What heat treatment actually is
Heat treatment — properly called thermal remediation — treats the room rather than the surfaces in it. Industrial electric heaters and high-velocity ducted fans raise the whole space to 55–60°C, and eight to sixteen wireless probes sit in the coldest places a bed bug can hide: deep in the mattress core, behind the headboard, under the skirting, inside drawers and wardrobes, in the low corners of the room. The technician watches those readings live and moves air until every one of them is past the kill threshold and stays there.
Bed bugs are exothermic. Their internal temperature is whatever the air around them is, and their proteins denature at a fixed point. Adults and nymphs die at a sustained 45°C (113°F); eggs at 47–48°C (117–118°F). There is no metabolic defence and no resistance to develop — which is why heat works on populations that have already survived repeated spraying.
Heat vs chemical, side by side
| Heat treatment | Chemical spraying | |
|---|---|---|
| Visits needed | One | Two to four over 4–6 weeks |
| Kills eggs | Yes, same cycle | Unreliably — needs a hatch-timed return |
| Reaches cavities | Yes — air goes where a nozzle can't | Only treated surfaces |
| Insecticide resistance | Not possible | Widespread in UK populations |
| Back in the property | Same evening, after cool-down | After the re-entry period, each visit |
| Residue | None from the heat itself | Chemical residue on surfaces |
We do use one chemical element: a targeted residual dust in wall voids and sockets at the end of the job. That is there to kill anything walking in from a neighbouring property afterwards — not to kill the infestation we came for.
What happens on the day
- Setup, 45–60 minutes. Two technicians position heaters and fans, lay out temperature probes, seal doors and protect anything heat-sensitive we spot on arrival.
- Ramp up, 60–90 minutes. The room climbs from ambient to the 55–60°C target while the technician chases cold spots with fan placement.
- Soak, 2–4 hours. The room holds temperature. Mattress cores, headboard joints and skirting voids pass through 47–48°C and stay above it — this is the part that kills the eggs.
- Confirm. Every monitored point must show at least two hours above the egg threshold. The log is saved to your job record.
- Cool down, 30–60 minutes. Heaters off, fans on, doors open.
- Walk-through. We show you where the evidence was concentrated, hand over the temperature log and the written six-month guarantee, and brief you on 48-hour aftercare.
Full detail on timings is on how long heat treatment takes, and the engineering behind it on how heat treatment works.
What you prepare — and what stays put
Prep is deliberately light, because heat treats everything left in the room. Do not bag up and remove clothing or bedding: that moves live bed bugs out of the room we are about to sterilise.
Take out
- Candles, wax and aerosols
- Medication and chocolate
- Vinyl records and photographic film
- Oil paintings and delicate antiques
- Fish tanks, plants and all pets
- Fresh and perishable food
Leave in
- Clothing, on hangers or loose in drawers
- Bedding, pillows and the mattress
- Beds, sofas and soft furniture
- Books, luggage and bags
- Most electronics and TVs
- Curtains, rugs and carpets
The full list is on our preparation checklist, and what to do afterwards on aftercare.
What drives the price
- Rooms treated. A single bedroom is the cheapest job; a whole flat where the infestation has reached the living room costs more because it needs more heaters, more fans and more hours.
- Property size and layout. High ceilings, solid masonry and awkward internal doors all slow the ramp-up.
- Access and power. Third-floor walk-ups, restricted parking and limited ring-main capacity add crew time.
- How far it has spread. An infestation caught in the first fortnight is a smaller job than one that has been sprayed at three times and pushed into the walls.
- Urgency. Same-day emergency slots are priced differently from a booked weekday appointment.
We quote a fixed price before we arrive — see heat treatment costs for current ranges, or book an inspection if you are not yet sure what you are dealing with.
Who we treat
- Homes and flats. Owner-occupied and rented, from studios to family houses.
- Hotels and short lets. Room-by-room treatment that returns the room to sale the same night — see hotel heat treatment.
- Commercial and multi-occupancy. Offices, HMOs, student blocks and care settings, worked around your access hours — see commercial heat treatment.
- Landlords and letting agents. Documented treatment with a temperature log you can put in front of a tenant or a dispute service.
Not sure it's bed bugs?
Bites in a line, small dark spots along the mattress piping, shed skins in the bed frame joints and a sweet musty smell in a bad infestation are the usual signs. Fleas, carpet beetles and skin conditions all get mistaken for them. Read signs of a bed bug infestation and bed bugs vs fleas, or book a professional inspection and we will tell you either way before you spend anything on treatment. If it is already out of hand, our emergency same-day service is the fastest route.
