How to Prepare for Bed Bug Treatment

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To prepare for Aprehend bed bug treatment, wash and dry bedding and clothes from affected rooms on high heat, clear clutter off floors, pull furniture about 30 cm from the walls, vacuum and plan to keep pets out for at least four hours. After treatment, keep sleeping in your bed and don’t clean the treated bands.

This checklist is for KW Pest Control customers in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph booked for bed bug treatment. Print it or keep it open on your phone. Questions? Call 519-957-1766, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Why prep matters with Aprehend

Aprehend is a biopesticide made from fungal spores. Your technician sprays it in narrow bands where bed bugs walk, and bugs that cross a band pick up spores and die over the following days. The bands keep working for up to three months. Prep makes sure the technician can reach those routes, and aftercare makes sure the bands stay in place long enough to work. Good news: you don’t need to empty every dresser or bag everything you own.

Step 1: Laundry and bedding

[ ] Strip all bedding from beds in affected rooms, including mattress pads and pillowcases.
[ ] Wash bedding and the clothes, blankets and stuffed toys from affected rooms.
[ ] Dry everything on the hottest setting your fabrics allow for at least 40 minutes. Heat in the dryer kills bed bugs and eggs.
[ ] Store clean items in new sealed plastic bags until a few days after treatment.
[ ] Items you can’t wash, such as shoes and backpacks, can go through a hot dryer cycle on their own.

Step 2: Clear clutter

[ ] Pick up clothes, shoes, books, toys and bags from the floor, especially around beds and couches.
[ ] Empty the space under beds.
[ ] Bag papers and small items that can’t be laundered and leave them sealed.
[ ] Don’t move belongings to another room, home, car or storage unit. That spreads bed bugs.

Step 3: Furniture and vacuuming

[ ] Pull beds, couches and other furniture about 30 cm away from the walls.
[ ] Leave the mattress and box spring on the bed; don’t throw them out.
[ ] Vacuum mattress seams, bed frames, couch seams, baseboards and carpet edges.
[ ] Empty the vacuum or seal the bag and put it in an outdoor bin right away.
[ ] Clear baseboards and room edges so the technician can reach them.

Step 4: Pets and people

[ ] Plan for people and pets to be out of treated rooms until the spray is dry, usually a few hours.
[ ] Keep pets out of treated rooms for at least four hours.
[ ] Cover fish tanks and turn off the air pump during treatment.
[ ] Put away pet bowls, toys and bedding.
[ ] Tell us about anyone in the home who is pregnant, has a respiratory condition or a weakened immune system, so we can plan the visit.

Step 5: Treatment day

[ ] Make sure the technician can get into every room that needs treatment.
[ ] Leave any unwashed bedding off the beds until it’s laundered.
[ ] Don’t use store-bought sprays, foggers or powders before the visit. They can scatter bed bugs and interfere with treatment.
[ ] Ask your technician where the bands are, so you know which areas not to clean.

After treatment

Keep sleeping in your bed. Bed bugs need to come out and cross the bands to pick up spores. Sleeping on the couch or in another room can move them.
Don’t clean the treated bands. The bands are about 5 cm wide along baseboards, bed frames and furniture, and they stay active for up to three months. Don’t mop, steam or wipe them.
Expect a few live bugs. Seeing some bed bugs for two to three weeks is normal while they die off.
Don’t use other products. Store-bought sprays and cleaners can interfere with Aprehend.
Call us if you still see live bed bugs after 30 days.

Rockwell Labs, the maker of Aprehend, has a homeowner prep sheet with the same steps in more detail.

Bed bug prep: FAQ

Do I have to bag all my clothes?

No. With Aprehend, you only need to wash and dry the bedding and clothes from affected rooms, then store them in sealed bags until a few days after treatment. You don’t need to empty every dresser or closet in the home. Your technician will tell you if your situation needs more prep.

Can I sleep in my bed after treatment?

Yes, and you should. Once the spray is dry, sleep in your bed as usual. Bed bugs come out to feed and cross the treated bands, which is how they pick up the spores. Sleeping somewhere else can draw bugs to a new spot and spread the problem to other rooms.

How long do pets need to stay out?

Keep pets out of treated rooms for at least four hours, and until the spray is dry. Cover fish tanks and turn off air pumps during treatment, and put pet bowls, toys and bedding away beforehand. Your technician will tell you when it’s safe for pets to come back into each room.

Can I clean or vacuum after treatment?

You can clean normally everywhere except the treated bands. The bands are about 5 cm wide along baseboards, bed frames and furniture, and they need to stay in place for up to three months. Don’t mop, steam, wipe or vacuum them. Ask your technician to show you where they are.

Why am I still seeing bed bugs after treatment?

Aprehend doesn’t kill on contact. Bed bugs that cross a band die over several days, and bugs that hatch later still have to cross the bands. Seeing a few live bugs for two to three weeks is normal. If you still see live bed bugs after 30 days, call us at 519-957-1766.

Should I throw out my mattress?

Usually not. Throwing out a mattress can spread bed bugs on the way out, and a new mattress in an untreated room can be infested again. Leave the mattress and box spring on the bed for treatment. Mattress encasements can help after treatment and make it easier to check for bugs.

Questions about your bed bug treatment?

Call 519-957-1766 and tell us what you’re seeing. Estimates over the phone are free, and an inspection is required for an exact quote on larger jobs. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; leave a message after hours and we’ll call you back the next business day.

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