Bed Bugs in Minneapolis
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Minneapolis has duplexes, older apartment buildings, large complexes and a big student population. Long winters mean people spend a lot of time indoors, and a cold snap does not solve a bed bug problem.
Your first week
- Identify the bug. A sealed bag with a specimen, plus photos of droppings along mattress seams, gives a professional something to confirm.
- Report it to whoever manages your building, in writing, and keep a copy. In a small building the owner may be close by; in a larger one, go through the management office.
- Contain your own belongings. Wash and dry bedding on high heat, and keep clean items in sealed bags away from the infested room.
- Tell the units next to yours if you have good relations with them, or ask the landlord to. Early notice limits the spread.
Duplexes, apartment buildings and student housing
In a duplex or small building, households share walls, floors and sometimes a basement or laundry. Bugs can move between units, so treatment is most effective when neighbors are inspected at the same time as yours. Student housing has frequent turnover, which can bring in bugs on furniture and luggage.
Larger apartment buildings usually have a management office and a pest control vendor. Report the problem in writing and keep a copy.
Cold winters and treatment planning
A cold night does not reliably kill bed bugs indoors, so do not count on leaving windows open or putting items outside. Winter heat treatment means sending your household out for a day, so plan where to stay and how to keep pets and heat-sensitive items safe. Tell your exterminator about instruments and electronics, which can be harmed by cold as well as heat.
What to ask a local exterminator
- Are you licensed to do structural pest control in Minnesota?
- How will you handle the other units, and what is the written guarantee?
- What is the written guarantee, and what do I need to do to keep it valid?
- What preparation do you need from me, and can I get it in writing?
Official resources
For help with a rental, start with your city or county's housing or code enforcement office, and check your state's pest control licensing agency to confirm an exterminator's license. A local legal aid group can tell you what your lease and local rules say about pest problems. This site is not legal advice.
Related guides
- How to tell if you have bed bugs
- What bed bug bites look like
- How to prepare for treatment
- How heat treatment works
- How much treatment costs
- DIY versus a professional
- Where bed bugs come from
- Checking a hotel room
- Bed bug guides for other cities
Request a match with pest control companies serving Minneapolis and compare quotes before you commit.