Chemical Treatment for Bed Bugs vs Heat Treatment: Which Should You Choose?

What Is Chemical Treatment for Bed Bugs?

Chemical treatment for bed bugs is a professional program of insecticide sprays and dusts applied to the places bed bugs hide, usually over two or more visits. Health Canada strongly recommends hiring a licensed professional pest control operator if you have bed bugs, and Alberta Health notes that chemical treatment is best done by a professional, partly because some products registered for bed bugs may be available only to licensed operators. Here is what the treatment involves.

Insecticides Used

Insecticides used in a chemical treatment for bed bugs include liquid sprays, aerosol sprays, insecticidal dusts and diatomaceous earth, according to Health Canada. In the United States, the EPA has registered more than 300 products for bed bugs, in classes ranging from pyrethroids to desiccant dusts and insect growth regulators. Some companies also offer Aprehend, a biopesticide made of fungal spores that was registered in Canada in 2020 for professional use only. Health Canada advises checking the label for a PCP (Pest Control Products) registration number, and not buying or using any product without one. For a closer look at each product family, read our guide to what chemicals exterminators use for bed bugs.

Where Professionals Apply Insecticides

Professionals apply insecticides to the cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide, not to the surfaces you sleep or sit on. Typical spots include bed frames, cracks, baseboards, furniture joints, the seams and crevices of beds, chairs and sofas, and gaps in walls (University of Kentucky, UC IPM, Penn State Extension). Bedding and clothing are not sprayed: the US EPA advises putting them in the dryer at high temperatures instead. A Toronto company describes its visit as an inspection, vacuuming, moving furniture, steam in spots where chemicals cannot go, then a targeted application, with technicians spending 4 to 6 hours on site (commercial).

Follow-Up Visits

Follow-up visits are part of every chemical treatment because most insecticides do not kill bed bug eggs. Bed bug eggs usually hatch in 6 to 17 days (Health Canada), so a second application is timed to catch the young nymphs before they grow up and lay eggs of their own. Michigan State University Extension says a conventional chemical program usually requires at least one follow-up treatment two weeks later. In Montreal, the social housing office (OMHM) reports that the company comes back every two or three weeks until the bed bugs are gone.

Re-Entry Time

Re-entry time after a chemical treatment is set by the product label, and the Manitoba government gives a useful benchmark: stay out of your home for at least 4 hours after treatment begins. Pregnant women, newborns under 18 months and people with breathing difficulties should stay out for 12 hours after the treatment is completed. Alberta Health adds that the operator should give you written information on the products used, how long to stay out and what cleaning to do afterwards.

How Is Heat Treatment Different From Chemical Treatment?

Heat treatment differs from chemical treatment because it kills bed bugs with temperature instead of insecticide, in a single long visit. It is a specialised service, and Health Canada says heat treatments should be left to the professionals.

Whole-Room Heating

Whole-room heating raises the air in your home until every hiding spot passes the point where bed bugs die. Health Canada gives that lethal point as 50°C, and the University of Kentucky says technicians heat rooms to about 120 to 130°F (about 49 to 54°C) while watching temperature sensors. A whole-room treatment usually takes about 6 to 8 hours from setup to take down (Virginia Cooperative Extension). Our guide to bed bug heat treatment explains the full process.

Cold Spots

Cold spots are the weak point of heat treatment. Alberta Health warns that if a room does not get hot enough, bed bugs may move to a cooler area, and Virginia Cooperative Extension notes that older buildings can have cold spots that professionals treat with insecticide instead. This is one reason heat and chemical treatments are often used together.

Why Not to Heat Your Home Yourself

Heating your home yourself does not work and is dangerous. The EPA warns against trying to kill bed bugs by turning up the thermostat or using a propane space heater or fireplace. Professional heat also means preparing your belongings, and our guide on whether heat treatment damages electronics covers what to protect.

Heat vs Chemical Treatment for Bed Bugs: Which Works Better?

Heat vs chemical treatment for bed bugs is a trade-off: heat is faster and kills eggs in one visit, while chemical treatment costs less and keeps working after the technician leaves. As one large pest control company puts it, neither approach is universally better (Orkin, commercial). Here is how bed bug heat treatment vs chemical treatment compares, point by point.

Bed Bug Eggs

Bed bug eggs are where heat has the clearest advantage. Heat can kill all life stages, eggs included (Virginia Cooperative Extension), while the US EPA notes that eggs are resistant to many methods of pest control, so a chemical program relies on a follow-up visit to kill the nymphs that hatch later.

Insecticide Resistance

Insecticide resistance weakens some chemical treatments. The EPA reports that some bed bug populations have become resistant to pyrethrins and pyrethroids, the most common bed bug insecticides, and Purdue University says bed bugs have developed resistance to most classes of pesticides, as the University of Kentucky also notes. Professionals work around this by switching or combining product classes. Bed bugs cannot become resistant to desiccant dusts, which kill by drying them out (EPA), and heat does not depend on any chemical.

Number of Visits

The number of visits is usually one for heat and two or more for chemical treatment. The University of Kentucky says heat can often clear an infestation in one day rather than over several weeks, and Virginia Cooperative Extension says many infestations can be cured in a single heat treatment. Chemical treatments typically need at least one follow-up, and HealthLinkBC notes that more than one application will likely be necessary. The Manitoba government describes residual treatment as usually done once or twice, and Purdue University calls it a practical bed bug control.

