How to Prepare Your Home for Bed Bug Treatment

Published September 28, 20266 min read

A bed bug treatment largely succeeds or fails before the technician even arrives. A cluttered bedroom, clothes left in drawers or furniture pushed against the walls all create hiding spots the product won’t reach. Here is the checklist we give our clients to prepare their home for bed bug extermination, followed by the steps to take once the treatment is done.

Before you start: safety instructions

During an insecticide treatment, all occupants, including pets, must leave the premises before the technician arrives. How long the treatment takes depends on the home. Plan not to return for at least:

6 hours after the treatment begins, for adults;
8 hours for children and pets;
24 hours for pregnant women and people with heart disease.

People with certain allergies should see a doctor before the treatment. If an aquarium can’t be moved, cover it and turn off water and air filters for six hours. Your technician will confirm these times based on the method used.

The preparation checklist, room by room

In the bedrooms

Move furniture about 30 cm (1 foot) away from the walls.
Empty dressers, nightstands and other bedroom furniture so the technician can treat them. Store items in airtight containers: they can stay in place during the treatment.
Remove sheets, bedding, clothing, curtains and all fabrics from the area to be treated and put them in tightly sealed plastic bags. Do the same with rugs if possible.

In the closets

Remove everything from the closet floor.
Don’t put any item or piece of clothing back until it has been treated.

On walls and outlets

Lay paintings, mirrors and canvases on the floor, facing the wall.
Unplug your electronic devices.
Remove electrical wall plates, switch covers and phone jack covers. If possible, also remove the mouldings.

On the floors

Vacuum along the bottom of the walls, the floors and the carpets.
Then put the vacuum bag in a tightly sealed plastic bag and throw it straight in the garbage.

In the living room: sofas and armchairs

Remove the fabric stapled under sofas and armchairs so they can be treated properly. Otherwise, the technician can only unstaple it with your consent. You can then throw it away, or wash it if you plan to put it back.

Treating your clothes and fabrics

Heat kills bed bugs and their eggs in fabrics. According to the Government of Québec:

wash fabrics in water at 60 °C (140 °F);
dry them on very high heat for at least 30 minutes;
for small items that can’t take heat, freezing at −18 °C for at least 3.5 days works, spread out rather than packed tightly.

Items that can’t be washed but can take heat can go in the dryer on hot air for about 45 minutes.

What not to do before the treatment

Don’t apply insecticide yourself. Over-the-counter products scatter bed bugs and interfere with the professional treatment.
Don’t move your belongings to a friend’s or relative’s home, and don’t sleep in another room: you risk carrying the infestation with you.
Don’t put your furniture out on the curb. You could infest the neighbourhood (see below for how to get rid of it properly).

After the treatment: next steps

Empty the plastic bags straight into the washer and wash the contents in very hot water, then dry on high heat for 30 minutes.
Don’t wash the floors along the edges of the rooms until the follow-up visit. You can sweep or vacuum if needed.
Wash all toys in soapy water to avoid any contact with the product.
Have carpets and curtains cleaned by a professional cleaner, or steam-clean them yourself.
Wait two weeks after the second visit before putting your clothes and belongings back.

Getting rid of furniture or a mattress

Throwing out your furniture doesn’t solve an infestation. If you really must get rid of a piece of furniture, take it apart so it can’t be used. Do the same with bed bases. Mattresses should be slashed and wrapped in plastic film before being put out, and only on garbage collection day.

Why a second visit?

Bed bug eggs often survive the first treatment. A second visit is therefore usually scheduled three weeks after the first, once the eggs have hatched and the young bed bugs are exposed to the product.

Download our preparation sheets

Print the sheet that matches your treatment and keep it handy:

Preparation sheet for a shock treatment (active infestation, PDF)
Preparation sheet for a preventive treatment (PDF)

Tenants and landlords

In Montreal, tenants who discover bed bugs must notify their landlord, who must hire a qualified exterminator. The City of Montreal also asks tenants to put away the items in their bedrooms and to place clothing and bedding in airtight bags before the exterminator comes. In an apartment building, preparing every affected unit is essential: a single poorly prepared unit is enough for the infestation to come back to the neighbours.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to stay out of my home during the treatment?

For an insecticide treatment, plan on 6 hours for adults, 8 hours for children and pets, and 24 hours for pregnant women and people with heart disease. Your technician will confirm the time based on the method used.

Do I have to wash all my clothes before the treatment?

All clothing and fabrics in the area to be treated must be sealed in airtight bags, then washed in very hot water and dried on high heat. For rooms that won’t be treated, follow the instructions your technician gives you during the inspection.

Is the preparation the same for a heat treatment?

Not quite. Heat replaces the product, but some items sensitive to high temperatures, such as candles, electronics and certain plastics, must be removed or protected. Our guide to heat treatments for bed bugs covers that preparation in detail.

Who prepares the unit: the tenant or the landlord?

In Montreal, the landlord hires the exterminator, but the occupant prepares the unit by following the instructions provided. Good preparation of every affected unit is the key to a successful treatment.

A successful treatment starts with good preparation

Have questions about preparation, or want to book a treatment? Our certified technicians are with you from the inspection to the follow-up, across Greater Montreal. Learn about our bed bug extermination service, read our guide on how to identify bed bugs and get rid of them, call us at 514-677-7526 or request a quote.