Bed bugs are what entomologists call hitchhikers. This means that they will find their way into your home or business by attaching themselves to other peoples’ belongings, especially clothing and luggage. Once bed bugs have infested your property, the only thing you can do is extermination. The average cost in Long Island for typical 1-bedroom apartment extermination ranges from $1,250-$1,650.

Bed Bug Extermination Costs

Here are three factors that play roles in your bed bug extermination costs:

Size of the space

The more area that needs extermination, the higher your costs will become! A townhouse or small apartment may cost $1,500-$2,000. For mid-sized homes, you can expect to pay $1,750-$3,000. Large homes and high condominiums with four stories can cost anywhere from $2,300-$5,000.

Bed bugs reproduce quickly! It only takes one pregnant female to turn an entire home into infested territory within months. This means that finding bed bugs in a house with two or three bedrooms is a big red flag!

You will need the whole house treated. There is no advantage to using DIY products or hiring an amateur that can ruin all of your challenging work and belongings with one wrong step.

Costs by Location

Your home may have bed bugs before but rid itself of them for years. Despite this scenario, an extermination will cost more. This is because of the established pests in that location. Other factors include:

• How long it has been since your last extermination attempt
• How much time has passed between treatments
• How many treatments have been performed on each area of your property
• How experienced the exterminator is

The longer the infestation has grown, the higher the costs become.

Prices by Treatment Type

Before getting ready to prepare funds for your bed bug extermination, know the prices for four treatment types. Here they are:

Heat Treatment

Achieve heat treatment at a price of around $4,500 by raising the temperature in your home to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This will kill any bed bugs caught in the act of feeding on your blood. Heat does not discriminate. It will kill other household pests like ants and spiders. But it does take time for this process to reach completion.

The heat treatment process can take several hours or days. This depends on how large the infested area is. It needs special equipment called thermal remediation units (TRUs), which are expensive.

Fumigation

You can expect to pay around $750-$1,500 for fumigation. This process involves using harsh chemicals to exterminate existing bed bugs and eggs in your home.

These are the most expensive extermination methods available due to their high concentration of pesticides used. Exterminators prevent this in the presence of children, pets, or people with respiratory issues.

Fumigation sounds simple, but it is a whole lot more than just inhaling the smell of old newspapers. It includes everything from inspection to safety measures and even preparation for fumigating your home or office space.

Chemicals and Pesticide

Chemical sprays are available in retail stores for around $1,350. This price excludes the fumigation fee. A typical exterminator will charge between $500-$650 to use pesticides or chemicals that can kill your bed bugs.

But chemicals are not always effective on their own. Exterminators need to combine them with other methods to eradicate bed bug populations. Some exterminators require you to clean before they will treat your home for chemical powder residue.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groups bed bug pesticides into seven chemical classes, with 300 registered products to date. These include both synthetic and organic chemicals. Exterminators use them for bed bug control in homes or commercial buildings across North America. They all work by disrupting their target insect’s nervous system, so it causes paralysis before death.

Pest Removal using Steam

Only experienced exterminators should perform this task. This process is a dedicated one that uses a specialized machine to heat water and release steam directly into an infested area. The cost for the unit ranges from $1,800-$2,000 plus around $800 in labor.  

But how does it work? The heat kills bed bugs through dehydration without using chemicals or fumigation. It requires less preparation than most other methods do. Residents can stay in their homes as needed before start time.

Steam treatments are best at eliminating bed bug species that may go dormant when disturbed through the use of pesticides, cold temperatures, or extreme dryness during wintertime.

Inspection by Bed Bug Sniffing Dogs

As you might have surmised, treatment costs increase according to how long your infestation has been around. The mere presence of bed bugs will cause the exterminator to charge more for inspection fees.

Expect to pay around $800-$1,500 or more for this service. All that money covers the time and effort the canine bed bug detection team needs to perform their duty right.  

Bed Bug Sniffer dogs find active and inactive bugs. When you do not know how many eggs an adult female can lay in her lifetime, here is a hint: It is up to 500 eggs during her brief 30-day lifespan. This makes egg counts incredibly important in determining extermination costs for Long Island residents.

Hiring an Exterminator

Familiarize with two factors in hiring your bed bug exterminator in Long Island. Know about them below:

Licenses

Bed Bug Exterminators in Long Island must have a license in their profession. This includes passing tests to prove they are qualified for the duty.

Ask how long your exterminator has been performing their profession. You want a service with several years of experience. Make sure they know how to control bed bugs fast and efficiently! This is without damaging your home or office space.

The more years of experience a bed bug exterminator has, the better it is for you and your home. Experience plays a key role in ensuring that they follow proper guidelines. Avoid unwanted damage or harm from chemicals used during treatment sessions with legal limits set through local DEC offices around the country.

Preparation

Include how much preparation you need for bed bug extermination. Some services only require you to clear out the infested area.

Other times they might ask for a more involved step in removing all items from an affected room or area before treatment begins. This is most common with severe cases of bed bugs. It means several weeks have passed between discovery and treatment.

Preparation costs vary depending on how extensive it becomes as well as how many people it takes. In most cases, the fewer occupants needing coverage, the lower costs are.  

FAQs

How much does it cost to exterminate a 1-bedroom apartment?

Expect to pay around $850-$1,750 for this service. Local companies can provide an exact amount once they have inspected your home or office space. This is for small homes and apartments without too many occupants living inside. Any type of infestation will increase costs by at least 200%.

How to kill bed bugs in leather, cotton, or foam furniture?

The steam treatment method is best suited for non-porous surfaces. It takes an experienced exterminator to kill them through any other means. Find the bed bugs on your furniture first when you know how. Remove them immediately and seal them inside a plastic bag. Place the bag inside the freezer overnight.

Are there safe, non-chemical ways to get rid of bed bugs?

Bed bug dogs work great for finding even the smallest infestation on furniture or mattresses! You can also use bed bug sprays in the presence of persistent issues after treatment. Pay attention to how often you need to apply them to keep your home pest-free!

How can I prevent a home infestation?

The key is how clean your home or office space is. This includes how well-kept your bedding, clothes, and belongings are. Pay close attention to how often you wash items with hot water and how often you dust with a vacuum cleaner.

Bed bugs are a severe problem these days and you can find them in secondhand furniture stores as well. Check the mattress before you buy it.

How much does a bed bug mattress cover cost?

A standard mattress cover can cost as little as $15-$20. This is for a basic vinyl type with no advanced features such as zippers and airtight seals to keep them inside. The SafeRest bed bug mattress cover is the best-rated option for preventing infestation. It costs $18–$50 and proves effective in protecting your home against these annoying bugs.

Can bed bug professionals get rid of other pests?

Yes, in some cases. Ask how much it costs and how far in advance you need to schedule the appointment. Bed Bug Exterminators in Long Island charge a standard fee for this service. Take note of how many bugs you see. It takes more time for them to finish the duty in dealing with an infestation of several thousand or more.

What is the estimated cost of DIY extermination?

You can buy a bed bug spray for around $22. Treating a light infestation with your effort is fine. However, a severe problem with them damaging your furniture and clothes as well as biting needs professional help.

There are many DIY bed bug control products available. But the reality is that most homeowners end up having to spend much more than they would in anticipation! Homeowners should expect this expense. It usually takes multiple treatments and sprays for the complete eradication of these pests from your home or business premises.