Proper preparation is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure a successful bedbug treatment. Without it, even the best professional efforts can fall short. This guide has been put together to help residents understand what’s required before treatment begins — with clear, practical steps designed to make the process as effective and stress-free as possible. Taking the time to prepare properly not only speeds up eradication but also reduces the chances of re-infestation.
Never bring new furniture into an infested property. its ok to dispose of furniture if proper precautions are taken, but under no circumstances is it advised to bring new furniture in. you should wait until several weeks after treatments have finished. new furniture can be quickly contaminated, and depending when brought in, wont have been treated.
One of the very first steps to take when a bedbug infestation is identified is to hotwash all clothing, bedding, and linens at 60°C. This temperature is high enough to kill not only adult bedbugs but also their eggs, which are often hidden deep within fabrics.
Hotwashing should begin as soon as the infestation is discovered and must continue throughout the treatment process. We recommend keeping up with regular hotwashing before and for at least a few weeks after treatment to ensure any surviving bugs or newly hatched eggs are eliminated. Items should be dried immediately on a high heat setting, or stored in sealed bags if not in use.
Hotwashing must be done at temperatures of 60°C or higher, any less will not be effective. Taking this step seriously helps reduce the number of live bugs in the property and gives the treatment a much higher chance of success.
Before treatment begins, it's essential to declutter your living space, especially around beds, sofas, and sleeping areas. Bedbugs thrive in hidden, undisturbed places — and clutter, particularly cardboard boxes, piles of clothes, papers, and other items left on the floor, provides the perfect hiding spots.
Focus on removing anything that isn’t needed, especially from under and around beds, behind furniture, and along skirting boards. Cardboard boxes should be discarded or replaced with sealable plastic containers, as cardboard is porous and offers ideal harbourage for bedbugs and their eggs.
Decluttering not only reduces places for bedbugs to hide but also ensures that pest control professionals have full access to key treatment areas. The more open and accessible the space, the more thorough and effective the treatment can be.
All wardrobes, drawers, and cabinets — particularly those near beds or sleeping areas — must be emptied in preparation for treatment. Bedbugs often hide in cracks, corners, and behind furniture, so these areas will need to be treated thoroughly, both internally and around the rear.
Clothing and other fabric items stored inside should be hotwashed at 60°C and then stored in sealed plastic bags or containers. This helps prevent re-infestation and ensures that any bugs or eggs are not transferred elsewhere in the home.
Emptying these storage areas also allows pest control technicians full access to inspect and treat the furniture properly. Leaving items inside can shield bedbugs from contact with treatment and reduce its effectiveness. Taking the time to clear out and store contents safely is an important step in ensuring the infestation is dealt with quickly and successfully.
Items hung on the walls — such as picture frames, mirrors, posters, artwork, and decorative hangings — can provide excellent harbourage for bedbugs. These pests often shelter in the small gaps between the item and the wall, or in the frame itself, particularly near sleeping areas.
All wall-mounted items should be removed prior to treatment to allow proper inspection and application of insecticide. Posters and lightweight decorations should be taken down and either discarded or stored safely in sealed containers. Solid items like wooden frames and mirrors may also need to be treated, especially if they were hanging near beds or sofas.
Removing these items helps ensure no areas are missed during treatment and reduces the number of places where bedbugs can hide and later re-emerge. It’s a simple step that plays a key role in making the treatment effective.
Rugs and loose carpets should be rolled up and left in the room before treatment begins. This applies whether the floor beneath is carpeted, tiled, or solid. Bedbugs can hide underneath or around the edges of these items, making them a potential source of re-infestation if not properly treated.
Rolling them up ensures that the entire floor area is exposed, giving pest control professionals full access to the surface as well as to skirting boards and wall-floor junctions, which are key areas for treatment. These edge zones around the perimeter of each room are common hiding spots for bedbugs and must be reachable.
Do not remove rugs from the room — they will need to be inspected and treated as part of the process. Keeping them on-site allows technicians to ensure no bedbugs or eggs are missed.
Curtains and drapes can easily become infested, especially in rooms where bedbugs have been active for some time. The upper areas where fabric bunches or gathers at the curtain rail are particularly common harbourage points, offering warmth, darkness, and little disturbance.
All curtains and drapes should be removed before treatment begins. If they are washable, they should be hotwashed at 60°C and dried thoroughly to kill any bedbugs or eggs present. If they are heavily infested or not suitable for washing, it may be necessary to dispose of them securely in sealed bags.
Leaving curtains in place risks shielding bedbugs from treatment and allows the infestation to persist or return. Proper handling of soft furnishings like these is a crucial part of ensuring a complete and lasting result.
Pets must be removed from treated areas prior to bedbug treatment and kept away until it is safe to return — typically once surfaces are dry and the technician has advised it is safe.
Insecticides used in bedbug treatments are extremely toxic to aquatic organisms, even in very small amounts. For this reason, fish tanks, aquariums, and all related equipment (pumps, air lines, filtration systems) must be fully removed from treated rooms or completely sealed and powered down prior to treatment. This also applies to reptile enclosures and amphibian habitats.
Birds are especially sensitive to chemical exposure and must also be kept well clear of all treated areas, ideally in a separate part of the property or temporarily relocated.
For larger mammals like cats and dogs, the same general precautions apply as for humans. They should be removed from the premises during treatment and only allowed to return once advised by the technician. If your pet has specific health concerns or sensitivities, consult your pest control provider before treatment day.