Preparing for Bed Bug Treatment: MSU Extension’s List, and the Heat Exception

For a chemical treatment (MSU Extension, 2013)

• “Place clothes, shoes, plush toys, pillows, and bedding into large clear plastic bags and seal the bags tightly until the items can be laundered.”
• “Launder all clothing and bedding. It is recommended to use the highest heat settings for washing and drying, if possible, for at least 30 minutes.” MSU’s travel article adds the wash temperature: ideally 100 to 120°F.
• “Move furniture away from walls. Vacuum carpets, upholstered furniture and drapery. Dispose of the vacuum bag or the canister contents in a sealed plastic bag and place it outside the home.”
• Non-launderable items in sealed totes “until they can be thoroughly inspected or enough time has passed that bed bugs are dead – at least a year.”

For a heat treatment

MSU’s own caveat: “If the pest management professional is going to use heat treatment, the steps may be different.” They are. Heat wants the bugs to stay where the heat is, so:

• Remove what heat damages: candles, aerosols, lighters, medications, cosmetics, houseplants, pets, stringed instruments, photographs, chocolate, wine.
• Unplug electronics; we wrap televisions.
• Leave clothing, bedding and clutter in place. Bagging them up and carrying them out moves the bugs out of the treatment.
• Be out for the day, with pets.

Either way

Do not throw the bed out. Beds treat. Carrying an infested mattress down a shared stairwell seeds the building.