Choose a bed bug heat treatment company that belongs to a trade body such as the BPCA or NPTA, uses qualified and insured technicians, looks at the problem before giving a written quote, and monitors temperatures in cold spots. It should explain preparation, aftercare and its guarantee in writing, and never promise everything gone in one visit.
Reviewed by James Rhoades, Owner, ThermoPest · Last reviewed 16 October 2026
When you’ve just found bed bugs, it’s tempting to book the first company that answers the phone. A few minutes of checking can save you a second treatment later. This guide gives you a fair checklist you can use with any company, including us, plus the questions to ask and the warning signs to watch for.
What should you look for in a bed bug heat treatment company?
A good company will be happy to answer all of these before you book:
- Trade body membership you can check yourself, such as the BPCA or NPTA.
- Qualified technicians and proper insurance.
- A look at the problem first, then a written quote that says what’s included.
- Temperature monitoring during the treatment, including in cold spots.
- Clear preparation and aftercare information, in writing.
- A written guarantee that tells you what happens if bed bugs are still active afterwards.
The sections below explain each one and what a good answer sounds like.
Is the company a BPCA or NPTA member?
The two main UK trade bodies for pest control are the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA). Membership isn’t a legal requirement, but it gives you a set of standards to hold a company to, and both bodies let you check it yourself rather than relying on a logo on a website.
What BPCA Membership Means
The BPCA’s Find a Pest Controller page describes its member companies as qualified, audited and insured: professionally trained technicians, at least £2 million public liability insurance, and audits against the British standard in pest management, BS EN 16636. You can search its member database to see whether a company is listed.
What NPTA Membership Means
The NPTA’s Find a Pest Controller directory lists only NPTA members. It says Servicing Members meet its core membership requirements and follow its Code of Practice, and Accredited Membership, its highest level of recognition, involves an enhanced audit. Only companies that have opted in are listed, so if you can’t find one, the NPTA says you can contact it to confirm membership.
What qualifications and insurance should a pest control company have?
Qualifications
For its servicing members, the BPCA’s membership criteria say technical staff must hold, as a minimum, a recognised qualification such as the RSPH/BPCA Level 2 Award in Pest Management or the RSPH/BPCA Level 2 Certificate in Pest Control, and must take part in a recognised continuing professional development (CPD) scheme. It’s reasonable to ask which qualification the technician coming to your home holds.
Insurance
Ask the company to confirm it has public liability insurance. The same BPCA criteria set a minimum of £2 million public and products liability insurance for members, and £10 million employers’ liability insurance for businesses with employees. A professional company won’t mind you asking.
Heat Treatment Experience
Heat treatment is a specialist method, so ask how often the company carries it out and whether its technicians are trained on its own heating equipment. You’re not looking for a sales pitch, just a clear, confident answer.
Will they look at the problem and give you a written quote?
Bed bug jobs vary a lot. One bedroom with an early infestation is a very different job from a flat where bugs have spread to the sofa and spare room. A good company will want evidence before it prices the work, through a survey visit or clear photos of what you’ve found, and will check the extent of the problem properly before treating.
Before you agree, you should get a written quote or proposal that sets out:
- which rooms and furniture are being treated;
- the method, for example heat, with targeted spray where it’s needed;
- whether a follow-up visit is included;
- what the guarantee covers and for how long;
- what you need to do before and after.
If you live in a flat, ask whether they’ll want to check neighbouring flats. Bed bugs can move between flats through gaps around pipes, cables and sockets, so treating one flat in isolation can leave a source next door. We ask to inspect neighbouring flats when we treat a flat.
How will they check the heat reaches everywhere?
This is the question that matters most with heat treatment. Bed bugs and their eggs die when held above about 50°C for long enough. We heat rooms to 50–60°C and hold that heat until the hardest-to-reach spots stay above 50°C. Rooms don’t heat evenly, so we place temperature monitors in known cold spots and hard-to-reach areas.
Whichever company you choose, ask:
- How do you measure the temperature during the treatment, and where do you place the sensors?
- Do you use wireless sensors so you can watch readings without opening the room?
- How do you deal with cold spots, such as wall voids, the inside of furniture or areas near windows and outside walls?
- When do you decide the treatment is finished?
A good answer explains how they track temperatures in the hardest places, not just the air in the middle of the room. Our guide to what temperature kills bed bugs explains why the coldest spots decide whether a treatment works. If you’re worried about your belongings, ask the company what it protects or removes, and read our guide on whether heat treatment can damage furniture or electronics.
What preparation and aftercare information should you get?
Preparation makes a real difference to heat treatment, because clutter, sealed boxes and items packed tightly together can shield bugs from the heat. A good company gives you written instructions that suit your home, not a generic leaflet, and is happy to talk them through.
