Bed Bug Traps: Common Types & How They Work

Bed bug traps are effective and relatively inexpensive tools for early detection and monitoring of bed bug infestations. In this article, we’ll cover common types and how they work.

Bed Bug Traps

Bed bug traps, or monitors, are small devices designed to catch or collect bed bugs. As professionals, we refer to them as monitors because they’re useful diagnostic tools for (1) collecting evidence of bed bugs and (2) monitoring the severity of an infestation over time.

There are several types that are commercially available, and they fall into 2 categories: “passive” and “active” traps.

• Passive traps use glue or pitfalls to passively catch bed bugs as they pass by, stopping them from reaching their intended target. In order to be effective, they must be placed in areas bed bugs frequently travel through, such as the legs of a bed or other furniture.
• Active traps use attractants to actively lure bed bugs out of hiding before capturing them. They work by imitating signals that bed bugs use for communicating or finding target hosts. Some examples of lures include pheromones, carbon dioxide, and heat.

Passive traps are generally less expensive, easier to set up, and require less maintenance. On the other hand, active traps are a bit pricier but depending on the situation they can help you detect and capture bed bugs faster.

Do They Work?

Traps are great at doing what they’re designed for: detection and monitoring. In fact, studies have shown that they are even more accurate than visual inspections when it comes to detecting low-level infestations.¹

Furthermore, by physically catching and removing bed bugs, traps slow down the growth of bed bug populations and reduce the occurrence of bites.

However, traps alone will NOT solve a bed bug infestation.

That’s because traps don’t catch 100% of bed bugs. They are only effective within a limited range, and it may take several days or longer to catch anything (since bed bugs feed once every 3–7 days). During that time, bed bugs continue to reproduce and spread. Traps also need to be regularly cleaned or replaced in order to stay effective.

When Should You Use Them?

In a typical infestation, bed bugs reproduce quickly and often spread to nearby rooms or neighboring apartments. Early detection is critical—the sooner they’re found, the less complicated and costly the treatment process is. That’s where traps, or monitors, come in.

Consider using bed bug traps when:

• You want to determine if there are bed bugs within an area (such as a bedroom).
• You have bed bugs and want to stop them from reaching sleeping areas.
• Your home was recently treated for bed bugs and you want to confirm that the extermination was successful.

At MMPC, we typically use a combination of traps in conjunction with K9 inspections and treatment programs to find and eliminate bed bugs with maximum accuracy.

Common Types

Interceptors

Bed bug interceptors are passive monitors resembling plastic dishes with two sets of concentric walls and a pitfall between them. They’re great because they’re inexpensive and easy to set up. We often use ClimbUp interceptors to monitor bed bug activity in between inspections and treatments.

How They Work

Bed bugs climb up the outer walls, fall into the pitfall, and are unable to climb back out. The outer walls have a rough texture, while the inner walls are smooth and slippery.

Interceptors are placed underneath each leg of a bed (or other infested furniture), so that any bed bugs trying to climb up or down will be caught in the trap. This effectively forms a barrier between the bed and the floor.

Studies show that using interceptors for 7 to 14 days can catch bed bugs with a 93% detection rate.² Placing a larger number (8 to 40) of interceptors can detect bed bugs in 1 to 2 weeks, while a smaller number may take about 4 weeks on average.³

How to Use

• Move the infested bed or furniture a few inches away from the wall, and make sure that bedding or furniture skirts are not touching the floor. 
• Place underneath each leg of the bed or furniture.
• Check traps at least a week and carefully dispose of any captured bed bugs in sealed plastic bags.
• Traps should be cleaned every 2–4 weeks to prevent dust build-up and the inner walls should be re-lubricated with talcum powder.

Volcano Monitors

Volcano monitors from SenSci can function as both passive or active traps, depending on whether a lure is used. We recommend using them as active traps (with lure) for monitoring vacant areas, where the lack of a live host makes passive traps like interceptors less effective.

How They Work

These small, pyramid-shaped traps have course, sloped walls that are easy for bed bugs to climb. At the top is an opening to a large well that bed bugs fall into. At the bottom is a clear panel that makes it easy to check if any bed bugs are caught.

A lure, which comes in a small vial (sometimes sold separately), can be placed at the bottom of the well. It mimics chemicals normally found on the surface of human skin, attracting bed bugs looking for their next blood meal.

How to Use

• Assemble the volcano trap, insert the lure, and snap the bottom into place.
• Place near each leg of the bed, or in other areas where bed bugs are active.
• Remove captured bed bugs by opening the bottom over a toilet or into a plastic bag for disposal.
• The manufacturer recommends replacing lures every 2–3 months (for long-term monitoring), although based on our experience it’s best to replace them once a month.

Glue Traps

Glue traps are an essential tool used by pest control professionals for a wide range of indoor pests. The ones designed to catch bed bugs typically contain an attractant that lures bed bugs into the adhesive trap.

Glue traps are the most inexpensive type of bed bug trap; however, they are not as effective as interceptors and volcano monitors.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Traps

Bed bugs are attracted to the carbon dioxide that we breathe out while we sleep. CO2 traps use this behavior to lure bed bugs out of hiding and into either a pitfall or adhesive, thus capturing them.

Studies show that bed bug traps baited with carbon dioxide catch significantly more bed bugs than those without.⁴ Some CO2 traps combine carbon dioxide with other lures, such as heat or pheromones, to mimic a sleeping person. 

Pheromone Traps

Pheromone traps use chemical lures that imitate pheromones or kairomones, which signal bed bugs to aggregate or feed. This attracts bed bugs to a climb into a device that uses a pitfall or adhesive mechanism to trap them. Volcano monitors, as described above, fall into this category.

While they are more expensive, one benefit is that pheromone traps generally work faster in low level infestations (since they actively draw bed bugs out) and can be used in vacant units (if you don’t want to use yourself as bait). The catch rate is also higher, so it can slow down an infestation more than passive traps like interceptors.

Conclusion

Bed bug traps are a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring bed bug infestations, but they are not a standalone solution. While they can help catch bed bugs and slow the growth of their population, they are not effective at eliminating an infestation entirely. For optimal results, it is recommended to use traps in conjunction with other methods, such as K9 inspections and professional treatments.

About the Author

Timothy Wong is the technical director of MMPC, an eco-friendly pest control company in Long Island City. He has over 20 years of pest control experience, holds professional licenses in NY, NJ, PA, and MA, and has published papers on bed bugs and pest control methods.

References

1. Wang, C., T.J. Gibb., and G.W. Bennett. 2009b. Interceptors assist in bed bug monitoring. PCT. 37(4): 112, 114. https://www.pctonline.com/article/pct0811-bed-bug-monitor-detection-tools-techniques/ ↩︎
2. Cooper, R., Wang, C., & Singh, N. (2014). Accuracy of Trained Canines for Detecting Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 107(6), 2171–2181. https://doi.org/10.1603/ec14195 ↩︎
3. Entomology Today. (2017, April 20). A Model for Effective, Reduced-Cost Bed Bug Monitoring. Entomology Today. https://entomologytoday.org/2017/04/20/a-model-for-effective-reduced-cost-bed-bug-monitoring/ ↩︎
4. Singh, Narinderpal, et al. ‘Effect of Trap Design, Chemical Lure, Carbon Dioxide Release Rate, and Source of Carbon Dioxide on Efficacy of Bed Bug Monitors’. Journal of Economic Entomology, vol. 106, no. 4, Oxford University Press (OUP), Aug. 2013, pp. 1802–1811, https://doi.org/10.1603/ec13075 ↩︎