To determine an infestation, bed bugs exterminators need to find evidence of living bed bugs. If they don’t, often they will not apply insecticides. Finding evidence of living bed bugs is also very important when trying to prove an infestation to a property manager or landlord.
There are several ways to catch and trap bed bugs. If this is something you plan to do on your own, it can be hard to figure out the right way to do it. Methods for trapping bed bugs fall into two categories: passive and active. There are a few different types of both passive and active methods. The devices used for trapping bed bugs are normally called monitors.
This table compares the five most popular methods for trapping bed bugs and should help you decide how to get started.
| Passive Monitoring Methods | Active Monitoring Methods | ||||
| Climbup Interceptors | Homemade Vaseline/Tape | Bedbug Beacon | NightWatch | Homemade Dry Ice | |
| Cost | $60 | $10 | $50 | $400 | $15 |
| Ease of Setup | Moderately Easy | Moderately Easy | Easy | Easy | Somewhat Difficult |
| Ease of Use | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Requires Replenishment | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety | Excellent | Good | Good | Good | Ok |
| Accuracy | Ok | Ok | Good | Good | Good |
| Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | Read Review | |
So, which one should you choose?
This can be a tough choice. Here are my thoughts.
If you recently had bed bugs exterminated and just want to keep an eye on things:
If you’re just looking for a simple way to keep an eye on things after an extermination, then the Climbup Interceptors are a good choice. Remember, your bed has to have separate legs like the one in this picture:
If it does, the Climbups are a cheap and easy way to passively monitor for a bed bug infestation. With the Climbups you don’t have to worry about touching up Vaseline or tape like the two homemade passive monitoring methods. And you don’t have to worry about replenishing any kind of lures like you would with the active methods.
Sleep better with Climbup Interceptors »
Ground shipping within the continental US is currently free for orders over $50.
If you’ve never had bed bugs but think you might have an infestation:
If you think you may have a bed bug infestation, you want to find out for sure as quickly as possible. The more time you let pass, the more bed bugs can reproduce and build a thriving population. This can make extermination tougher and more expensive.
You don’t want that.
You need to act fast.
The Bedbug Beacon and the Nightwatch are the fastest ways of detecting an infestation on your own. After that comes the homemade trap with dry ice. Most people don’t have the skill or desire to build their own trap with dry ice. The rest of the methods are passive, which is not ideal for quick detection.
If you’re on a budget, the Bedbug Beacon is the way to go. It is made by a reputable company, has a nice design, works quicky, is safe and is inexpensive.
Don’t let an infestation build. Buy the Bedbug Beacon and find out if you have a problem now. »
Ground shipping within the continental US is currently free for orders over $50.
The Nightwatch appears to be a better monitor. But it costs roughly 7x more. Still… if you have the budget, it is the Cadillac of bed bug monitors. And if you are a landlord or managing a property with guests coming and going and need something robust, the Nightwatch is it.
Get the NightWatch and know for sure if you have an infestation. »
Shipping within the continental US is currently free.