Ask for these in writing:
- what to do with bedding and clothes (the NHS advises washing them on a hot wash at 60°C and tumble drying on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes);
- which items need to be removed from the room, and which should stay;
- how long the treatment is likely to take, and when you can go back in;
- what to look out for afterwards, and when to call them back.
Our guide on how long bed bug treatment takes explains what to expect on the day and in the weeks after.
What does a bed bug treatment guarantee cover?
A guarantee should be written down, not just mentioned on the phone. Read it before you book and check:
- how long it lasts, and from which date;
- which rooms and pests it covers;
- what you need to do to keep it valid, such as following the preparation and aftercare instructions;
- whether return visits within that period are included at no extra cost.
Be cautious of any guarantee that promises total success after one visit. Bed bugs hide well and eggs can be missed, so a return visit is sometimes needed even after a good treatment. A fair guarantee plans for that rather than pretending it can’t happen. At ThermoPest, bed bug treatments come with a 12-week guarantee; the details are in our terms and conditions.
Should you choose the cheapest quote?
Not automatically. Compare what’s included rather than the headline figure. A low quote can mean fewer rooms treated, no follow-up visit or a shorter guarantee, while a higher one isn’t automatically better. Line the quotes up against the checklist above and ask each company to explain any gaps.
For reference, our heat treatment starts from £895 (studio/1-bed); see our pricing for how quotes are worked out. If cost is the main worry, your council may offer a pest service; our comparison of council vs private bed bug treatment explains the differences.
How do you read pest control company reviews?
Reviews help, but read them for detail rather than star ratings. Look for reviews that mention bed bugs specifically, describe what happened on the day and after, and show the company replying to problems. A run of short five-star reviews with no detail tells you less than a handful of specific ones. Repeated complaints about poor communication, surprise charges or no-shows for return visits are worth taking seriously.
Which red flags should make you think twice?
- “One visit, 100% guaranteed.” No honest company can promise this before seeing the problem.
- Fogging or bug bombs as the treatment. Foggers tend to scatter bed bugs into other rooms rather than reach them in seams and cracks.
- Cash only, with no written quote or invoice. You need paperwork to rely on a guarantee.
- Pressure to book today, or a price that changes once the technician arrives without explanation.
- No answer on membership, qualifications or insurance when you ask directly.
- Vague answers about temperature monitoring, or no mention of cold spots.
- No preparation instructions, or advice to move furniture and bedding into other rooms before treatment, which can spread bugs.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
| Ask | A good answer | Worth questioning |
|---|---|---|
| Are you a BPCA or NPTA member? | Yes, and you can check us on their member search. | Vague answers, or a logo with no listing and no explanation. |
| What qualifications and insurance do you have? | Names a recognised qualification and confirms public liability cover. | “We’ve been doing this for years” with nothing specific. |
| Will you look before you quote? | Asks for photos or a survey, then puts the quote in writing. | A firm price on the phone with no questions about your home. |
| How do you monitor the temperature? | Sensors in cold spots and hard-to-reach areas, watched throughout. | Only checks the air in the middle of the room. |
| What preparation and aftercare do I need to do? | Written instructions that suit your home. | No instructions, or “just leave it to us”. |
| What does your guarantee cover? | A written guarantee with a clear period and what’s included. | “One visit, gone for good”, with nothing in writing. |
If you’d like to see how we answer these questions, our bed bug heat treatment page explains our approach: heat-led, with targeted spray where it’s needed. ThermoPest is a member of the BPCA and NPTA.
FAQs
What is the best company for bed bugs?
There isn’t one answer for everyone. The best company for you is one that’s a checkable trade body member, uses qualified and insured technicians, looks at your problem before quoting, monitors temperatures properly and puts its guarantee in writing. Use the questions above to compare two or three companies.
Is there a guaranteed way to get rid of bed bugs?
No treatment can honestly be guaranteed to work in a single visit, because bed bugs and eggs hide in places that are hard to reach. What you can look for is a written guarantee that covers return visits if bed bugs are still active within a set period.
Do I need a company that only does heat treatment?
Not necessarily. What matters is that the company has the right equipment, trained technicians and a clear way of monitoring temperatures. Many treatments are heat-led, with targeted spray where it’s needed, so ask how the company decides what each job needs.
Can I check whether a company is BPCA or NPTA registered?
Yes. Both the BPCA and the NPTA have a Find a Pest Controller search on their websites. If a company isn’t listed, ask it directly. Only NPTA members who have opted in appear in its directory, and the NPTA says you can contact it to confirm membership.
Comparing companies?
If you’ve found signs of bed bugs, an inspection will confirm what you’re dealing with before you commit to anything. ThermoPest is a member of the BPCA and NPTA, and we arrive in unmarked vans.
