Preparation for Bed Bug Treatment

Arrow Pest Service
March 5, 2018

Preparation for bed bug treatment of a room for treatment is essential to successfully managing…

Preparation for bed bug treatment of a room for treatment is essential to successfully managing bed bugs. We prefer to conduct an inspection BEFORE cleaning or rearranging has occurred. This gives us a sense of the full extent of the problem and prevents the disturbance and spread of bed bugs before treatment. However, once bed bugs are located and the size of the problem has been estimated, room preparation must be done, usually by the resident, unless other arrangements are made at an additional cost.

Suggested room preparation steps include:

  • Carefully remove all blankets, sheets, covers, pillows, bath towels, and drapes/curtains from the bed and room and place them in sealed bags for transport to the laundry. Place items in the wash and launder them with hot water.
  • Empty drawers and closets and place belongings into plastic bags. Place all clothing and coats into bags for transport to the laundry. Shoes, pillows, and children’s plush
    toys should be bagged for the laundry. Carefully place items in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
  • Plastic toys, books, electronics, and anything that cannot be washed should be bagged separately for inspection.
  • The room should be empty of all cloth and plush items except for plush furniture. If possible, the plush furniture pillows should be removed and laundered.
  • Move furniture at least 18 inches away from walls. People may need help with this.
  • Remove outlet covers and switch plates on all walls.
  • Picture frames should be removed from the walls and cleaned or treated.
  • People and pets must leave the area during treatment and wait the stated amount of time before re-entering, usually 4 hours.
  • If there is a fish tank in the household, it should be covered with a towel or plastic because fish are susceptible to many pesticides.
  • All clothing, linens, and other items must be cleaned (free of bed bugs) and kept isolated until the client is moved to a new room or location or until the bed bug problem is eliminated.
  • Make sure the pest control professional can inspect and treat all furniture, closets, beds, and baseboards.

Other Notes about Preparation

Plastic Bags used to remove items possibly infested with bed bugs must be discarded
and not reused, and other clean containers or bags should be used to store the items in a
safe location until bed bugs have been eliminated.

Following up

Your follow-up will be within two to three weeks; expect to see a few stragglers in some instances, possibly. Continue to use your bedroom and bed to sleep in. Document when and where you noticed any evidence (bugs, bites, blood stains) and have your report of any sightings ready for us when we arrive for the follow-up.

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