Here’s the short version of a bed bug heat treatment preparation checklist: take out the things heat can damage, leave most of your belongings right where they are, and plan for every person and pet to be out for the day. Don’t carry furniture or bags of clothes to another room or apartment first. That’s how bed bugs spread.
Your exterminator’s own list comes first, because every company’s prep is a little different. Virginia Tech’s 2024 guide to heat treatments gives the same advice: follow the company’s written list.
Good prep protects your things and leaves bed bugs nowhere to hide. Bad prep does the opposite: a melted candle, a warped guitar, or a bag of clothes left in the hallway that brings the bed bugs right back.
Step 1: Wait for the inspection and the list
Every heat treatment starts with a free on-site inspection, so we know which rooms need heat. After that, we go over what to take out. Don’t start packing before then, because moving things early is how bed bugs end up in the closet, the living room or the next apartment.
Step 2: Take out what heat can damage
Rooms reach 120°F to 140°F for several hours, so these have to go. The list follows Virginia Tech’s guide:
- Pets and houseplants
- Candles, lipstick and anything else that can melt
- Aerosol cans, lighters and other things that can catch fire
- Medications
- Fresh fruit and vegetables that aren’t in the refrigerator
- String instruments, like a guitar or violin
- Family heirlooms and photographs
- The electronics we point out (unplug the rest)
Before anything leaves, check it for bed bugs and pack it in sealed plastic bags or bins. The EPA says to move items in sealed bags so you don’t carry bed bugs with you.
Step 3: Leave the rest in place
Most of your belongings should stay where they are so the heat can reach them. NC State Extension notes that when heat is used, the company may want things like books and picture frames left in place. Ask before you empty closets and drawers.
Step 4: Clear the floor and the clutter
Heat has to move freely around the room, so pick up loose things from the floor and the bottom of closets and bag them, as NC State Extension advises. Get rid of cardboard boxes, which bed bugs hide in. Put trash in sealed bags and take it straight to an outside bin, as the EPA suggests.
Step 5: Plan the day out
Everyone leaves for the treatment, including children and pets, so plan to be out for most of the day. You can come back once the rooms have cooled to a comfortable temperature, and we’ll tell you when.
What not to do before heat treatment
- Don’t move belongings to another room or apartment. NC State Extension says not to move anything to another home unless you know it isn’t infested.
- Don’t spray or set off a bug bomb. University of Minnesota Extension says bug bombs don’t work on bed bugs, can catch fire if misused, and expose you to pesticide you don’t need.
- Don’t stay inside. No one can be in the rooms while they’re being heated.
If you live in an apartment building
Tell your landlord or managing agent. In New York City, the owner has to get rid of bed bugs and inspect the apartments across from, above and below yours, according to the NYC Health Department. See how we plan pest control for apartment buildings.
Here’s a simple example. Say a couple in a one-bedroom gets a Thursday treatment date. On Wednesday night, they check and pack the medications, the candles, the guitar and the photo albums into sealed bins. They bag the loose shoes from the closet floor, recycle the moving boxes under the bed and leave the clothes where they are. Thursday morning, they take the cat and the bins to a friend’s place for the day. Their things are protected, and nothing that might carry bed bugs moved to another room.
Prep takes a few hours, and some things can’t go through heat at all. The EPA says heat-sensitive items have to be treated another way, so ask what to do with anything you can’t take out.
After the treatment, read what to do after bed bug heat treatment. Worried about kids and pets? See whether heat treatment is safe for them. To book, see our bed bug heat treatment service or call (347) 988-2315.
Frequently asked questions
How long does bed bug heat treatment take?
Plan on most of a day. A typical visit runs 4 to 8 hours, depending on how big the space is and how far the bed bugs have spread, plus time for the rooms to cool before you go back in.
Do I need to wash all my clothes before heat treatment?
Usually not. University of Kentucky entomologists note that bedding and clothes don’t need laundering for a heat treatment, since they get heated along with everything else. Follow your company’s list if it says otherwise.
What if I can’t move furniture or clear clutter myself?
If you rent, ask your landlord. The NYC Health Department says owners have to help tenants who can’t move furniture or clear clutter on their own. For heat treatment, most furniture stays where it is anyway.
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