How much does bed bug treatment cost in NYC?

Bed bug chemical treatment in NYC typically costs $400–$900 per room for professional treatment. Heat treatment is generally more expensive, running $1,000–$3,000+ for a typical apartment depending on size and access. Multiple-room treatments and whole-apartment heat treatment are priced accordingly. Control Exterminating provides free bed bug inspections and written estimates — call (212) 696-4164.

How long does bed bug heat treatment take?

A professional bed bug heat treatment for a typical NYC apartment takes 6–8 hours. This includes setup time for the heating equipment, the treatment period during which temperatures are maintained above 120°F throughout the space, and monitoring to ensure all areas reach lethal temperatures. Residents can return to the apartment within a few hours of treatment completion.

Can bed bugs come back after treatment in a NYC apartment?

Yes. Bed bugs can re-enter a treated NYC apartment from adjacent infested units through shared walls, electrical conduits, or pipe chases — a problem specific to multi-family buildings. Heat treatment leaves no residual protection, so re-infestation from neighboring units can occur. Chemical treatment with residual products provides some protection against re-entry. Building-wide treatment coordination is the most effective long-term solution in multi-family NYC buildings.

Who is responsible for bed bug treatment in a NYC rental apartment?

Under NYC law, landlords are responsible for treating bed bug infestations in rental apartments. Tenants should notify the landlord in writing immediately upon discovering bed bugs. Landlords must respond and arrange professional treatment. Tenants are required to cooperate with preparation and treatment access. If a landlord fails to act, tenants can file an HPD complaint via 311 or HPD Online, which triggers a building inspection.

How do I know if I have bed bugs in my NYC apartment?

Look for small dark fecal spots (the size of a pen tip) on mattress seams and nearby surfaces, rust-colored blood stains on sheets, pale shed skins along mattress seams and bed frame joints, and the insects themselves — flat, apple-seed-shaped, reddish-brown, about 1/4 inch long. Many people are bitten without visible skin reaction. Physical inspection of the sleeping area is more reliable than relying on bites. Control Exterminating provides bed bug inspections throughout NYC.

Does Control Exterminating offer same-day bed bug inspection in NYC?

Yes. Control Exterminating offers same-day bed bug inspection in NYC for urgent situations. Call (212) 696-4164 before noon Monday–Friday for same-day assessment in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We also serve Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester.

Bed Bug Exterminator NYC: Heat & Chemical Treatment

Control Exterminating is NYC's experienced bed bug exterminator offering both heat and chemical treatment options. Fast inspection, licensed technicians, all 5 boroughs.

New York City has one of the highest bed bug infestation rates of any city in the United States. The combination of extreme residential density, high resident turnover in rental apartments, extensive travel and hotel activity, and the ease with which bed bugs move between units in multi-family buildings has made bed bugs a persistent, city-wide pest management challenge. Control Exterminating has treated bed bug infestations throughout NYC since they re-emerged as a major pest in the late 1990s, and our licensed technicians are experienced with both heat treatment and chemical treatment options across every borough.

Heat Treatment vs. Chemical Treatment: Which Is Right for Your NYC Apartment?

The two primary professional bed bug treatment approaches have distinct advantages for NYC apartments:

Heat Treatment

Professional whole-room heat treatment raises the air temperature in the treatment space above 120°F — the lethal temperature for all bed bug life stages including eggs. Heat treatment advantages for NYC apartments:

Single-treatment efficacy: A correctly executed heat treatment kills all bed bugs and eggs in a single treatment day, without the need for multiple follow-up chemical applications.
No chemical residual: Heat treatment uses no pesticides, making it preferred for households with chemically sensitive residents, young children, or pets.
Penetrates all harborage areas: Heat disperses into wall voids, mattress interiors, furniture joints, and other areas where chemical products cannot easily reach.
Fastest return to normal: Residents can return to treated rooms the same day, within hours of treatment completion.

Heat treatment considerations: Higher cost than chemical treatment. Requires specific preparation (removing heat-sensitive items, plants, medications). Provides no residual protection against re-infestation from adjacent units — important in NYC multi-family buildings.

Chemical Treatment

Professional chemical bed bug treatment uses a combination of contact-kill and residual products — typically a pyrethroid plus a non-repellent residual (chlorfenapyr or neonicotinoid) plus a dust application in voids — to eliminate the population over multiple treatment visits:

Residual protection: Residual products remain active for weeks after application, killing newly hatched bed bugs that were in eggs during initial treatment and bed bugs migrating from adjacent units.
Lower cost: Chemical treatment is generally less expensive than heat treatment for the initial visit.
Multiple visits: Chemical treatment typically requires 2–3 visits spaced 2 weeks apart to address all life stages, including eggs that are resistant to chemical exposure at time of initial treatment.

NYC Bed Bug Law: What Landlords and Tenants Must Know

New York State's Tenant Protection Act and NYC Admin Code place specific obligations on landlords regarding bed bugs. Key provisions:

Landlords must provide prospective tenants with a one-year bed bug infestation history for the specific rental unit AND the entire building before lease signing
Landlords must annually file bed bug reports with HPD listing any units with bed bug infestations and remediation efforts
Landlords are responsible for treating bed bug infestations in rental apartments — tenants are not responsible for treatment costs
Tenants must cooperate with treatment preparation (removing clutter, washing and bagging bedding, moving furniture away from walls) or treatment efficacy is severely compromised

NYC HPD Online allows anyone to look up a specific building's bed bug complaint history — a useful tool for prospective renters evaluating an apartment.

Bed Bug Preparation for NYC Apartments

Preparation is critical to treatment success and is often where DIY and inadequately supervised professional treatments fail. Control Exterminating provides detailed, apartment-specific preparation instructions for every client. Key preparation steps include:

Washing all bedding, clothing, and soft items in hot water (130°F+) and drying on high heat for at least 30 minutes
Bagging cleaned items in sealed plastic bags until treatment is complete
Removing clutter from floors, under beds, and inside closets to allow technician access to harborage areas
Moving furniture 12–18 inches from walls
For heat treatment: removing heat-sensitive items, plants, aerosols, medications, and electronics as directed by the treatment provider

Our NYC Bed Bug Treatment Service Area

Control Exterminating provides bed bug inspection and treatment throughout all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We also serve Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Westchester. Same-day inspection available for urgent situations — call (212) 696-4164.

Why Choose Control Exterminating for Bed Bugs?

Control Exterminating has served New York City since 1973 — over 53 years of experience. Our licensed technicians have treated thousands of bed bug infestations across NYC's full range of apartment types, from studio apartments to large multi-bedroom units in pre-war co-op buildings. We carry full liability insurance, all technicians hold current NYS DEC licenses, and we provide written service reports for every treatment. Call us at (212) 696-4164 or book online for a bed bug inspection.