Should You Throw Away Your Mattress if You Have Bed Bugs?

Every week, someone asks us the same question: I have bed bugs, do I really have to throw away my mattress? It is usually the first thing people think about. It is also usually the wrong first move. In most homes we treat across Huntington, WV, Ashland, KY, and Ironton, OH, the mattress can stay. Here is how to tell which situation you are in.

The short answer: usually no

Bed bugs do not live only on the surface of a mattress. They tuck into the seams, along the piping, inside the box spring, and into cracks well beyond the bed. A mattress that is infested can still be treated and covered. Replacing it is money spent before the problem is solved.

When you can keep it

You can keep the mattress in the large majority of cases, including when:

• the staining is on the surface but the fabric is still intact
• the bugs are concentrated in the seams, the tufts, or the box spring
• the room can be treated and the mattress covered afterward

After treatment, cover the mattress and box spring with a zippered encasement. It traps any survivors and keeps new ones out. Leave it on for a full year. The cover also makes the mattress easier to check later, since any new activity shows up on the outside.

When it really is time to let it go

Disposal is rarer than people expect. Our rule is simple. We only recommend getting rid of a piece of furniture when the infestation has ruined it beyond normal cleaning. Think fabric soaked through and breaking down, not a few spots on the sheets.

If that is where you are, one mattress is almost never the whole story, which is the next point.

A new mattress will not solve the problem

Bed bugs hide well past the bed. We find them in baseboards, window sills, outlet covers and switch plates. They also turn up in chair rail, crown molding, closets, dressers, and nightstands. They settle into the joints of a bed frame and the seams of a couch. On one call, a technician found them living in a customer's belt buckle.

If you throw out the mattress but never treat the room, the bugs that stayed behind will find you again. You will have paid for new furniture and still have bed bugs.

If you do dispose of it, do it safely

A mattress left out for pickup is how this problem reaches the next household. A little care matters:

• Do not set it on the curb for someone to take. A used mattress or box spring with bed bugs spreads them to whoever picks it up.
• Bag and seal it before it leaves the room. A mattress bag or heavy plastic keeps bugs from dropping off on the way out.
• Do not sell it or donate it, no matter how good it looks.
• Check your city's rules first. Disposal requirements are set locally in Huntington, Ashland, and Ironton, so confirm before you haul anything away.

Some people are tempted to drag the mattress into another room and keep using it. Do not. That moves the infestation from one room to the next.

What actually works

A treated mattress plus an encasement, in a room that has been treated properly, is the real fix. Here is what a professional treatment covers:

• a full inspection that counts every bedroom and living room in the home, not just the room where you saw the bugs
• an initial treatment of the mattresses, furniture, seams, baseboards, and the hiding spots above
• one follow-up visit about 30 days later to catch anything that hatched after the first visit
• a 90-day warranty, so if they come back in that window, we do too

Bed bug treatment is priced per room, usually between $215 and $300. The number of rooms in your home sets the final cost. A free estimate gives you the exact number for your house.

A few things you can do today, alongside treatment:

• wash and dry bedding on the highest heat the fabric allows
• vacuum the seams, baseboards, and carpet near the bed, then seal the vacuum bag and throw it away outside
• leave furniture where it is until the room is treated
• skip the foggers and bug bombs. They push bed bugs deeper into the walls instead of killing them, and they do not reach the eggs.

FAQ

Do I have to throw away my bed frame too?

Rarely. A wooden or metal frame can almost always be treated and kept. What matters is treating the whole room, because the bugs move through the frame, the outlets, and the walls around it.

Do I have to get rid of my couch as well?

Same answer as the mattress. A couch can usually be treated and kept. If it is torn open and heavily infested, disposal may be the better call, and our technician will tell you that during the inspection.

Will the bed bugs go away if I just throw the bed out?

No. The mattress is only one of the places they hide, so the infestation stays until the room itself is treated.

Before you drag a mattress to the curb, call Ultra Pest Control at (304) 521-1174. We handle bed bugs across Huntington, Ashland, and Ironton, and we will tell you what actually needs to go.

We are the local exterminator for Huntington, Ashland, and Ironton, and we cover the surrounding Tri-State communities. You can also read how to inspect your home for bed bugs or see our bed bug treatment page. When you are ready, get a free estimate.