How to bed bug proof your move

It’s a no-brainer that bringing bed bugs to your new apartment presents a severe obstacle to the enjoyment of said apartment. 

So if you’ve had bed bugs in the past year, or your neighbors have, or you’re simply concerned about putting all your worldly belongings into a moving truck potentially crawling with them, we suggest you pencil an extra night or two into your move.

Then call  Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists and schedule an appointment to have your packed-up truck bed-bug-proofed overnight with Vikane®, a gas fumigant proven 100% effective at ending all stages of bed bug life, including eggs, in a single application.

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How it works

The trained professionals Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists will seal up your moving truck and pump in a custom-calibrated amount of an inorganic gas called Sulfuryl Fluoride. The gas (originally marketed under the name Vikane® by Dow AgroSciences), consumes the oxygen and causes bed bugs and their eggs to suffocate. Once the truck is opened up again, the Vikane® deftly breaks down to its two naturally-occurring ingredients and floats harmlessly away, leaving no surface residue, odor or film behind.  (For more info on how it works, see Bed Bugs 101: Fumigation Demystified.)

Cost and timing 

Fumigating your truck is the only completely effective way to bed bug proof your move, and, fortunately for you and your future neighbors, it is also the most affordable and convenient. Simply check your moving truck into one of BBFS’s NYC fumigation locations before 4 o’clock and pick it up 24 hours later.

The cost starts at $499 depending on the size of your truck. Trust us, this is an outlay that pales in comparison with what you could spend dealing with a full-blown infestation at your new place. 

How to prepare your stuff

To make sure the Vikane® gets into all the right nooks and crannies, you will need to keep a few packing tips in mind. Here’s the drill: 

1. Anything packed in plastic, metal or glass containers needs to be opened inside the truck before fumigation, as Vikane® gas fumigant does not penetrate plastic, metal or glass.
2. If you’re moving from an infested apartment, wrap all large items and furniture with 6.0mil plastic sheeting (or better) to ensure that no bed bugs escape from these items while being moved out of the building. Then remove all plastic wrapping in a safe, non-trafficked area before placing items into your moving truck.
3. Don’t fumigate anything that requires oxygen to breathe such as plants and animals, including fish, as Vikane® penetrates through water as well.
4. Don’t fumigate medicine, especially over-the-counter medications, which are not designed to be airtight. (Put all medicines that can not be thrown away into gallon Ziplocs so that the BBFS technician can inspect them to make sure they’re bed bug free.) You can fumigate all topical toiletries; however, toothpaste and mouthwash need to be removed. If you’re moving from an infested or recently infested apartment, fumigate all open, edible items and then throw them out without eating them. That ensures that bed bugs are not spread by simply tossing out the items.
5. Buy mattress and box spring encasements before moving on and put them on to contain any bed bugs while you move the bed to the truck. Right before loading them onto the truck, open the encasements so that the fumigant can penetrate.  (Note: Baby mattresses that have been fumigated can’t be brought back into your home.)
6. Fumigate pet cages and bedding, but discard potentially infested pet food. Pets need to be transported in a new pet carrier or other bed bug free housing prior to the fumigation. Bedding should only accompany the pet if you’ve washed and dried it for at least one hour on high heat.
7. Bed bugs are hitch hikers that can harbor in suitcases, backpacks, boxes, clothing, bedding and pet cages. They have even been known to infest small electronic devices. So travel as lightly as possible to your new apartment by putting every possession that you can into the moving truck. Vikane® is completely safe for electronics, fine fabrics and artwork.
8. Don’t use boxes, suitcases, backpacks, gym bags or any similar items from an infested apartment to pack the belongings that you will not be fumigating. Instead, use cardboard boxes or plastic bags that have not been stored in an infested apartment.
9. To guard against the possibility that someone else’s bed bugs are waiting for you at your new place, consult with a licensed pest control operator about inspecting, treating and servicing your new apartment.

Bed Bug Fumigation Specialists (BBFS) is the industry's first fumigation treatment company specializing solely on bed bugs. Services include structural, container and truck fumigations. BBFS co-founders are also the inventors of the proprietary elimination chambers, The Cimex Fume Cube and The Cimex Heat Cube. With over 40 years of collective experience, BBFS is the company with the record you can count on. Its professionals have safely completed more than 50,000 fumigations, including over 2,500 successful bed bug eradications in NYC alone. Sleep tight with BBFS's bed bug solutions!