vacate your home for up to 72 hours. Professionals tent your home and then release a fumigant, which is a deadly gas, into your home to kill bed bugs.
How To Choose the Best Treatment Type
Frozen treatments benefit surface-level infestations most, as the ice crystals instantly freeze and kill the pest. However, this treatment cannot penetrate surfaces, so it won’t reach the middle of your mattress or inside your walls where bedbugs may hide.
For most bed bug infestations, exterminators and homeowners prefer heat treatments. Depending on your provider, a pest control expert may recommend steam or heat treatments. Both treatment types kill bugs without damaging your belongings or exposing your family to insecticides. The only downside to these treatments is a possible fire hazard. However, professionals have been trained to safely use specialized equipment that help minimize the risk of fire.
Fumigation is typically the best option if you have a severe infestation that hasn’t responded to other treatment attempts. The fumigant, or pesticide in the form of gas, completely penetrates the home, killing bed bugs at all developmental stages.
It is also important to consider timing. Some treatments, such as fumigation, usually kill bed bugs with one treatment. According to providers such as Orkin, other treatments, such as heat or stream, can take three to four rounds to eliminate an infestation.
What Factors Affect How Much Bed Bug Extermination Costs?
Treatment type is the biggest factor when it comes to bed bug extermination costs. However, other factors, such as service frequency, infestation severity, and the number of affected rooms, also impact pricing.
Service Frequency
Bed bugs are a challenging pest to tackle—often requiring multiple or ongoing service visits to eradicate the infestation. While your home’s size and the infestation severity are noteworthy factors in bed bug extermination costs, it is also important to consider how often you’ll need service.
The following table shows cost estimates based on home size and severity of the bed bug infestation. Note that one-time services generally only work for mild infestations.
| Service Frequency | Cost Range* |
|---|---|
| One-time | $300–$1,100 |
| Semi-monthly | $200–$5,000 (per visit) |
| Monthly | $100–$7,000 (per visit) |
| Quarterly | $80–$2,200 (per visit) |
*The above ranges represent averages obtained from a California-based pest control provider, Simple Pest Management, and a Massachusetts-based provider, Waltham Pest Control.
Infestation Severity
After a professional pest control inspection is conducted, an exterminator can explain the severity of your home’s bed bug infestation. Generally, the more severe the infestation, the more it will cost you to eradicate the pests. Severe infestations usually require multiple treatments or more expensive methods, such as fumigation, which impacts price.
| Infestation Level | Cost Range* |
|---|---|
| Mild | $225–$800 |
| Moderate | $325–$2,500 |
| Severe | $3,500–$5,000+ |
*The above ranges represent averages obtained from a California-based pest control provider, Simple Pest Management, and a Massachusetts-based provider, Waltham Pest Control.
Number of Rooms in Your Home
In addition to treatment type, the number of rooms in your home is the next biggest cost factor for bed bug exterminators. The more widespread the infestation, the larger it likely is, and the more labor and resources a pest control company will need to clear it.
| Number of Rooms | Cost Range* |
|---|---|
| One room | $300–$800 |
| Two rooms | $700–$1,600 |
| Three rooms | $1,000–$2,400 |
| Whole house | $1,500–$5,000+ |
*The above ranges represent averages obtained from a California-based pest control provider, Simple Pest Management, and a Massachusetts-based provider, Waltham Pest Control.
Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation
Finding signs of bed bugs and correctly identifying the insect is sometimes challenging if you have a small infestation. Bed bugs are often mistaken for other pests, such as carpet beetles. Identifying the right pest, such as fleas versus bed bugs, gives you a better chance of fighting the infestation and preventing it from growing in your home.
Bites on yourself or your pets are often the first sign of bed bugs, but reactions can vary. Bed bug bites are similar in appearance to mosquito and chigger bites, hives, and rashes from skin conditions such as eczema or fungal infections. For this reason, we don’t recommend relying on bites alone to identify a bed bug infestation.
Here’s a list of tell-tale signs of a bed bug infestation:
- Live bed bugs (reddish brown and about the width of a credit card in size)
- Tiny eggs and eggshells
- Pale yellow skins, which nymphs shed as they grow
- Bed bug excrement (dark spots on fabrics, similar to a marker stain)
- Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses from you crushing bed bugs when rolling over at night
Bed bugs rely on a host at night to feed and hide during the day. You can generally look in these common areas for signs of bed bugs:
- Mattresses, especially among the seams and on the tag
- Behind the headboard
- Pet bedding
- Wood frame of your bed’s box spring
- Along the top of baseboards or the edge of carpeting
- Electrical outlets
- Within curtain seams, gathering at the rod
- Ceiling and wall junctions (especially behind hung pictures)
- Behind loose wallpaper or chipped paint
- Under the base of the air conditioner
DIY Bed Bug Removal Methods
If you think you have a large infestation, our team doesn’t recommend DIY bed bug removal methods due to the health issues associated with these pests. For example, people can experience allergic reactions or secondary skin infections after being bitten by bed bugs. However, if you want to try DIY treatments or know your infestation is limited to a small area, such as a piece of secondhand furniture or clothes, you can consider the following options.
