Bed bugs are the pest that costs people the most money before they call a professional — usually on sprays, mattress covers and furniture they threw out for no reason.
First: confirm it's actually bed bugs
Bites alone prove nothing. People react differently, and plenty of bites blamed on bed bugs turn out to be fleas, mosquitoes or skin conditions. Look for physical evidence instead:
- Rust-colored spotting along mattress seams and box spring edges
- Black specks (digested blood) clustered near the headboard
- Shed skins in the tufts of the mattress or behind the bed frame
- Live insects — flat, oval, apple-seed sized when adult
Heat vs. conventional treatment
Heat treatment raises the room to a lethal temperature and holds it. It kills every life stage including eggs, in one visit, with no residual chemical. It is the strongest single-visit option and the right choice for most apartments.
Conventional treatment uses targeted applications and growth regulators across two or three visits. It costs less, works well for lower-level activity, and can be combined with encasements and monitors.
Neither approach prevents re-introduction. That distinction matters most in buildings.
Why single-unit treatment fails in shared buildings
Bed bugs move through wall voids, along plumbing and electrical chases, and in the belongings of anyone moving between units. If the unit next door or above is infested and untreated, a perfectly executed treatment in your apartment can be re-seeded within weeks.
That's why we push property managers toward inspecting adjacent units — the two beside, the one above, the one below. It costs less than treating the same apartment three times.
Realistic prep
You do not need to throw out your furniture. You do not need to bag every possession in your home. A good prep list is short:
- Launder and dry bedding and recently worn clothing on high heat
- Clear the floor around beds and along baseboards so treatment can reach
- Do not move items from the infested room to another room — that's how it spreads
- Leave the mattress in place; it gets treated, not discarded
After treatment
Install interceptors under bed legs and keep them. They're the cheapest early-warning system available. Expect a follow-up inspection around two weeks, and a second around four. Occasional sightings in the first week after conventional treatment are normal as bugs contact treated surfaces; sightings at week three are not, and warrant a callback.
Discretion matters to most of our clients, and we can arrive without company markings if you ask.