How to prepare for bed bug treatment

Good preparation is the difference between a treatment that works first time and one that needs extra visits. Specialists say it again and again: the treatment can only reach what it can get to. Here is a practical checklist for a London flat or house.

One rule comes first. Your specialist’s own preparation sheet wins. Firms differ, and heat treatment needs different preparation from spray. Use this as a guide and ask about anything that does not match.

In the days before

Do not treat it yourself

Stop using shop-bought sprays, powders and foggers. The University of Kentucky’s entomologists say foggers and household products such as alcohol and bleach are ineffective and can be dangerous. They also scatter bed bugs into other rooms, which makes the professional job bigger.

Keep sleeping where you are

It is tempting to move to the sofa or a friend’s flat. Moving spreads bed bugs to a new room or a new home. Stay in your own bed until the treatment is done.

Tell the right people

• If you rent, tell your landlord or agent in writing.
• In a block, let the building manager or concierge know the date, especially for heat treatment, which may involve covering smoke detectors.
• If a neighbour has had bed bugs, tell the specialist.

Washing and bagging

NHS guidance is a 60°C wash followed by at least half an hour in a hot dryer. Before a treatment, firms usually want you to:

• Strip the beds and wash all bedding, including mattress protectors and throws.
• Wash clothes stored in the bedroom, especially anything on the floor, a chair or under the bed.
• Put clean, dry items straight into new sealed bags. Keep them sealed until the treatment is finished.
• Bag items you cannot wash, such as shoes, soft toys and bags, and leave them in the room so they can be treated, or follow the firm’s advice.

The NHS also says items that cannot be washed can be sealed in a bag and frozen for two to three weeks. Ask your specialist whether that is worth doing for anything precious.

If you use a launderette, carry items in sealed bags and put them straight into the machine.

Clearing the room

• Clear the floor. Pick up clothes, shoes, bags and boxes, especially under and around the bed. Clutter gives bed bugs places to hide and slows the treatment down.
• Leave furniture where it is. Do not move beds, sofas or wardrobes into other rooms or the hall. The specialist will move what they need.
• Do not throw the mattress away unless the specialist says to. Dragging it through a shared stairwell spreads bed bugs, and most mattresses can be treated. If one does have to go, wrap it fully in plastic first and arrange collection with your council.
• Empty bedside drawers into sealed bags if the firm asks.
• Pull the bed slightly away from the wall if the firm asks, so they can reach the skirting.

Vacuuming

Vacuum the mattress seams, the bed frame, the skirting and the carpet edges, then empty the vacuum or bin the bag outside, sealed. The University of Kentucky notes vacuuming will not reach every hiding place, so it helps rather than solves.

For heat treatment

Heat treatment needs a few extra steps, because some things cannot take high temperatures:

• Take out aerosols, lighters, candles, crayons and anything that might melt.
• Remove medicines, cosmetics, food, wine and plants.
• Ask about vinyl records, musical instruments, artwork and anything with a battery.
• Tell the firm about fish tanks; they usually need moving or special care.
• In older London conversions, the firm may ask about the electrical supply. Know where your fuse box is.

Our page on heat treatment in London explains what happens on the day.

Pets and people

• Arrange for pets, including birds and fish, to be out of the treated rooms, and usually out of the flat during the treatment.
• Anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with breathing problems should ask the specialist about re-entry times for spray treatments.
• For heat treatment, everyone stays out while the rooms are hot, usually for the day.

After the treatment

• Do not clean the skirting or carpet edges for the time the firm says. Residual sprays need to stay in place.
• Keep sleeping in the bed. It sounds odd, but it draws any survivors out onto treated surfaces.
• Expect a few bites for a while after a spray treatment, as eggs hatch. That is why the second visit matters.
• Keep bagged clothes sealed until the firm says it is clear.
• Book the follow-up. With spray or steam, a second visit about two weeks later is normal.
• Use interceptor traps under the bed legs if the firm provides them. They show whether any bugs remain.

When to call the firm back

If you still find live bugs or fresh spots after the final visit, contact the firm. A good one will have told you in writing what happens then. For bites that are very itchy, swollen or spreading, speak to a pharmacist or your GP, as the NHS advises.

If you have not booked yet, we can find a specialist who covers your London borough. The London price calculator gives a typical range first.