How do you treat belongings for bed bugs when moving? - briefly
Pack clothing and linens in sealed plastic bags and either run a hot dryer cycle (≥130 °F) for 30 minutes or freeze them at –4 °F for at least four days. Non‑washable items should be sprayed with a certified insecticide and kept in airtight containers until the new home is inspected.
How do you treat belongings for bed bugs when moving? - in detail
When relocating, every item must be examined and processed to eliminate bed‑bug infestations before it enters the new residence.
Begin with a thorough visual inspection. Separate clothing, linens, and soft furnishings from hard‑surface items. Use a magnifying lens and bright light to locate live insects, shed skins, or dark specks (fecal matter). Discard any object that shows clear signs of infestation.
For washable fabrics, wash at the highest temperature the material can tolerate (≥ 60 °C / 140 °F) for at least 30 minutes. Follow with a dryer cycle on high heat for a minimum of 30 minutes; heat kills all life stages. Items that cannot be laundered should be placed in sealed plastic bags and either:
- Exposed to dry‑heat ovens or portable heat chambers set to 50–55 °C (122–131 °F) for 24 hours, or
- Frozen at –18 °C (0 °F) or lower for at least 4 days.
Hard‑surface belongings—books, electronics, kitchenware—can be treated with a residual insecticide labeled for bed‑bug control. Apply according to label directions, ensuring full coverage of cracks, seams, and crevices. Allow the product to dry before packing.
Mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture require encasement. Use zippered covers rated “bed‑bug proof.” Seal the enclosure and leave it on for a minimum of three months; any surviving bugs will die without a blood meal.
After treatment, store items in new, airtight containers or heavy‑duty moving bags. Label each container with the date of treatment and the method used. Keep containers isolated from un‑treated belongings until they reach the destination.
Upon arrival, repeat the inspection process. Re‑heat or re‑freeze any suspect items that could have been re‑contaminated during transport. Finally, consider a professional pest‑management service to perform a whole‑home inspection and apply area‑wide treatments, such as steam or targeted insecticide applications, to further reduce risk.
Following these steps systematically minimizes the chance of transporting bed‑bugs to a new location.