“The notice on our floor only had a date and the words pest control. Nobody knew which unit it was, and that mattered to me.”
Shania M.Tenant, Maspeth
Bed bug heat treatment, Queens
Bed bugs don't stop at the apartment door. Our inspection doesn't either.
We heat-treat apartments across Queens and inspect the units that share walls, floors and pipes with the one that called. Tenants, landlords and co-op boards each get their own page and paperwork, and the same prep sheet in English and Spanish.
Start with the page that fits you
Tenants
How it works
Four visits, in the order they happen
- 01
Inspect
The unit that called, plus the ones beside, above and below it where residents agree.
- 02
Put it in writing
A scope for each unit, a date, who preps what, and a plain notice for the building.
- 03
Heat the unit
Heaters and fans bring the rooms up while probes in the walls and bedding track the temperature until it holds.
- 04
Come back and look
A follow-up inspection about two weeks later. Where live bugs turn up, we treat that unit again.
The shared wall
We check the walls you share
Bed bugs travel through the gaps around pipes, outlets and baseboards, and on furniture and laundry. So a first visit covers more than the apartment that called.
Units on both sides, above and below, on the same visit where residents allow it
Laundry rooms, hallways and elevators checked when the building asks
Findings written up by unit number, with no names, so owners can act and tenants stay private
A household that declines is recorded as declined; we don't enter without consent
Who does what
A treatment has three sides. Each has a part.
| Step | Tenant | Owner or board | Our crew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice and access | TenantTells the super and lets us in on the day | Owner or boardPosts the notice and arranges keys and the elevator | Our crewConfirms the date in writing |
| Prep | TenantWashes and bags laundry, clears floors, pulls furniture off walls | Owner or boardReminds residents and helps those who can't prepare | Our crewSupplies the sheet in both languages and checks the unit before heat |
| Treatment day | TenantStays out, with people, pets and plants, until we say it has cooled | Owner or boardKeeps hallways and the elevator clear | Our crewHeats the unit and tracks temperatures with probes |
| After | TenantTexts us a photo of anything new | Owner or boardGives access for the follow-up inspection | Our crewInspects again about two weeks later and treats where needed |
| Paperwork | TenantKeeps the visit summary | Owner or boardGets a record for each unit | Our crewWrites both |
The prep sheet
What you do before, and after
The short version. The full sheet is in English and Spanish, and it prints on one page.
Before
Wash and dry bedding and clothes on high heat, then seal them in clean bags
Pull furniture a foot from the walls and clear the floors
Take out candles, aerosol cans, lighters and medications
Don't move anything to a neighbor's unit or the curb
On the day
Be out with people, pets and plants for the whole day
Leave drawers and closet doors open
Tell the super when we will arrive
After
Come back only when we say the unit has cooled
Keep clean laundry bagged until we say it can come out
Text us a photo if you see something live
How pricing works
There are no prices on this page because the number depends on the building. Here is what moves it.
What decides the price
A bed bug job is priced by the units involved and the work each one needs, never by a flat rate per apartment.
How many units, and which ones share walls, floors or pipes
The size of each unit and how much is stored in it
Clutter that has to be moved before heat goes in
How far the bugs have spread, as found at the inspection
Access: elevator, parking and how many households agree to be inspected
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
The written estimate lists each unit, the method for it, the number of visits and the follow-up inspection.
Included: inspection findings, a scope for each unit, the treatment day, the follow-up inspection and the re-treatment terms
Not included: laundry and prep, replacing mattresses or furniture, wall and baseboard repairs, or a unit whose resident declines access
What happens at the inspection
An inspector walks the unit and, with residents' permission, the units that share walls with it, and writes up what turns up. If you go ahead with a heat treatment, the inspection fee is credited toward it.
When you get the number
The price comes in writing after the inspection and before any heat is brought in. A building gets one estimate with a line for each unit.
How and when you pay
Tenants can pay by card or check. An owner or a board can be invoiced for the whole building. A deposit may be due to hold the treatment date; the terms are in the written estimate.
We don't quote bed bug work by phone without an inspection.
From the building
What tenants and owners told us
“One report with a line for each unit. I forwarded it to the board and our attorney without changing a word.”
Tripp H.Property manager, Jackson Heights
“The estimate said which parts depended on access. Two units declined, and the report said so instead of leaving a gap.”
Chi T.Co-op board treasurer, Forest Hills
Sample reviews.
The people
Who answers the phone, and who comes to the door
Twelve of us in all. These four are the ones you'll hear from.
Rufina Arriaga
Owner and lead applicator
Runs the schedule and the paperwork. Reads and writes in English and Spanish.
Harish Bhasin
Heat crew supervisor
Places the temperature probes and doesn't call a unit done until the readings say so.
Nathalie Crichlow
Building liaison
Schedules with supers, managing agents and boards, and sends the notices and the unit-by-unit reports.
Yandel Noriega
Inspector and tenant liaison
Does the inspections and talks with tenants in English or Spanish.
Queens, by ZIP
Queens, and a few blocks past it
Type your ZIP code to see whether the crew comes to your block.
- Western Queens: Astoria, Sunnyside, Maspeth, Woodhaven, Jackson Heights, Glendale, Middle Village
- Central Queens: Rego Park, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Briarwood, Flushing, Fresh Meadows
- Eastern and southern Queens: Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Bayside
- Western Nassau County: Great Neck, New Hyde Park, Elmont
We work in Queens and western Nassau County only. For a building in another borough we will say so on the first call and, where we can, point you to a firm that does.
Questions
What people ask before they book
Cost
How much does bed bug treatment cost?
It depends on how many units are involved, how big they are, how much has to be moved and how far the bugs have spread. We put a number in writing after the inspection, and before any heat is brought in. How pricing works, above, shows what moves it.
What happens if bugs come back?
If live bed bugs are found in a treated unit within 30 days of the last visit, we treat that unit again at no charge. Terms: the prep sheet is done, we get access for the follow-up inspection, and the promise covers treated units, not bugs brought in later. The written estimate has the full terms.
Treatment
Is it safe for kids and pets?
Heat is the main tool, and people, pets and plants stay out of the unit for the whole treatment day. Where a unit also needs a targeted treatment, a licensed applicator follows the product label and tells you where to keep clear and for how long. Ask us for the product list before the visit.
How long until I stop seeing bugs?
Many units improve within days, but eggs that hatch later can bring a few back. That is why a follow-up inspection is booked about two weeks after the heat. Results vary by building.
Do I need to be home?
Someone has to let us in to start and be reachable to let us finish, but most people leave for the day. People, pets and plants should stay out until we say the unit has cooled.
Can heat damage my things?
Some things don't take heat: candles, aerosol cans, lighters, medications, vinyl records, wax and some instruments. The prep sheet lists them. Tell us about artwork or electronics before the day.
Tenants
Who pays, the tenant or the landlord?
That depends on your lease and the city's housing rules, and we can't give legal advice. We bill whoever signs the work order. A tenant organization or a lawyer can tell you where you stand.
Will my neighbors know?
A building notice says pest control and the date, nothing more. Our reports use unit numbers, not names.
Request an inspection
Tell us about the building
A person reads every request and replies by the next business day, in English or Spanish.
Phone(718) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed