How Much Does a Bed Bug Exterminator Cost? (2023)

No matter how hard some homeowners try, the inevitable pest infestation can still crop up. Fleas, cockroaches, termites, and maybe even rodents find ways to sneak into even the cleanest home from time to time. The dreaded bed bug infestation is no exception.

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eliminate because they do not only inhabit your sheets and your mattress. They infiltrate your bed’s wood, including the frame, box spring, and even legs. In most cases, you’ll need to call on the help of a professional bed bug exterminator. Read on to learn the cost of tackling a bed bug problem.

How To Identify a Bed Bug Infestation

A bed bug is roughly the size and shape of an apple seed, though some species can be slightly smaller. Bed bug eggs are so tiny that you might not see them, even when looking for them.

Though the pesky bloodsuckers mainly infiltrate bed frames, box springs, and mattresses, they can inhabit any place where they can nest and find food. This means it’s also possible to find bed bugs hiding in your couch and wall cracks and crevices.

Unfortunately, you are the bed bug’s best source of food. These pests feast on blood, which is why one sign you might have them is a body rash or lines of bed bug bites on your skin. Rashes signify an allergic reaction to the bites and are indicators not only that you have a severe infestation but also that you must seek treatment immediately.

Infested rooms with a severe bed bug problem often have a musty odor, but this symptom is only present in the most severe infestation cases. Some other common signs of bed bugs include the following:

• Rusty-red colored stains on your sheets, the result of crushed bed bugs
• Droppings on your fabrics or other areas where bed bugs are hiding — you can identify bed bug droppings by their size, which are small and speck-like.
• Bed bug eggs, which are about the same size as their droppings
• Pale yellow skins that bed bugs nymphs shed as they grow during their life cycle

If you see any signs listed above, especially if you see more than one, it’s best to call a bed bug exterminator to discuss treatment options to rid your home of these parasites. Bed bugs may carry many diseases, so treating them as soon as you suspect a problem is important to protect your family’s health.

Average Cost of Bed Bug Exterminators

The average national bed bug extermination costs range from $500 to $2,000. The range is wide because of the different treatment options available, the varied costs of bed bug inspections, and the level of infestation.

Pest control professionals often use bed bug-sniffing dogs to determine the location of infested areas and the severity of the infestation, so they can pinpoint where to begin their bed bug treatment and removal. Your bed bug inspection alone has an average cost of $300 to $600.

Pest control companies like Terminix and Orkin have 30-day warranties included with select bed bug extermination appointments. These companies will apply additional treatments if your bed bug problem returns shortly after treatment.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Bed Bug Exterminators

Many factors affect the cost of bed bug removal, including the severity of your infestation, where bed bugs are located in your home, and the type of treatment you need.

Size of Your Home

The cost of inspection, preparation for treatment, application of the treatment, type of treatment, how many people it takes to eradicate your infestation, and follow-up visits depend upon your home’s square footage. Expect to pay between $1 and $8 per square foot of treated area.

When pest management companies treat one room for bed bugs, they typically perform preventive treatment on adjoining rooms. Depending on the size of these rooms and how many rooms connect to the infested one, you may need to pay for multiple treatments to eliminate bed bugs.

Number of Rooms	Average Cost per Visit
1 Bedroom	$300–$650
2 Bedrooms	$700–$1,000
3 Bedrooms	$1,050–$1,450
Whole House	$1,500–$5,000

Location of Infestation

Due to the contagious nature of bed bugs, all beds in a room with an active infestation need to be treated. Each bed must be treated using heat treatment, pesticides, fumigation, or a combination. This is true even if there are multiple beds in one room, but only one has shown signs of bed bugs. So, if you have multiple beds in the infested room, you’ll pay more for your treatment.

If your bed bug problem is small and only affects one room, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars to eradicate these pests. However, if exterminators must form a treatment plan to eliminate bed bugs from your whole house, you will naturally pay much more.

Whole-house treatment methods usually cost around $1,000 but can cost upwards of $25,000 in the most severe cases. This high cost is, in part, why it’s so important to call for professional bed bug treatments as soon as you think you have an infestation.

Severity of Infestation

The physical effects and visual signs of bed bugs may be only the surface signs of a larger infestation that requires professional treatment. If you have a severe infestation, you can expect to pay more for treatment because more time and product are needed to do the job.

A severe, single-room infestation of bed bugs may cost up to $3,000 to eradicate. This cost includes inspection, heat treatments, pesticides, and other chemical treatments.

