Bed Bug Treatment on Long Island

Before anyone quotes you, be sure it is a bed bug. Suffolk County’s health department asks residents to put a specimen in rubbing alcohol, photograph it, and have it identified by Cornell Cooperative Extension or through the county’s Bed Bug Information Line at (631) 852-4999. Our bed bug identification page shows what to look for. Once it is confirmed, the county’s advice is to act quickly, because an infestation spreads from the bed to the rest of the room.

Bed bug treatment prices from Long Island companies

Advanced Pest Management’s numbers are written for New York City apartments, where it says a studio starts around $1,500 for heat and a two-bedroom can pass $3,000. Quest’s list is the one written for Long Island and Queens. Both say the size of the home and how far the bugs have spread set the price.

Heat or chemical: how the two jobs differ

Heat. Nassau County Pest Control describes industrial heaters that bring the room to 120 to 140 degrees, usually in a single day. It costs more up front, by both price lists above.

Chemical. Products labeled for bed bugs, applied over two to three visits about two weeks apart, by the same company’s account. It costs less per visit and takes longer. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County notes that mattresses should only be treated with a product whose label allows it.

Either way, ask for one or two follow-up inspections in the price. That is how you find out whether the job worked.

Getting the house ready

Your company will hand you its own checklist, and it comes first. The county health department and CCE Nassau both recommend the same basics:

• cut the clutter in the bedroom so there are fewer places to hide
• vacuum mattress seams, bed frames and baseboards with a brush attachment, then seal and throw out the bag right away
• run clothes and bedding through the dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes
• put clean items straight into a lidded plastic bin or a tightly tied bag
• caulk cracks along baseboards and window sills

CCE Nassau notes that bed bugs travel on clothes, luggage and furniture, so keep bedroom items in the bedroom until the treatment is done.

What to ask before you book

• Heat or chemical, and why for this house?
• How many visits and follow-up inspections are included?
• What do I need to do to prepare, and what happens if the prep is not done?
• Will you treat the rooms next to the bedroom, or only the bedroom?
• Do you use an integrated pest management approach? Suffolk’s health department recommends asking for one.
• What is your NYSDEC business registration number? You can check it on NYSPAD.

When the bed bugs are not in your own home

Suffolk County’s health department lists who handles bed bugs where:

Red flags in a bed bug quote

• The plan is a bug bomb or a can of spray. Suffolk’s health department says over-the-counter pesticides often fail because bed bugs have built up resistance.
• Nobody confirms it is a bed bug before pricing a whole-house treatment.
• No follow-up inspection is included.
• The price is quoted without anyone asking how many rooms or how long you have had bites.