You might be waking up with a few bite marks or small blood stains on your sheets and wonder if you might have a bed bug infestation. Considering how small bed bugs are, it’s often too difficult to determine their presence.
That’s why experts recommend using various kinds of bed bug monitors and traps, but how do you choose the best one?
There are many available options on the market, but keep in mind that eco-friendly and non-toxic solutions are the best way to manage the infestation and keep your family safe.
So, keep reading to discover all the details and learn how the bed bug traps work.
What Is the Best Way to Catch Bed Bugs?
Detecting bed bugs is not easy, considering they are small, flat, and can hide in cracks and crevices. But, with some creative designs and efficient tools, you can confirm the presence of these little pests, reduce the number of bites and evaluate the efficiency of other bed bug repellents.
Bed bugs might be difficult to spot, but luckily, they are not the best climbers and need to feed daily. This means that using a tool like an interceptor trap placed under the bed legs can be the best way to capture the bed bugs.
In addition, it’s recommended to use some kind of glue trap to increase the efficiency and get additional bugs that crawl through your bedroom.
Types of Bed Bug Traps
Every piece of furniture in your home is a potential hiding place for bed bugs, so if you really want to investigate or stop an infestation, you should consider every corner of your house. Depending on the severity of the infestation and the size of your home, you can use a few traps simultaneously for the best results.
Here are some of the best pest management traps on the market:
Glue Traps
Sticky glue traps for bed bugs are one of the best ways to capture the pests living in your bedroom, and they are exceptionally efficient when placed on the floor and even between the mattress and the bed frame.
High-quality glue traps have a toxin and pesticide-free sticky surface that will trap bed bugs crawling out of their hiding places to feed.
It’s an incredibly efficient bed bug detector because all the species, including the tropical bed bugs, will get glued to the trap's surface. This way, you will be able to:
- Confirm the presence of bed bugs;
- Assess the severity of the infestation;
- Evaluate the efficiency of other bed bug eliminators such as specialized sprays;
- Reduce the number of bites;
Bed Bug Interceptors
Interceptor cups or traps are excellent tools you can use under the legs of your bed to determine the presence of pests and help with complete elimination from your home.
Bed bug interceptor traps are very easy to use and considering they are removable and sturdy, you can use them multiple times. The specialized design enables the bugs to climb in, but the smooth inner walls don’t allow them to come out.
Trapped bed bugs can’t leave the interceptor pitfall because they are not good climbers, and some people even add talcum powder to make the plastic even smoother and more efficient.
Interceptors are considered the best bed bug detector because:
- It’s easy to install under the bed legs;
- It can be cleaned and used all over again;
- The number of trapped bugs will show the severity of the infestation;
- You will have fewer bites and be able to determine the efficiency of other tools such as laundry detergent that kills all the bed bugs.
Bed Bug Lure Traps
Bed bugs are attracted to the heat of human bodies and the CO2 (carbon dioxide) we produce while breathing, so lure traps are designed to mimic those characteristics. The bed bugs are drawn into the trap and confined there with glue.
While this is an excellent option if you want to assess the infestation quickly, you should consider the chemical used and the potential of the lure being too strong and attracting bugs from other apartments.
Here are a few reasons why lure traps are a good solution:
- When you are staying in a hotel and want to check for bed bugs quickly;
- When you have multiple traps and want to increase efficiency;
- When you want to see if other solutions, such as Diatomaceous Earth Powder, are working.
Does a Bed Bug Trap Work?
Yes, bed bug traps work wonders if you want to detect the presence of pests, evaluate the severity of the infestation and evaluate the efficiency of other tools you might be using against pests in your home.
Bed bug traps are beneficial for:
Bed bugs multiply quickly, so it’s best to act right away if you notice suspicious bite marks or blood stains on your sheets. If you think you might have bed bugs in your bed or home, you should immediately try one of the bed bug traps to confirm your doubts;
High-quality bed bug interceptors and glue traps will help you capture more bugs and thus lower their numbers. This means fewer bites each night and eventually complete elimination and a bug-free home.
Keep in mind that bed bugs are persistent and resilient, so you should use a few different tools to manage the infestation, like bed bug sprays, laundry detergent, and even protective covers for your mattress.
Using bed bug detectors in conjunction with all the mentioned tools will help you monitor your progress and decide on the next best steps to take.
Final Thoughts on Bed Bug Traps
If bed bugs ruin your sleep and leave you with itchy bite marks every morning, it’s time to act. While this pest might be too small to see with your naked eye, by using the proper bed bug traps, you can confirm their presence and assess the situation better.
So, choose one of the solutions mentioned above and enjoy your bug-free home right away.