An extermination company can also use specific bed-bug-targeting pesticides to ensure that the eggs never hatch and nymphs die before adulthood. The deeper bed bugs penetrate your home, the more difficult it is to kill them.

In addition, emergency bed bug treatment may be more expensive than services scheduled in advance.

Treatment Method

Different bed bug treatment methods have different prices. The most common treatments employed to get rid of bed bug infestations include bed bug heat treatment, chemical treatments, freezing, or fumigation.

• Chemical treatments: Chemical treatments can include any of 30 chemicals approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common insecticides used for bed bug control. These treatments may not be the best choice for pet owners, as these chemicals may be hazardous to pets. These treatments cost $2–$5 per square foot.
• Freezing: Freezing, or Cryonite treatment, applies subfreezing carbon dioxide gas to surfaces, cracks, and crevices. The dramatic change in temperature causes ice to form inside the bed bug, killing them on contact. It is a chemical-free treatment that’s safer for surfaces that can’t tolerate heat. This type of treatment costs $3–$6 per square foot.
• Fumigation: Fumigation pumps an inorganic gas called sulfuryl fluoride into an enclosed, sealed space. The gas causes bed bugs and their eggs to suffocate and die. Fumigation is the most expensive option, costing an average of $4–$8 per square foot.
• Heat and steam treatments: Heat can be an effective and nontoxic treatment to kill bed bugs since they die at approximately 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Steam heat can treat bed bugs in carpets, behind baseboards, and on upholstered furniture. Some pest control companies use portable heat chambers to kill bed bugs in infested household items and professional heating systems to treat entire rooms and structures. However, you must remove items susceptible to heat damage before treatments. This type of treatment costs $1–$3 per square foot.

Treatment Method	Average Cost per Room (100–166 sq. ft)
Heat	$100–$500
Chemical treatment	$200–$850
Freezing	$300–$1,000
Fumigation	$400–$1,300

Exterminator vs. Pest Control

Finally, where you get your treatment from might affect your bed bug treatment cost. Although we typically use the terms “extermination” and “pest control” interchangeably, both types of companies have different ways of addressing pest infestations.

Traditionally, extermination is a short-term solution for a severe pest problem. Though many extermination services are taking more sustainable approaches to pest elimination, such as adding pest prevention into their treatment plans, if you have a recurring problem with live bed bugs, consider a subscription to a pest control service.

Pest control companies take a multilayered approach to infestations by examining where the pests are coming from in the first place to prevent them from further entering your home. After sealing off cracks and crevices in your home, pest control companies will provide continuing services to manage future infestations. Pest control companies tend to have higher prices because they offer ongoing assistance.

DIY vs. Professional Bed Bug Extermination

You can attempt to get rid of bed bugs on your own, but you must be persistent. A do-it-yourself approach to eradicating a bed bug infestation can take weeks or even months. If you’d like to get rid of your small bed bug infestation on your own, follow these steps:

1. Wash your bedding in very hot water. Dry your bedding using a high-heat setting — the heat will kill bed bugs and their eggs.
2. Seal items that cannot be washed and dried on high heat into individual plastic bags. Place them in a freezer that reaches at least 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Vacuum all rugs and carpets. Dismantle furniture and vacuum every surface using your hose attachment, paying close attention to the seams and frames of your bed, sofa, chairs, and other upholstered surfaces. Be sure to dispose of the bag immediately outdoors.
4. Use a steam cleaner (either wet or dry, both can be effective) that can steam up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit on baseboards, bed frames, carpets, and upholstered furniture.
5. Apply diatomaceous earth along your floorboards, molding, and windowsills, in drawers, behind appliances, and in door jams. Remove all electrical faceplates and use an applicator to apply the powder to electrical switches and outlets.
6. Caulk or seal any cracks and crevices in your baseboards or any other area where bed bugs might be entering your home.

Final Thoughts

If taking the DIY route sounds exhausting and time-consuming to you, you’re not alone. Let a professional pest control company save you time, stress, and money. Eliminating bed bugs can be expensive, but a professional pest control company provides the most effective treatment options.

Below are two of our top recommendations for pest control providers with bed bug treatment plans.

Orkin

Orkin uses an integrated process it calls A.I.M. (assess, implement, monitor) to treat bed bug infestations. An Orkin Pro will recommend a treatment plan based on the severity of the infestation and your preferences.

Terminix

Terminix takes a multipronged approach to treating bed bugs. These include its nontoxic RapidFreeze solution to freeze bed bugs, including eggs and nymphs. Other bed bug treatment methods the team uses include insecticides, steaming, high heat, and trapping monitors.

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