Dorm rooms are a haven for bed bugs — here's how to to find and remove them from your college mattress

Tom's Guide

08-08-2025

Listen, we're not trying to scare you — the first semester of college can be intimidating enough without the worry of creepy crawlies.
But dorm rooms and off-campus accommodation are exposed to people from every corner of the country who might have picked up bed bug hitchhikers on the journey to college.
So in the interest of being safe rather than sorry, all college students (and their parents) should know how to inspect a dorm room and bed to ensure there's no unwelcome roommates lurking in the crevasses.
In this guide we'll explain how to spot bed bugs and what to do if you find pests in your room.
One way to cut down on the risk of bed bugs is to invest in your own sleep essentials — our best mattress for college students guide can help you find a new bed, while our back to school sleep sales hub has everything else covered.
Bed bugs are infamous for their hiding abilities and as a new college student we know you have better things to do than crawl around the floor with a magnifying glass.
These bed bug spotting tips are so quick you can let your parents get on with them while you say 'hi' to your new housemates.
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Bed bugs like the dark and you're most likely to find them tucked away in the corners of the mattress (or the bed frame — they're not fussy.)
Signs of bed bugs include clusters of dark spots and rust colored stains. You might also spot discarded bed bugs skins or eggs as a sign of an active infestation.
If you suspect bed bugs but can't see any evidence, try the 'hot iron' method. The theory is that when you press a hot iron to the sheets, bed bugs will be drawn to the warmth and make themselves obvious.
Otherwise, try the flashlight method — wait until it's dropped dark and shine a light into the corners of the mattress, to catch a bed bug in action.
If you're struggling to see bed bugs, try sniffing them out. A bed bug infestation can result in a musty smell, often with a slightly sweet note.
Keep your nose open for a smell similar to rotting berries or overripe bananas. In cases of serious infestations, the smell can become stronger, losing its sweet undertones to closer resemble mold.
Insect traps are a method of both bed bug prevention and control, so add them to your back to school checklist.
One of the easiest and most effective forms of bed bug control is diatomaceous earth. Made up of tiny fragments of fossilized algae, diatomaceous earth sticks to bed bugs and sucks out their moisture, causing them to die of dehydration.
Try sprinkling a barrier of diatomaceous earth around your bed or under your mattress protector and inspect it regularly for trapped bugs.
Silicaea Diatomaceous Earth 1lb: was $29.99 now $18.99 at AmazonA fine powder that can be used to target a variety of pests, the Silicaea Diatomaceous Earth adds peppermint oil for another dose of bed bug control. Diatomaceous earth doesn't lose potency, so you can leave it for as long as it takes to reel in any bed bugs.
If you've seen bed bugs in your dorm room your first reaction might be to take the world's hottest shower and then set fire to your bed. This is a bad idea for many reasons, so take these steps instead:
Bed bugs hate the heat and a hot wash kills both bed bugs and their eggs. We recommend washing your bedding at 140 degrees F for at least 90 minutes and, if possible, finishing with a spin in a dryer set to hot.
(Cold can also kill bed bugs but you might want to check with your roommates before putting your sheets in the freezer.)
Before heading to college, consider investing in a mattress encasement. These zippered covers are like a mattress protector with even more protection, covering all six sides of your mattress.
Linenspa Zippered Mattress Encasement: twin was $19.99 now $17.98 at AmazonThe Linenspa Zippered Mattress Encasement is an affordable and convenient option for college students. A twin XL has an MSRP of $21.99, currently reduced to $19.78 at Amazon. It fits mattresses up to 12 inches deep and is suitable for machine washing and drying.
This might come as a surprise to some students but you should be vacuuming your mattress regularly, even if you don't suspect bed bugs.
If you have seen bed bugs, a vacuum can be used to forcibly remove them from the crevices of your dorm room and bed.
Bed bugs like the nooks and crannies so if you can, use a mattress vacuum to get into even the smallest spots.
Once finished, empty the vacuum far away from your dorm room. Vacuuming doesn't necessarily kill bed bugs so if you ditch the contents in your dorm room trash can, they might find their way back to your bed.
Jimmy BX5 Pro Mattress Vacuum: was $129.99 now $109.98 at AmazonWe've been hands-on with Jimmy Mattress Vacuums and found them the most convenient solution for quickly and efficiently cleaning a bed. While we haven't tried this exact model, the combination of UV-C light technology and 15Kpa suction (plus the handheld size) makes it ideal for thoroughly cleaning all the tucked away spots in your mattress.
You don't want to be sharing your mattress with bed bugs and while the above methods can help prevent an infestation, we recommend informing someone in charge about the outbreak.
Take photos of any evidence you've spotted (if you can collect a few dead bed bugs, even better) and alert your landlord of RA to the problem. They can then bring in the professionals.
Bed bugs can travel far and survive for a long time without food. They also aren't attracted to dirt — a common misconception — as they'll happily bed down anywhere with a food source. Unfortunately, that food source is you.
And as bed bugs are often bought home from an outside source, hotels and dorm rooms are particularly vulnerable.
But bed bugs don't have to ruin your semester, particularly if you can detect an outbreak before it gets going. With bed bugs banished, you can turn your attention to the important things — like getting a good night's sleep.