Bed bug heat treatment is one of the most effective tools I have for dealing with an infestation, but it isn’t always the right first step. Before I ever recommend it, I carry out a full property assessment, because treating the wrong pest, or treating for bed bugs when none are there, just wastes a customer’s time and money without solving the actual problem.
Why I Always Assess Before I Treat
Bites are one of the most common reasons people call me out. But bites on their own don’t tell me it’s bed bugs. Fleas, mosquitoes, mites and other biting insects can all leave marks that look pretty similar if you’re not used to spotting the difference. So when I attend a property, I check mattress seams, bed frames, skirting boards and soft furnishings for the physical evidence bed bugs leave behind, things like shed skins, faecal spotting, egg casings, and live insects.
If I don’t find that evidence, I won’t recommend heat treatment. It’s a great solution, but it’s designed specifically for bed bugs, and using it to chase a different pest isn’t the most cost-effective or reliable way to help the customer.
A Recent Job Near Shere, Guildford
I saw this exact situation recently at a rural property near Shere, Guildford. The customer had been getting bitten and was convinced she had bed bugs, understandably keen to get it sorted quickly. I went out to carry out a full assessment but couldn’t find any evidence of bed bugs anywhere in the property.
She had two dogs, and I know foxes are active in that part of the countryside, so fleas seemed a far more likely explanation. Fleas can jump from foxes onto dogs during walks or time in the garden, and from there work their way into carpets, bedding, and soft furnishings around the home, causing exactly the kind of bites she was describing.
Why I Recommended Insecticide Instead
Rather than put her through heat treatment, which is built for bed bugs and their eggs, I suggested a more targeted and cost-effective approach: a professional residual insecticide treatment combined with an insect growth regulator (IGR). The insecticide deals with the adult fleas, while the IGR breaks the flea life cycle, stopping eggs and larvae from developing into another generation of biting adults.
I advised her to apply the treatment and give it 2–3 weeks before deciding whether anything further was needed. Fleas go through several life stages over a number of weeks, so it takes a bit of time for a treatment like this to fully take effect. If the bites had carried on after that, or if I’d found any physical evidence of bed bugs, heat treatment would have been my next recommendation.
My Approach: The Right Treatment, Not the Biggest One
This job is a good example of how I work. Heat treatment is powerful against bed bugs, but it’s not something I reach for automatically every time someone calls with bites or worries. My job is to work out what’s actually causing the problem and recommend the most effective, proportionate solution, whether that’s heat treatment, insecticide, an IGR, or a mix of approaches.
For customers around Guildford, Shere and the wider Surrey countryside, where pets and local wildlife like foxes can easily bring fleas into a home, getting the diagnosis right makes a real difference. It saves money, avoids unnecessary disruption, and gets to the root of the problem faster.
People often assume bites mean bed bugs, but that’s not always the case. My job is to find the evidence, not just treat the symptoms. We don’t recommend expensive treatments if we know it will not solve the problem. We have built our reputation on provide solid expertise and advice. In this instance, the dogs and the local fox population pointed straight to fleas, so a targeted insecticide and IGR treatment was the smarter, more cost-effective route for my customer.
If you’re dealing with unexplained bites and you’re not sure whether it’s bed bugs, fleas, or something else, get in touch with me and the team at Bug Blitz. I’ll assess your property properly before recommending any treatment, so you only pay for what you actually need.
Andy Miller, Lead Pest Controller, Bug Blitz