How To Prepare Your Home For Bed Bug Treatment? Key Steps, Tips, and Mistakes to Avoid!

Professional bed bug treatment is crucial for eliminating the infestation. That happens only when you have thoroughly prepared for it, be it chemical or heat treatment, or a hybrid of the two. But how to prepare your home for bed bug treatment? This quick and easy guide walks you through the entire bed bug treatment preparation process to guarantee the treatment’s effectiveness.

General Bed Bug Treatment Preparation

The success of a bed bug treatment depends mainly on the preparation. Always remove the heat-sensitive and delicate items such as plants, aerosols, electronics, perfumes, and similar items from the space. Also, relocate pets temporarily. It would be best if kids and other inhabitants of the house were not there during the treatment. You also need to wash and prepare the bedding and vacuum the space as well. 

Let’s discuss each step for bed bug treatment preparation below.

Empty the Space

• Declutter the entire space. Toss out the unnecessary papers, magazines, decorations, and boxes. Keep the essential documents, but remove them before the treatment. You can bring them in later.
• All occupants of the house, particularly pets, must vacate the space.
• Do not move the infested items. If a box is infested, leave it where it is.
• Store all the clean, non-infested items in sealed plastic bags and bins till the treatment is complete.

Wash & Dry All Fabrics

• Wash all your clothes, curtains, cushion covers, sheets, and plush toys thoroughly. Ensure the water’s temperature is 60°C (140°F) or higher to effectively kill bed bugs, nymphs, and eggs.
• Dry all the fabrics at the highest heat setting for a minimum of 30 minutes to eliminate any leftover eggs and bugs.
• Seal all the cleaned items instantly in airtight plastic bins or bags to keep bugs from returning.

Vacuum Thoroughly

• Vacuum the entire space thoroughly.
• Pay special attention to the furniture joints, baseboards, bed frames, underneath the bed, behind the curtains, and every possible nook and corner you can reach.
• Make sure the vacuum you use has a solid crevice tool to reach tricky spots, and potent suction to suck out all the unwanted bugs and eggs.
• Discard the vacuum bag’s contents and then the bag itself immediately in a sealed outdoor bin as soon as you’re done vacuuming.

Move Furniture Away From Walls

• Move all the furniture items, including the beds, chairs, dressers, and movable cabinets, away from the walls. 
• There must be a minimum gap of 18 inches between the furniture and walls to ensure chemicals or heat permeate all the bed bug hotspots.
• Don’t dismantle any furniture pieces on your own. If necessary, professionals will take care of it themselves.

Unplug Electronics & Secure Valuables

• If you are undergoing bed bug heat treatment, unplug all electronics, including computer systems, TVs, blenders, microwaves, ovens, and washing machines, to prevent any damage.
• Take out heat-sensitive items such as medicines, cosmetics, artwork, and candles.

Follow this bed bug treatment preparation checklist, and you’ll be good to go. 

While these are all the essential steps to carry out, it is best to consult your professional exterminator regarding bed bug treatment preparation and anything else they’d want you to prepare for. Additionally, discuss the best approach to handling valuables before treatment.

Special Instructions for Heat Treatment

Successful heat treatment requires special precautions to ensure effectiveness and safety. Take care of the following instructions to ensure a seamless heat treatment process:

• Remove all types of wax-based items, pressurized cans, and other aerosols, vinyl records, batteries, and any item that explodes or melts at high temperatures. 
• Fully open all the cabinets, closets, drawers, and rooms to regulate the airflow and circulation of heat.
• Relocate any temperature-sensitive living being or item, such as pets, plants, antiques, and musical instruments.

Inform the professionals about any sensitive items you have so they can guide you on the best safety and handling measures.

Special Instructions for Aprehend Treatment

For Aprehend® treatment, follow these guidelines: 

• Seal every medication, pet food, and general food item in an airtight container or bag to prevent contamination. 
• Store or cover utensils and kitchenware that may come into contact with a contaminated surface.
• Vacate your space for at least 4 to 6 hours, as the treatment requires a specific drying time. 
• Try not to clean any treated surface for about 2 weeks, giving the treatment sufficient time to work against bed bugs.

If you have any queries, consult the professional exterminator you’re hiring for the bed bug treatment.

What NOT To Do Before Bed Bug Treatment?

Just like there are certain dos to practice for bed bug treatment preparation, there are certain don’ts too. Here are the following things you must NOT do before the bed bug treatment.

• Don’t use any store-bought chemical sprays or insecticides before the professional treatment is due. Store-bought pesticides can repel bed bugs and exacerbate the infestation, making it more difficult to eliminate. Additionally, improper treatment methods can increase the health risks related to bed bug infestations.
• Don’t move any contaminated items such as bags, furniture, clothing, sheets, or pillows to any untreated space, as it can spread the infestation.
• Don’t use cold water to wash the bedding and clothing, as that too can worsen the infestation.

Aftercare: What To Expect After the Treatment?

Once the treatment is completed, there are a few more things you need to take care of.

• Ask your exterminator for a go-ahead to enter your home or commercial space. You’ll have to wait a minimum of 4 hours (sometimes even 6 to 8 hours) before re-entering your space, as the treatment requires time to cool down or settle. 
• Avoid deep cleaning the treated items and spaces for at least 2 weeks after the treatment. Residual effects of treatments, particularly when using insect growth regulators or Aprehend®, which is why you’ll need to wait. 
• Expect the exterminator to conduct follow-up visits within 10 to 14 days after the treatment to monitor and verify the treatment’s success.
• Inspect the bedding, furniture, electrical outlets, walls, and other contaminated spaces regularly for about a month.
• Vacuum your space every 2 days to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment.
• Store all the clean and treated items in sealed containers or bags until you’re confident the infestation is cleared.

Pro Tips To Maximize Treatment Success

We understand how there’s so much to do when an infestation attacks your home, and we feel your pain. Just pay attention to the following pro tips, and we are sure bed bugs won’t haunt you ever again.

• Seal the box springs and mattresses using bed bug-proof encasements to catch any surviving bed bugs or eggs once the treatment is complete.
• Place some climb-up interceptors under the furniture items, such as beds and couches, to monitor any new activity of bugs.
• Inspect your bedding, walls, furniture, crevices, and other bed bug hotspots regularly for about a month to timely find any new visitors.
• Keep your home clutter-free to reduce the hiding spots of bugs.

Your Home Deserves a Bed Bug-Free Future!

You deserve to live in a clean, safe, and peaceful home, and your home deserves your smile. Don’t allow the bed bugs or any other pest to overwhelm you anymore. Contact a reputable bed bug extermination service provider, such as Heat Solution, to eliminate the infestation. 

If you’re unsure of the infestation’s existence, its severity, or its type, Heat Solution provides you with a FREE inspection. Contact them to book your assessment today.

Final Thoughts

Proper preparation is critical for a successful bed bug treatment. DIY methods do provide relief, but that’s temporary. Plus, they end up aggravating the infestation, draining more of your time, energy, and money. Professional heat treatment is undoubtedly the most reliable and effective solution, guaranteeing successful elimination. Follow the steps mentioned in this article for the proper bed bug treatment preparation, and you’ll gain victory over the pests.

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