Residual Protection

Residual protection is where chemical treatment wins. Residual insecticides keep killing bed bugs that cross treated surfaces after the visit, and Aprehend's maker reports up to 3 months of residual activity (commercial). Heat has no residual effect, as the US EPA notes, so bed bugs brought back in the day after a heat treatment can start a new infestation (University of Kentucky, Virginia Cooperative Extension).

Cost

Cost usually favours chemical treatment, but prices vary by company, city and the size of the job. HomeStars, a Canadian home services marketplace, reports chemical treatment at $300 to $1,500 and heat treatment at $1,200 to $4,000+, and says heat typically costs two to three times more up front but often resolves an infestation in a single session. Remember to count follow-up visits when you compare quotes. For details, see how much a bed bug exterminator costs and the cost of a bed bug heat treatment.

Preparation

Preparation is different for each method. For a chemical treatment, you usually clear clutter, bag and launder bedding and clothes, and empty closets and dressers so the technician can reach every crack. For heat, you remove or protect heat-sensitive items such as candles, aerosol cans and electronics (commercial sources); the US EPA advises handling them so they do not melt. Either way, the Manitoba government stresses that both methods work best when you do your part, such as vacuuming and checking for bed bugs. Our step-by-step guide on how to prepare for bed bug treatment has the full checklist.

Which Bed Bug Treatment Should You Choose?

The right bed bug treatment depends on how large the infestation is, your budget and your building. A licensed professional will recommend a method after inspecting your home, but these guidelines help you read the quotes.

Light Infestations

Light infestations are often handled well with chemical treatment. Pest control companies describe conventional chemical treatment as suited to localized, low-level infestations (Wil-Kil, Orkin, commercial), and an Ontario heat specialist recommends its biopesticide option for light or early infestations and tight budgets (Bed Bug Heat Relief, commercial). If you have only found one bed bug, confirm the infestation before paying for any treatment.

Severe Infestations

Severe infestations are where heat earns its higher price. The same Ontario company recommends heat for large or severe infestations and for homes already treated with chemicals without success (Bed Bug Heat Relief, commercial). Heat can clear all life stages in one visit, so it also suits households that cannot wait weeks for follow-ups.

Combining Heat and Chemical Treatment

Combining heat and chemical treatment gives you the speed of heat and the lasting protection of a residual. The University of Kentucky and Penn State Extension note that some firms apply insecticides at the same time as heat to make up for heat's lack of residual effect, and the Manitoba government recommends integrated pest management, which combines chemical, mechanical, vacuum and steam treatment. Ask each company whether a residual is included in its heat price.

Apartment Buildings

Apartment buildings raise the risk of bed bugs coming back from neighbouring units, which makes residual protection more valuable. Orkin notes that reintroduction is possible in hotels and multifamily housing (commercial). If you rent, tell your landlord right away: our guide to who is responsible for paying for bed bug extermination explains the rules.

Questions to Ask a Provider

Questions to ask a provider help you compare a chemical quote with a heat quote on equal terms. Ask which products they use and their PCP numbers, how many visits are included, how long you must stay out, whether a residual is applied after heat, and what the re-treatment guarantee covers. Our list of questions to ask a bed bug exterminator goes further. When you are ready, you can get a quote from a recommended local exterminator through Pest Agent's referral form.

Is Chemical Treatment for Bed Bugs Safe?

Chemical treatment for bed bugs is safe when a licensed professional applies registered products and you follow the label's re-entry instructions. The Manitoba government says professional chemicals are generally not a health concern when label safety instructions are followed, Texas A&M stresses that label directions are not merely suggestions, and Alberta Health warns that using pesticides incorrectly can make you sick. If someone in your home is in poor health or sensitive to chemical smells, Alberta Health suggests checking with your doctor first.

Children

Children need extra care during any chemical treatment. Health Canada says not to use pesticides on baby cribs, playpens or toys, and never on people or bedding unless the label specifically allows it. Keep children out for the full re-entry period, which the Manitoba government extends to 12 hours for newborns under 18 months.

Pets

Pets must also be kept away from treated areas until the label says it is safe to return, and Health Canada says never to use a treatment on pets unless the label specifically says so. Our guide on what to do with your pets during bed bug treatment explains how to plan for them.

Store-Bought Sprays

Store-bought sprays have limited effect on their own. The University of Kentucky notes that most bed bug sprays sold to homeowners can lose much of their effect once dry, Texas A&M says they work when applied carefully and directly to the insects and their hiding places, and Alberta Health warns that misused insecticides can push bed bugs into new areas. If you use one between professional visits, pick a product registered for bed bugs with a PCP number and follow the label. Our tested picks for the best bed bug spray can help.

Foggers

Foggers, or bug bombs, should not be used against bed bugs. The University of Kentucky calls total-release foggers ineffective against bed bugs and potentially dangerous when used incorrectly, since the mist does not reach bed bugs hiding in cracks and can cause fires.

Unregistered Products

Unregistered products are illegal in Canada and can be deadly. In 2015, Health Canada warned Canadians not to use unregistered bed bug control products, after deaths that may have been linked to a pesticide imported from abroad and used at home. Do not buy any product without a PCP number, do not mix homemade pesticides, and do not use ozone generators, which Health Canada says are not safe.