Bed Bug Facts

You’ve probably heard a million warnings about bedbugs—but what if most of them were wrong? In Bed Bugs: What You've Been Told is Totally False, Mark Rober literally lets bedbugs feed on him (yes, his actual blood) to bust myths and show what really works when it comes to these nightmare pests.

With help from Dr. Changlu Wang at Rutgers University, Mark dives into everything from their creepy biology to their (surprisingly weird) mating habits. For example, bedbugs don’t just crawl into your mattress. They can survive up to 300 days without food, detect you by your breath and body heat, and don’t even feel guilty about it. Half of people don’t react to their bites, which means infestations often go unnoticed for way too long. Even worse, a single female can lay five eggs a day, and their population explodes fast.

Then comes the fun part: testing all the supposed cures. Spoiler: most of them are useless. Ultrasonic pest repellents? Didn’t work. Mothballs, baking soda, essential oils? Smelled bad but did nothing. Fogger sprays? Killed the same number of bugs as water. The real MVPs? Diatomaceous earth, which is basically crushed fossil dust that dries them out, and heat, like a steamer or high-temperature dryer. Bedbugs can’t handle anything over 50°C.

The best advice? Don’t bring them home in the first place. Never put your suitcase on a hotel bed or floor, always check mattress seams, and wash your clothes on high heat. But if they do sneak in, you can get rid of them without spending thousands—as long as you follow the right steps.

Source: Rober, M. (2023, March 4). Bed Bugs: What You've Been Told is Totally False [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhgiZz7G-lk

Bedbugs: What They Avoid vs What Actually Works

(Based on Mark Rober’s “Bed Bugs: What You've Been Told is Totally False”)

❗What Bedbugs Tend to Avoid

(but won’t stay away if they’re hungry)

1. Strong smells

   • Essential oils, dryer sheets, mothballs, and baking soda irritate them.

   • 🟡 Reality check: They’ll walk over any of these if it means getting a blood meal.

2. Clean, uncluttered spaces

   • Clutter gives bedbugs hiding spots.

   • Keeping your room simple makes it harder for them to settle in.

3. Smooth or slippery surfaces

   • They can’t climb well on glass, metal, or smooth plastic (which is why interceptor traps under bed legs work).

4. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

   • They avoid it if they can, but once they touch it, it dries them out and kills them slowly.

5. High heat

   • Bedbugs will flee from temperatures above 50°C, but most can’t escape fast enough if exposed directly.

✅ What Actually Works (Like, For Real)

1. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

   • Crushed fossil dust that sticks to their bodies and kills them by dehydration

   • Non-toxic to humans and pets

   • Apply a light dusting—too much and it’s less effective

2. Heat treatment (50°C or higher)

   • Kills bedbugs and eggs instantly

   • Use a clothes dryer, steamer, or hire pros to heat your whole home

3. Vacuuming

   • Removes live bugs, eggs, and skins

   • Empty the vacuum immediately into a sealed bag

4. Mattress and box spring encasements

   • Trap existing bugs inside

   • Take away common hiding spots

   • Keep it zipped for a full year

5. Decluttering and sealing items

   • Less mess means fewer places for bedbugs to hide

   • Keep clothes and loose items in sealed plastic bags until washed

6. Freezing small items

   • Three days at -18°C can kill bugs and eggs

   • Good for stuff you can’t heat or wash

7. Steaming

   • A clothes steamer works great on baseboards, mattresses, and furniture seams

   • Just keep it slow and thorough

8. Bed leg interceptor traps

   • These traps help monitor if bedbugs are still around

   • Bugs can crawl in, but not out

❌ What Doesn’t Work (No Matter What You Read Online)

• Ultrasonic repellers (bedbugs don’t even have ears)

• Foggers and sprays (store-bought versions killed the same amount as water in Mark’s test)

• Essential oils and other “natural” hacks (smell bad to them but don’t stop them from biting when they are really hungry)