Effective bed bug treatment requires a thorough inspection. At Apple’s Environmental Pest Management Solutions, inspection is methodical. It starts with the bed and radiates outward, explains Andrew Reynolds.
His inspectors strip the bed, if this hasn’t been done, check the mattress and box spring, then move on to the bed frame and headboard. Next, they analyze nightstands, baseboards and electrical outlets near the bed, then move further afield to other furniture, baseboards, outlets and closet areas. If a living room has bed bugs, they start with the couch or recliner and expand from that center.
Performing a thorough inspection takes practice. “You can’t read it all from a book. You’ve just got to get in deep and look at bad infestations and put your nose in the dirt,” said Scott Monds, National Exterminating Co. With experience you develop intuition for where to look, such as that tiny screw hole in the bunk bed, he explained.
Inspection determines the course of treatment. “We don’t just quote them over the phone, because we need to see the severity level of the infestation,” said Justin Causky, operations manager, Admiral Pest Control, Bellflower, Calif.
The inspection also helps set customer expectations. “Explaining those details, as well as determining what’s best for the situation, that’s crucial to bed bugs,” said Causky.
According to the 2025 PCT State of the Bed Bug Control Market survey, 42% of pest control service locations charged for bed bug inspection, while 54% provided them for free.
Admiral Pest Control has considered charging an inspection fee that can be applied toward the cost of bed bug treatment. “We’ve teetered with charging a fee but we’re not quite there yet,” said Causky.
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