ThermoPest Heat Treatment Process

At ThermoPest, we don’t just use heat — we use a refined, data-driven process developed over 20 years and thousands of treatments across homes, hotels, care facilities, hostels, and transport providers. Our BPCA-approved method combines industrial heaters, airflow engineering, and sensor monitoring to guarantee every part of your property reaches lethal temperatures for bed bugs.

This page goes into detail about how the process unfolds, how we verify results, and the adjustments we make in different property types.

Stage 1 – Technical Survey and Planning

Before treatment begins, our technicians carry out a room-by-room survey. We look for:

Infestation hotspots – mattress seams, bed frames, sofas, and headboards.
Structural cold sinks – solid walls, tiled floors, and external corners that can absorb heat.
Hidden voids – sockets, built-in furniture, and hollow skirting.
Spread risk – adjoining rooms in hotels, hostels, or flats where bed bugs may migrate.

From this we build a treatment plan, mapping heater placement, airflow paths, and sensor locations. This planning ensures no “safe zones” remain once treatment begins.

Stage 2 – Property Preparation

The process starts with a short but critical preparation phase, guided by our preparation checklist. This includes:

Removing or isolating heat-sensitive items (candles, aerosols, cosmetics, plants).
Bagging laundry for hot wash/dry cycles after treatment.
Positioning furniture to allow air circulation — for example, standing mattresses, opening drawers, and moving beds away from walls.

In sensitive environments like care homes, preparation is tailored to minimise disruption for residents while keeping safety paramount.

Stage 3 – Heat Ramp-Up

Once heaters and fans are installed, the room is brought up to temperature gradually. Key elements include:

Controlled increase – prevents localised overheating that could damage items.
High-flow fans – push hot air into dead spots behind furniture and into corners.
Sensor placement – wired thermocouples on mattress cores, sofa cushions, and wall joints to monitor the coldest points.

This ramp-up typically takes 1–2 hours, depending on property size and insulation.

Stage 4 – Heat Soak and Hold

The most important stage is the soak/hold phase, where we maintain room temperatures at 50–60°C for several hours. This ensures:

Even dense furniture cores (sofas, wardrobes, divan bases) reach lethal levels.
Bed bug eggs — which are more resistant — are destroyed alongside nymphs and adults.
Cold sinks such as tiled floors and external walls are saturated with heat long enough to remove any survival pockets.

If access issues exist (e.g. fixed headboards or socket voids), we supplement heat with steam injection and diatomaceous earth barriers to flush and intercept pests.

Stage 5 – Verification and Monitoring

Unlike sprays, where results aren’t obvious for weeks, heat treatment allows immediate verification. We check:

Sensor data – all points have exceeded lethal temperature for the required duration.
Physical inspection – mattresses, furniture, and baseboards are re-checked for signs of activity.
Boundary measures – in multi-unit sites (like hotels and hostels), adjoining areas are inspected or pre-treated to prevent re-seeding.

This data-driven approach ensures the process is provable, not just assumed.

Stage 6 – Cool-Down and Reset

Once heat soak is complete, heaters are shut down and the property is cooled to safe levels. Because no chemicals are used:

Rooms are safe to re-enter the same day.
Furniture and belongings can be used immediately.
There is no residue, smell, or staining on fabrics.

This is particularly valuable in environments where downtime must be minimal, such as transport providers and hotels.

Stage 7 – Aftercare and Guarantee

Following treatment, we provide aftercare guidance to reduce the risk of reintroduction, including:

Travel precautions.
Furniture inspection tips.
Monitoring solutions (bed bug monitoring).

Qualifying treatments are covered by our 60-day guarantee, offering reassurance that your infestation is gone for good.

How We Adapt the Process by Sector

Our process is consistent, but adjustments are made for different settings:

Homes: family-safe, chemical-free treatments with minimal disruption.
Hotels: discreet overnight scheduling, rapid re-entry, and preventative treatment for adjoining rooms.
Care Homes: staged treatments to protect vulnerable residents, with extra safety measures for medical equipment.
Hostels: affordable, high-volume treatments that cover multiple rooms.
Transport: targeted heating for buses, trains, and luggage areas where infestations spread via passenger movement.

Explore examples in our case studies.

Key Advantages of the ThermoPest Process

Verified lethal coverage through sensor monitoring.
Adapted techniques for difficult areas (steam, dust, insulation).
Same-day turnaround with no chemical residues.
Proven across domestic, commercial, and specialist environments.

Backed by over 20 years of expertise and a BPCA-approved guarantee.

Book a Treatment

If you need proven, chemical-free eradication, trust the ThermoPest process.

Call 0808 189 2310 or contact us today to book a guaranteed bed bug heat treatment.

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