Where we deliver this service
We respond across London and the Home Counties on the same day. Click any location below for postcode-level coverage, response times and pricing for that exact area.
- CamdenNW1, NW3, NW5, WC1
- WestminsterSW1, W1, W2, WC2
- IslingtonN1, N5, N7, EC1
- HackneyE2, E5, E8, E9, N1, N16
- Tower HamletsE1, E2, E3, E14
- SouthwarkSE1, SE5, SE15, SE16, SE17
- LambethSW2, SW4, SW8, SW9, SE11, SE24
- WandsworthSW8, SW11, SW12, SW15, SW17, SW18
- NewhamE6, E7, E13, E15, E16
- BrentNW2, NW6, NW9, NW10, HA0, HA9
- EalingW3, W5, W7, W13, UB1, UB6
- CroydonCR0, CR2, CR7, SE25
- WatfordWD17, WD18, WD19, WD24, WD25
- St AlbansAL1, AL2, AL3, AL4
- Hemel HempsteadHP1, HP2, HP3
- StevenageSG1, SG2
- LutonLU1, LU2, LU3, LU4
- BedfordMK40, MK41, MK42
- CambridgeCB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5
- PeterboroughPE1, PE2, PE3, PE4
- Milton KeynesMK1, MK2, MK3, MK9
- High WycombeHP11, HP12, HP13
- RomfordRM1, RM2, RM3, RM5, RM7
- ChelmsfordCM1, CM2, CM3
- ColchesterCO1, CO2, CO3, CO4
- Southend-on-SeaSS1, SS2, SS3
- BasildonSS13, SS14, SS15, SS16
- MaidstoneME14, ME15, ME16, ME17
- CanterburyCT1, CT2, CT3, CT4
- DartfordDA1, DA2, DA9
- BromleyBR1, BR2, BR3
- GuildfordGU1, GU2, GU3, GU4
- Kingston upon ThamesKT1, KT2
- WokingGU21, GU22
- EpsomKT17, KT18, KT19
Frequently asked questions
What is bed bug heat treatment?
Bed bug heat treatment (thermal remediation) raises the whole treated room to 55–60°C using industrial electric heaters and ducted fans, and holds it there for hours while wireless probes monitor the coldest points. Because bed bugs cannot regulate their body temperature, every adult, nymph and egg in the room dies. No sprays, no residue, no re-entry window.
Does heat treatment kill bed bug eggs?
Yes. Eggs die at a sustained 47–48°C (117–118°F), which is why we hold the room well above that for hours rather than aiming for a brief peak. This is the single biggest advantage over chemical treatment, where sprays cannot reliably penetrate the egg and a return visit timed to the hatch cycle is needed.
How many visits does it take?
One. A standard chemical programme is two to four visits spread over four to six weeks because it has to catch each hatch. Heat kills every life stage in the same cycle, so one 4–8 hour visit ends the infestation.
How long does bed bug heat treatment take?
A one-bedroom flat is typically 4–6 hours on site; a three-bedroom house 6–8 hours. That breaks down as 45–60 minutes of setup, 60–90 minutes of ramp-up, a 2–4 hour soak at temperature, then 30–60 minutes of cool-down before you can return.
How much does bed bug heat treatment cost?
Price depends on the number of rooms treated, property access and how far the infestation has spread beyond the bedroom. We quote a fixed price before we arrive — no per-visit charges, because there is only one visit. See our cost page for the current ranges, or call for a firm figure.
Is heat treatment safe for my home and belongings?
Yes, with a short prep list. Clothing, bedding, mattresses, furniture, books and most electronics handle 55–60°C without issue and are better left in the room so they get treated. You remove heat-sensitive items: candles, aerosols, medication, chocolate, vinyl records, oil paintings, certain antiques — and pets and plants leave for the day.
Do I need to move out?
Only for the treatment itself. The rooms reach temperatures that are unsafe for people and animals, so you are out for the working day. Once we have cooled the property down you can go straight back in and sleep in your own bed that night — there is no chemical drying or ventilation period.
Do you cover my area?
We cover London and the Home Counties seven days a week, with same-day emergency response where a slot is free. Use the postcode checker on our homepage or the areas-we-cover page to confirm your postcode.
What guarantee do I get?
A written six-month guarantee on the treated property, handed over with your temperature log at the end of the job. If bed bugs are found in the treated rooms within that period, we return at no charge.
Related guides
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