Bed Bug Treatment Guide
It is completely normal to feel stressed about bed bugs, though such worries are needless, as the space will be yours once again should you put some work into it and follow concrete steps. Bed bugs can appear and spread quickly in a house, hotel, or apartment setting. This implies it will require some hardcore preparation-and a follow-through from you. This guide prepares you for the process, explains the treatments such as Aprehend®, and considers some insecticides used by specialists to outwit these hardy pests.
For a major infestation or if one is happening on a recurrent basis, treating it through professional exterminators is highly recommended. The best way to eliminate bed bugs is through a combination of treatment methods, generally referred to as integrated pest management (IPM), which includes both chemical and non-chemical control techniques to provide long-term control measures.
Preparation Steps Before Treatment
Proper preparation makes treatments far more effective. It exposes bed bugs hiding in hard-to-reach areas and prevents them from spreading to other parts of the room. Plan to set aside 2–4 hours per room for prep, ideally 24–48 hours before treatment.
Reduce Clutter
Bag or remove non-essential items, such as books, toys, and loose belongings. Treat or inspect items before bringing them back into the room.
Helpful Tips: Use sealed plastic bags. Throw away heavily infested items if they can’t be cleaned.
Launder Fabrics
Wash bedding, clothing, curtains, and linens in hot water (120°F/49°C), then dry on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
Helpful Tips: Double-bag clean items to keep them free of bugs. Dry-clean delicate items.
Vacuum Thoroughly
Vacuum mattresses, box springs, floors, and furniture—pay extra attention to seams, cracks, and edges.
Helpful Tips: Immediately seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and dispose of it outside.
Install Mattress Encasements
Zip mattresses and box springs inside bed bug-proof encasements.
Helpful Tips: Keep them on for at least 12 months to trap and starve any hidden bugs.
Heat or Small Items
Use a dryer or heat chamber set at 113°F (45 °C) for 90 minutes. For delicate, non-heat-safe items, freeze them at 0°F (-18°C) for 4 days. Run linens and other cloths or plush toys in a dryer on high heat for 30 minutes.
Helpful Tips: Pillows, stuffed animals, and shoes are common items that can be treated this way.
Seal Cracks and Crevices
Caulk gaps in baseboards, furniture, and walls.
Helpful Tips: Also, tape outlets and switches to push bugs into exposed areas where treatments can reach them.
Isolate the Bed
Move the bed 6” from the walls and place interceptors under the legs.
Helpful Tips: This blocks bugs from climbing up to the bed.
Prepare for Inspection
Empty drawers and pull furniture 6” from the walls. Remove outlet covers for access.
Helpful Tips: Avoid moving items between rooms to prevent spreading the infestation.
Safety Tip: Children, pets, and elderly individuals should be excluded from the area during treatment and preparation work. After treatment, continue to monitor for bed bugs for up to one year to ensure they’re completely gone.
Using Aprehend® for Bed Bug Control
Aprehend® is a professional-use biopesticide that uses fungal spores to naturally target bed bugs. It’s safe for people and pets but lethal to bed bugs. Unlike traditional sprays, it doesn’t kill instantly. Bugs that cross-treated surfaces become infected and die within 3–7 days, with one application continuing to work for up to three months.
Because it requires specialized equipment and training, Aprehend® can only be applied by licensed professionals.
How It Works
• Bed bugs pick up spores when they walk across treated areas.
• The spores germinate on their exoskeleton, spreading to other bugs through contact.
• Works even in dry environments and on surfaces rarely touched by people or pets.
Where and How Professionally Applies it
• We will supply the required mattress encasements and install to ensure the quality of control is met. Please give us a count of mattresses, box springs and pull out beds.
• Sprayed in 2-inch-wide barriers along bed frames, furniture legs, headboards, baseboards, and common travel paths for bugs.
• A single 16 oz bottle treats about 1,500 linear feet, enough for most homes with 1–3 bedrooms.
• After spraying, the treated area must dry for 1–2 hours before re-entering.
• Heavy infestations, steam and vacuuming will be used.
• Along with the Aprehend treatment we inject under all electrical outlets, baseboards and door/window frames with DE dust for add control.
• There will be a follow up inspection which is included in the treatment plan and cost. Save any bed bug live or dead to be tested for the Aprehend spores.
Key Advantages
• Long-lasting protection with fewer reapplications
• Low toxicity compared to chemical sprays
• Great for apartments and hotels where infestations can spread quickly
What to Expect: You’ll likely see a significant reduction within 2–5 weeks. For severe infestations, professionals often combine Aprehend® with heat treatments, vacuuming, and monitoring traps for the best results.
Traditional Insecticide Treatments
Many pest control companies also use EPA-approved insecticides. These products are available in liquid, aerosol, and dust forms. Because bed bugs can become resistant to certain ingredients, professionals rotate insecticides and apply them in multiple visits, usually every 7–14 days.
Avoid using foggers or ‘bug bombs’—they scatter bed bugs without reaching where they hide. Steam and vacuuming will be used in moderate to heavy infestations. Chem treatments are generally cheaper than the aprehend but 2 treatments approx 21 days apart are required and there is no warranty. The prep is far more extensive also.
Pyrethrins / Pyrethroids
Examples: Deltamethrin, Secleria WSG, Drione Pyrethrin Dust
Attacks the nervous system, kills on contact.
Notes: Many bed bugs are resistant. Best used to flush bugs out, not as a standalone treatment.
Neonicotinoids
Examples: Imidacloprid
Disrupts nerve signals, providing residual kill.
Notes: Effective against resistant bed bugs. Low odor.
Desiccants
Examples: Diatomaceous Earth, Silica Gel
Destroys the bug’s protective coating, causing dehydration.
Notes: Effective against resistant bed bugs. Low odor.
Tips for Best Results
• Post-application procedures will take place after all preparations have been carried out. Emphasis during application should be on known hideouts, such as mattresses, cracks, and furniture seams.
• Treatment should include both chemical and non-chemical methods, heat treatment, or steam cleaning.
• Two to three treatments followed by monitoring every week are most of the time needed to ensure successful treatment of an infestation.
• Among precautions to be noted, ventilate treated rooms while making sure people and pets are kept away for at least 2 to 4 hours.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Treatment for bed bugs takes time and very consistent treatment methods. It is believed to last 2–4 weeks or even longer when monitored and treated with professional help. Continued monitoring is a good idea and we can supply monitoring devices and explain how to use.
Call for assistance if you want to get rid of bed bugs or just need guidance, and our team will help you design a good treatment plan that fits your home and keeps bed bugs away.
