Heat treatment kills bed bugs and eggs in a single visit, provided the heat reaches 56°C throughout the treated volume. No possible resistance, no chemical residue — but it doesn't protect against reinfestation from a neighbouring home. What actually happens during an intervention.
The principle: 56°C kills everything
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and their eggs die instantly from 56°C. At 48°C, death occurs within 90 minutes. Heat treatment brings the whole room to 56–60°C for 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on the volume, making sure the heat penetrates corners, mattresses and upholstered furniture.
Heat reaches areas chemical treatment can't: mattress seams, inside electrical outlets, under skirting boards, behind wallpaper. No bed bug or egg can hide there if the heating protocol is followed correctly.
Unlike insecticides, bed bugs can't develop resistance to heat: it's a physical limit, not a chemical one.
How a heat treatment intervention unfolds
Preparation (the day before): remove heat-sensitive items (candles, cosmetics, certain medications, plants, pets). Clothing and textiles stay — the heat treats those too.
On the day, the technician sets up the equipment and tracks the temperature in real time throughout the room to ensure even heating, including in corners and upholstered furniture.
Immediate result: dead bed bugs are visible as soon as treatment ends, and a visual check is carried out before the home is handed back. No waiting period: you can move back in the same evening.
Heat or chemical: which to choose?
Heat treatment is recommended when: the infestation is established (several nests detected), you have young children or people sensitive to insecticides, the flat is rented and the tenant needs to return quickly, or a previous chemical treatment has failed (a sign of resistance).
Chemical treatment (residual insecticide + IGR) remains relevant for light, early infestations, or as a complement to heat treatment for peripheral areas (stairwell, neighbouring flats).
Combining heat treatment with a perimeter insecticide is the optimal approach for multi-unit buildings: heat treats the main nest, the insecticide creates a barrier against reinfestation from neighbouring flats.
What heat treatment doesn't do
It doesn't prevent reinfestation from adjoining homes. In a building, a bed bug can cross a partition wall from a neighbour within a few days. That's why a follow-up check is essential: it distinguishes a recurrence (newly imported bed bugs) from a treatment failure.
It doesn't treat areas outside the heated perimeter. If textiles were left in an unheated cellar or garage, they may still hold surviving eggs.
Items removed before treatment (suitcases, boxes) need separate treatment: a high-temperature tumble-dryer cycle for textiles, freezing for anything that can't take the heat.
The guarantee is the key thing to check: it should cover a repeat intervention if active bed bugs are found after treatment, and distinguish a recurrence from a reinfestation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I throw away my mattress before heat treatment?
No. That's a common and costly mistake: the mattress is treated on site along with the rest of the room. Throwing it away without prior treatment scatters eggs and bed bugs through the stairwell. If the mattress is badly damaged, replace it after treatment, never before.
Do I need to leave my home during treatment?
Yes, for 3 to 5 hours depending on the volume. The technician tells you exactly when you can return. You can come back the same evening and sleep there safely: there's no chemical residue.
Does heat treatment damage furniture?
Not if the protocol is followed. The target temperature (56–60°C) is safe for furniture, mattresses and most textiles. Sensitive items (candles, vinyl, certain rigid plastics, plants) need to be removed: the technician gives you a precise list when booking.
Is heat treatment effective on eggs?
Yes. That's its main advantage over chemical treatment, where standard insecticides don't penetrate eggs, requiring several visits. Heat at 56°C kills eggs instantly, in a single visit.