Preparation Guide

Resident/Tenant Pre-Treatment Checklist

Should you have questions about preparation, please reach out via email at [email protected] or call us at 269-291-0151.

Please ensure all boxes are checked for maximum success in the eradication process:

Tell us before treatment

Thermofoil cabinets will peel. If you have these cabinets, they will peel during a heat treatment. Thermofoil cabinets are wrapped in plastic over a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) core.

It is rare that we encounter them, usually only one set per year – one out of 300 homes we treat.

Identify them: smooth, seamless fronts; slightly rounded, wrapped edges; no visible frame joints or brush marks; and often plain white backs.

Check for existing peeling: they may already be starting to peel near your oven, toaster, or coffee maker. Check door edges, corners, and hinges too.

Tell us before treatment: if you identify them, we can attempt to mitigate their peeling, but assume they will peel. They can often be re-glued.

☑ I have checked for thermofoil cabinets and will tell Bed Bug Specialist before treatment if I have them.

📝 PRE-TREATMENT CHECKLIST

All humans and pets (including birds, fish, reptiles, etc.) must vacate the home for the entire treatment and stay away for at least 3 hours after it's completed.
All laundry must be put away—either hung in closets or stored in drawers or on shelves. Do not leave any piles of clothes or linens, including in hampers.
If you have clothing stored in bins or chests, leave them open and accessible.
If you have excess laundry, dry it on high heat for 30 minutes and immediately seal it in new trash bags that are tightly closed.
ALL CLUTTER MUST BE REDUCED. No excessive piles of clothing, bins, boxes, magazines, piles of paper or junk piled up. Two or three boxes in a room are fine. But a room full of boxes and bins will not allow air flow and will impede access by the tech. For cluttery rooms or any doubt, send us a picture and we'll advise.
Beds, couches, and chairs should be cleared off. We will flip cushions and mattresses. Bedding may stay on beds. If you have a severe infestation, launder your bedding before treatment.
All trash must be placed in new, tightly sealed trash bags and taken to the outside dumpster.
For monitored fire alarm systems (such as ADT), you must notify them to set it to test mode (or whatever they advise) to prevent the heat setting off your fire alarm.
Condos & apartments must notify management for direction on disabling any heat-related alarms, as well as obtaining permission for our treatment, parking, etc.

❄️ REMOVE OR PLACE IN FRIDGE/OVEN

Live plants, candles, lipstick, crayons, and deodorants
Wines, chocolates, fresh fruits, and vegetables
Vinyl records, VCR tapes, film reels, and cassette tapes
Combustible items such as oxygen tanks, propane tanks, aerosol sprays, fire extinguishers, and lighters
Lithium-ion batteries: Inspect items with lithium-ion or rechargeable batteries for swelling, corrosion, or cracks and remove them from the home. Degraded batteries are a known fire risk even without a heat treatment. Items with lithium-ion batteries might include power banks, rechargeable vacuums, power tools, old cellphones in drawers, Bluetooth speakers, ride-on toys, drones, etc. Old laptops or tablets that have not been charged or used for a while should be removed, as the battery may be degraded. E-bikes, scooters, and hoverboards should be removed.
High-value or irreplaceable items such as heirlooms, oil paintings, family videos, and collectibles
Horizontal, plastic, or faux-wood window blinds can potentially warp or sag. To prevent this, if it's a concern, draw them all the way open and remove them by the (usually) 2 metal or plastic clips at the top, then place them on a flat surface.
Store all sensitive medications, gelcap supplements, and vitamins in the fridge to prevent heat damage.
Ammunition may misfire after heat exposure, so store it in a garage or safe location.
Sleep Number beds and similar will be permanently damaged. Unzip and remove the bladder, and leave it in the garage or outside. Adjustable bed frames are fine.
Stringed musical instruments may detune and pianos may be damaged by heat expansion. Contact us beforehand to discuss.
Items hung with command strips or adhesives should be taken down. Items held together with hot glue may melt—this includes some crafts or inexpensive frames.
Electronics should be unplugged until they are completely cooled after the treatment (except stove, fridge, and freezers).
Leave lights turned on in every room.

📆 DAY OF TREATMENT

Leave as much as possible in the home to be treated. Avoid bringing backpacks, purses, or bags that could contain bedbugs. Use only clean bags if necessary.
Wash and dry a set of clothes on high heat to wear when leaving the home. Put on clean clothes and do not sit on any furniture before exiting the property.
Make sure all pets are crated and ready to leave before our team arrives.
Be prepared to vacate the premises within 15 minutes of our arrival.
We will be opening closets and drawers, flipping couch cushions, opening recliners, and moving some items. While we'll return some items to their original place, a full reset is not guaranteed.

✅ AFTER TREATMENT

Do not wipe down or mop baseboards, headboards, door jambs, or window sills for 3–4 weeks. Sweeping is fine.
Do not go back in the house for 3 hours or more. This is for safety as well as allowing the treatment to continue working the appropriate amount of time.
You can open windows and/or turn on the AC at that time to cool the house.
Don't plug your electronics back in until 2 hours after the house has cooled.

A SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT RELIES NOT ONLY ON THE DURATION AND TEMPERATURE OF THE TREATMENT BUT THE PREPARATION OF THE RESIDENT AS WELL!!

Download Checklist

B Bed Bug Specialist

4.9 ★★★★★

Based on 68 Google reviews

J John Cantrell

★★★★★

Dave was fantastic from start to finish. He listened carefully to my concerns and made sure I felt comfortable with the treatment plan. His attention to detail and genuine care made the experience stress-free, and I couldn’t have asked for better service.

C Curtis Gonzalez

★★★★★

I highly recommend BBS for anyone looking for dependable service. Kendall provided outstanding customer support and made scheduling completely hassle-free. Technician Allan treated my home with care, explained each step of the process, and delivered excellent results. The entire team was professional, friendly, and committed to customer satisfaction.

J Jonathan Young

★★★★★

My experience with Bed Bug Specialist exceeded every expectation. Dori was welcoming and made the scheduling process very easy. Technician Sean explained the available bed bug removal solutions in simple language and completed the work with great attention to detail. I would confidently recommend this company to anyone needing reliable service.