Do You Need to Leave the House During Bedbug Treatment?

You might enjoy snuggling with Fido or Miss Kitty at night, but if the thought of sharing your bed with bedbugs horrifies you, you're not alone.

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Fortunately, simple treatments can eradicate these unwanted bedmates, but you’ll typically need to leave home for several hours.

Professional pest control companies typically ask you and your pets to leave your home during bedbug treatment. However, the length of time you’ll need to stay away depends on whether they’re spraying pesticide, performing a heat treatment or steam cleaning.

Pesticide Spraying

Pest control companies use high volumes of concentrated pesticides to treat bedbug infestations. These chemicals can be hazardous to your health, so you’ll need to stay away from your home until they settle completely. According to Bedbugs Insider, this typically takes between 2 and 4 hours. However, the timeframe may vary depending on the type of chemical and the extent of the treatment, so ask your pest control company when it’s safe to return home.

Heat Treatments

Bedbugs die when temperatures of 113 degrees Fahrenheit are maintained for an hour or longer. Heat treatments that superheat a home's interior to eradicate bedbugs aren’t typically dangerous for people or animals. However, the high heat makes conditions extremely uncomfortable. Family members and their pets should expect to stay away from their home for about 6 hours after treatment. However, the timeline may vary depending on your home's size and any additional treatments used, so ask your pest control company when it’s safe to return.

Steam Cleaning

Pest control operators may include steam cleaning as part of the bedbug treatment process. Steam cleaning can eradicate insects from mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture, carpet and other areas. This process is often used in conjunction with pesticide spraying. The pest control technician must perform this task slowly and methodically, so it'll likely extend the treatment time up to several hours.

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How Else Can You Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Treatment?

Your pest control company should give you specific steps to follow to prepare your home for treatment. However, to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment and protect your belongings, you can start by:

• Removing bedding and towels and washing them on the hottest setting
• Discarding infested furniture that’s in poor condition
• Clearing clutter from the floor and furniture
• Emptying closets, dresser drawers and bookshelves
• Placing cleaned items in sealed plastic bags to protect them from further infestation
• Vacuuming thoroughly, and disposing of the debris in an outdoor trash bin
• Moving furniture to the middle of the room, so technicians can reach baseboards and molding
• Covering fish tanks with plastic wrap and turning off pumps

Bedbug treatments can take several weeks to work. If you’re still seeing signs of infestation after two weeks, contact your pest control company.