Bed Bugs in St. Louis
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St. Louis has brick two-family flats, older houses, apartment buildings and many converted properties. Shared walls and basements are common, and hot, humid summers keep bed bugs active.
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.
Brick flats and older houses
In a two-family flat, households share a stairwell, a basement and sometimes a back porch. Bugs can move through floors, ceilings and wall voids, so treatment is most effective when the other unit is inspected at the same time as yours. Single-family houses usually keep the problem to one household.
If you rent, report the problem to your landlord in writing and keep a copy. The owner is the party who can authorize a coordinated treatment.
Humid summers and moving belongings
Humid summers do not slow bed bugs indoors. When you move items between rooms or out of the home, put them in sealed bags and avoid spreading the problem. Do not throw out furniture without telling the people who will handle it, since bugs can spread from discarded items.
What to ask a local exterminator
- Are you licensed to do structural pest control in Missouri?
- Do you inspect the other unit, and how do you treat basement and laundry areas?
- 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 St. Louis and compare quotes before you commit.