Heat and Steam
While homeowners usually don’t have access to the same specialized equipment as professionals, heat is still a practical step against bed bugs. You can use a clothes dryer on high heat or place infested items in black plastic bags in a closed car in the sun. Similarly, you can use wet or dry steam to treat your bed frame, furniture, cracks, baseboards, and more. Make sure the steam temperature is at least 130 F for this method to work.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is dust you spread in locations where bed bugs walk. Once a pest walks through DE, the dust sticks to it, killing it by slowly dehydrating it. After a few days, the bug dies.
Cold Treatments
As with heat, you can also kill bed bugs with the cold. Seal infested items in a bag and place them in the freezer at 0 F for three days to kill bugs.
When Should You Call a Professional for Bed Bug Removal?
We recommend calling a professional for bed bug removal as soon as you notice any possible signs of an infestation, whether it’s bites or spotting a bug. Since bed bugs are small and hide in crevices, they can quickly become challenging to eradicate. The longer you wait, the more money and time you may have to spend on addressing the issue.
How To Hire an Exterminator
Follow these recommendations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when choosing an exterminator for bed bugs:
- Get an exterminator involved immediately to prevent a larger, more widespread infestation.
- Research pest control providers that have experience with bed bugs and integrated pest management. Check the company’s credentials, such as its rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and customer review websites. Experienced companies, such as Terminix, may also offer innovative solutions compared to smaller companies because of their expertise and size.
- Ask friends and family for recommendations if they’ve experienced bed bug problems in the past.
- Prepare for an inspection, which usually requires an exterminator to analyze every part of your home, possibly even disassembling or moving furniture to check common bed bug hiding spots.
- Gather quotes from several professionals after they’ve completed an inspection.
- Choose a provider based on your experience during the inspection process and the company’s credentials.
- Prepare your home for treatment based on the company’s recommendations.
How To Prevent a Bed Bug Infestation
Bed bugs can easily move from an infested site, such as a hotel room, into your home. Typically, these small bugs travel on bedding, luggage, boxes, clothing, or furniture. Once inside your home, bed bugs can quickly become challenging to eradicate. Here’s how to prevent a bed bug infestation in the first place:
- Place your mattress and box sprints in a protective cover
- Reduce clutter in your home to eliminate hiding spots
- Vacuum frequently
- Check secondhand furniture and clothing closely for signs of bed bugs
- Regularly wash and heat-dry bed sheets, blankets, clothing, pet bedding, etc.
- Protect your laundry at shared laundry facilities by immediately removing clothes from the dryer
- Inspect your hotel room and surrounding areas before unpacking your clothes
- Wash clothes immediately after travel
Is Bed Bug Extermination Worth It?
Yes, bed bug extermination is often worth it if you’ve spotted an insect or suspect you have an infestation. These small pests can hide in crevices in your home and reproduce quickly, making them difficult to eradicate—even with professional aid. For this reason, bed bug control typically requires time and multiple professional treatments after a thorough inspection of your home.
Although some homeowners may prefer DIY methods, bed bugs are resistant to some pesticides, and using these chemicals in your home can pose risks to yourself and your pets. While bed bugs aren’t known to carry disease, they bite, may cause skin reactions, and can result in loss of sleep. For these reasons, professional extermination is a worthwhile investment when dealing with bed bugs, especially considering that most DIY treatments may not work against these resilient pests.
FAQs About Bed Bug Extermination Costs
Do you have to leave the house for bed bug treatment?
You have to leave the house for bed bug treatments in most cases. Fumigation requires leaving the house for several days as the gas takes time to disperse before you can safely reenter your home. Other treatments, such as heat or insecticides, require you to leave for a few hours during the extermination services.
Can you salvage a mattress with bed bugs?
Yes, you can salvage a mattress with bed bugs. This is actually recommended because disposing of an infected mattress can spread the infestation to other places. Instead of tossing your mattress, strip the bed of linens and clean the fabrics thoroughly in hot water. Then, keep the mattress and box spring in place to avoid spreading the bed bugs around. Speak with a bed bug exterminator to have the mattress treated with heat.
Does bed bug heat treatment damage electronics?
No, bed bug heat treatments shouldn’t damage electronics when carried out correctly. Bed bug heat treatments won’t harm standard consumer electronics as long as you prep your home appropriately by unplugging all electronics, which your exterminator should brief you about when discussing your treatment plan. Don’t remove your electronics, such as laptops, from the home, as bed bugs can hide in these devices.
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