How Long Does the Heat Treatment Process Take?

At ThermoPest, our aim is always to provide full eradication in one visit, while keeping disruption to a minimum.

Typical Treatment Duration

Most bed bug heat treatments for homes or flats take around six to eight hours from start to finish. This includes everything from initial set-up and ramp-up, through the main heating phase, to the cool-down at the end.

In larger or more complex buildings — such as multi-room hotels, care homes, or shared accommodation — treatments can extend to eight to ten hours, as adjoining areas are inspected and additional equipment may be needed. Despite this, most customers are able to leave in the morning and return by the evening to a bed bug-free property.

Breaking Down the Process

The timeline can be divided into four key stages:

• Set-up (1–2 hours): positioning heaters and fans, opening drawers and wardrobes, standing mattresses, and placing sensors in mattresses and furniture cores.
• Ramp-up (1–2 hours): gradually increasing temperatures to 50–60°C in a controlled way to avoid damaging sensitive items.
• Heat soak and hold (2–4 hours): maintaining lethal temperatures long enough for heat to penetrate deep into furniture, cracks, and hidden voids.
• Cool-down and reset (1–2 hours): shutting down equipment and allowing rooms to return to safe temperatures for re-entry.

These times are averages. A single small room can sometimes be treated in four to five hours, while large or heavily furnished properties may take the full day.

What Can Make Treatments Longer?

Several factors influence how long treatment takes.

Property size and layout play the biggest role — a one-bedroom flat can be completed much faster than a large house or hotel suite. Infestation severity is another factor; heavy infestations spread across multiple rooms may require longer soak times and treatment of adjoining spaces to prevent re-infestation.

Room contents also matter. A cluttered or heavily furnished room slows airflow, requiring more time for heat to circulate and penetrate. Finally, building materials can extend the process. Thick masonry, tiled floors, or concrete walls act as heat sinks and take longer to reach lethal temperatures, meaning the hold period must be extended to guarantee success.

Why Heat Is Faster than Chemicals

Although a heat treatment can take most of the day, it is still significantly faster and more reliable than chemical sprays. Chemical treatments often require several visits and may not kill eggs, leaving infestations to re-emerge weeks later. They also come with re-entry delays while residues dry and settle.

With heat treatment, everything is completed in one visit. Rooms are safe to re-enter the same day, there are no lingering odours or chemical residues, and eggs are destroyed along with adults and nymphs. This is why heat treatment is particularly effective for hotels, care homes, and transport environments where downtime must be kept to a minimum.

Customer Preparation

The treatment itself usually takes six to eight hours, but customers also need to complete some preparation before our team arrives. This includes removing aerosols and candles, bagging laundry for washing, and ensuring rooms are accessible. Preparation does not add to treatment time but is essential for ensuring the process runs smoothly.