Virginia Bed Bug Experts handles bed bugs only. That's the difference between someone who has seen your situation a few times and someone who has seen it thousands of times. We serve all of Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Reston and Herndon, and Prince William County, from our Fredericksburg team with heat treatment, Aprehend and a hybrid of the two, all backed by a written 6-month warranty. Call (540) 870-0254 for a Free Quote.
By Steve Hastings, owner of Virginia Bed Bug Experts (Southern Pest Eliminators Corp, Virginia pesticide business license 17040).
Why Northern Virginia homes need a specialist
There's nothing special about NoVA bed bugs. What makes the region different is how its people live, travel and move.
- Lots of shared walls. Fairfax County, Prince William County, Arlington and Alexandria all have large numbers of garden-style apartments, mid- and high-rise buildings and long rows of townhomes. In a building with shared walls, one unit's problem can turn into a neighbor's. Our guide Can bed bugs spread between apartments? covers how that happens.
- Heavy travel. Washington Dulles International and Reagan National (DCA) sit right in the region, and many residents fly for work every week. A hotel room is one of the most common places to pick up a hitchhiker. Read How to check a hotel room for bed bugs and How to avoid bringing bed bugs home from travel.
- Military moves. Families at Fort Belvoir, Marine Corps Base Quantico and the Pentagon area move often, and those moves bring household goods shipments, temporary lodging and short-term rentals, sometimes all within a few weeks. A bed bug problem in the middle of a move needs a plan built around your dates.
- Commuters and shared spaces. Metro, VRE, commuter buses and slugging lines move people between home, the office and the D.C. core every day. Bed bugs aren't a "transit problem," but more contact with shared spaces and bags means more chances to carry one home.
- High renter turnover. Leases turn over constantly around Tysons, Reston, Arlington and the George Mason area. Landlords and tenants often need to know who handles what. See Are landlords responsible for bed bugs in Virginia? and Virginia tenant rights and bed bugs.
We don't publish made-up local infestation numbers. What we can tell you is what we look for on a NoVA job: how the building is laid out, who sleeps where, what's coming in and out, and what dates you have to work around.
Treatment options
Heat treatment: $2.00/sq ft Heat is our main tool, and heat kills every life stage, eggs included. We bring the treated space up to a temperature bed bugs can't survive. Getting there usually takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours, and then we hold that temperature for about 3 to 5 hours. Most heat jobs are finished in one day. Every heat job also gets an Aprehend application as part of the retreatment approach. Details are on our heat treatment page, and the prep steps are in How do I prepare for heat treatment?
Aprehend: $0.75/sq ft Aprehend is a biological treatment made for early infestations, and it leaves 3-month residual protection. It takes roughly 30 to 45 days, and you may still see some activity during that time. Aprehend works only when someone regularly sleeps in the room, because the bugs have to cross the treated surfaces on their way to a host.
Hybrid: $0.85/sq ft plus $500 per heated room We heat the rooms with confirmed bugs and use Aprehend in the rest of the home. You can sleep in the treated room the same night. Aprehend works best where someone regularly sleeps.
Not sure which fits? Compare them in Heat treatment vs. Aprehend vs. chemical spray or How long does bed bug treatment take?
K9 inspections If you want a dog inspection, we refer you to an independent company that does inspections only. They don't sell treatment. See K9 bed bug inspection.
Why heat, and why not foggers
Heat kills every life stage, eggs included. It reaches bugs hiding in mattresses, furniture, baseboards and clutter, and in most homes it's done in a day. Store-bought foggers and sprays, on the other hand, can scatter bed bugs into other rooms and walls. The EPA says foggers ("bug bombs") should not be your only way of controlling bed bugs, and that you should use them only with extreme care.
Here's a real example. A hotel set off foggers before we arrived for a heat treatment. Instead of treating one room, we had to treat 13. Before you buy anything over the counter, read Why DIY bed bug treatments fail.
Our 6-month warranty
- Covers live bed bugs in treated areas for 6 months.
- Heat jobs are retreated with Aprehend.
- You have to complete the required prep and aftercare.
- Using OTC sprays or foggers can void the warranty.
Full terms are on the guarantee page.
Emergency and commercial help
Same-day emergency service is available 7 days a week. We can't promise a specific response time, and we don't run 24/7. We've done same-day treatments for medical facilities so they didn't have to shut down. Property managers, hotels and other businesses should see Commercial bed bug treatment, Hotels, Apartments & property managers and Emergency bed bug treatment.
Financing
Through Wisetack, you can finance treatment over 3 months to 5 years, subject to approval. See Financing. For general cost factors, read How much does bed bug treatment cost in Virginia?
Northern Virginia towns we serve
Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries and Stafford are served by our Fredericksburg market: Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries and Stafford.