Bed Bug Treatment Cost

If you’ve determined you have bed bugs, the very next thought most people have is: How much does bed bug treatment cost?

As with most questions like this, the answer is: It depends.   Let’s dive in a little deeper into this question, review the most common treatment options, then discuss average cost.

Bed Bug Treatment Options

At a high level, there are two main options when treating your home or business for bed bugs:

1. Engage a professional exterminator, that has experience treating bed bugs
2. Use do it yourself bed bug treatment options.

Both can work, but there are some definite potential cost advantages by using a “do it yourself” bed bug treatment strategy.

Professional Bed Bug Treatment

Professional Bed Bug treatment, assuming you choose a seasoned and experienced bug bug exterminator is definitely the most effective option for treating bed bugs and getting rid of bed bugs in your home.  Professionals can also be of assistance in you aren’t 100% sure you have bed bugs.  They generally know what signs to look for, and can even engage bed bug dogs to “sniff out” your problem.

Bed Bug Professionals generally use one of two options:

1. Heat – This is where your home is literally wrapped, and hot air from a large truck is pumped into your home.  Heat, assuming it exceeds 120 degrees, will kill bed bugs very effectively.  The trick with successful bed bug heat treatment is making sure the hot air gets where the bugs are.  The success of this really boils down to how well the home owner and exterminator prepare and prep the home.  This is where experience plays a key role.  Heat can also be in the form of steam, which is also frequently used.
2. Sprays – The most common solution used by professionals for killing bed bugs is professional grade bed bug sprays.  Spraying is less costly than heat treatment on a per application basis, but spraying often requires multiple applications.  Spraying of course also includes some risk, as anytime you use chemicals in your home, there are associated risks.   Like heat treatment, the success of spray bed bug treatment hinges on the exterminators experience and also with proper preparation of the home prior to spraying.

Sometimes, depending the type and size of infestation, both heat treatment and spray treatment will often be used.

Do it yourself Bed Bug Treatment

The other option, and the one that is often far less expensive, is using a do it yourself bed bug treatment strategy.  The con of this option is that it has a lower chance of success, and requires you as the home or business owner to very meticulous when treating.

Given the low cost, this is the option we recommend, especially if you don’t have the money to pay a professional exterminator.  Our thought process here is that doing the treatment yourself is worth a try, and could save you a significant amount of money.   The risk however is that you spend money to try it yourself, only to have to later spend more money to bring in a professional.   This scenario is rare though, especially if you use high quality products and follow the instructions.

>>> Read more about do it yourself bed bug treatment options and also some helpful tips.

Bed Bug Treatment Cost – Using a Professional

With overview of the treatment options out of the way, now it’s time to answer your question: How much does bed bug treatment cost?

Here at the Bed Bug Treatment site, we made about 100 phone calls to various bed bug exterminators around the US.  Most in large cities, but a few in smaller towns.   We learned a few things:

• Treatment in larger cities costs more money.  Why?  Higher demand.
• Treatment in smaller cities costs less, but the exterminators are less experienced due to lower cases of bed bugs.
• Many exterminators are hesitant to give you a quote until they come out, but if pushed, they will provide a rough estimate.

What we learned is that on average, bed bug treatment costs .75 cents to 1.00 per square foot.  So if you have a 2000 square foot home, the cost of one treatment will be $1,500 – $2,000.  Now note, that’s for the first treatment.  Depending on your particular infestation, 2 or 3 treatments may be required, bumping the total cost up to $6,000 or more just for the treatment.

We also found that some companies charge an inspection fee, which is generally $100 – $250.00.  This was rare though.  The inspection fee is often credited back to your treatment bill.

Another factor that you’ll want to consider is replacement of furniture, clothing, mattresses, linens and other household items.  Unfortunately bed bugs produce a lot of excrement, and that excrement stains.   As you follow the preparation instructions prior to treatment, you’ll often find some of your stuff is just plain disgusting, and will need to thrown away and replaced.  You’ll want to factor this into your overall cost and be prepared for it.

Bed Bug Treatment Cost – Do it yourself

Cost data on do it yourself solutions is hard to determine, because there are so many variables involved: type of product, application, type of infestation and frankly how well the homeowners do the job.   What we can tell you though is that generally, a do it yourself solution is going to cost you 25 – 50% of the cost of hiring a professional, due to the labor savings.

You will still have the same extra charges associated with replacing furniture, clothing, mattresses, linens and other household items.

Don’t fall for the bed bug scams

Bed Bug Scams – Don’t fall for them!

Also, and we cannot stress this enough, the old: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is rule applies here.  There are tons of scams on the internet, and with the recent resurgence of bed bugs, the scammers are jumping all over it.   You’ll find tons of deals like:

• “Get rid of bed bugs for $9.99!
• Solve your bedbug problems using products you have at home
• Complete Bed Bug solution for only $19.99 or $29.99 or other ridiculously low prices.

Don’t fall for it!!

See, here’s the deal – Rubbing alcohol kills bed bugs and is highly effective.  Get a little rubbing alcohol on a bed bug and it dies almost immediately.   Here’s the problem, and what these scams don’t tell you – The bed bugs you see are not the problem, it’s the bed bugs you don’t see.  Miss a few, and you didn’t solve your bed bug problem at all.

You absolutely have to kill all the bed bugs, including the ones you see on your bed, and the ones in your walls, in your mattress, under your furniture, and in your linens.  Spraying alcohol or some other cheap bed bug spray won’t do that.  You often have to combine bed bug steamers, bed bug sprays, and bed bug powders.   Sound complex?  It’s not really, you just have to follow the right process, which we teach you on our Bed Bug Treatment page.  Best part, the information is absolutely free (yea, I know, that sounds too good to be true, but in this case it really is!)  The recommended products and equipment of course will cost money, but the advice and tips are free.

>>> Pages to check out for additional: Bed Bug Detection, Bed Bug Prevention, Bed Bug Treatment, Controlling Bed Bugs and Bed Bug Facts.