Bed bugs are one of the most stubborn pests in New York City, and they spread fast through the shared walls, hallways and laundry rooms of apartment buildings and brownstones. A single fertilised female can start a new infestation, which is why DIY sprays almost always fail — they scatter bugs into wall voids and adjacent units instead of killing the population.
Our bed bug programme starts with a full inspection (visual and, where needed, canine detection) to map every harbourage point: mattress seams, box springs, headboards, baseboards, outlets and furniture joints. We then treat with a combination of residual products and, for heavy infestations, whole-room heat that raises the space above the lethal threshold for eggs and adults alike.
Because New York law requires landlords to disclose a building's bed bug history, getting documented, professional treatment matters for tenants and owners. We provide clear documentation of the work performed and a return inspection to confirm the infestation is gone.
Bed bugs in a NYC apartment: what the law requires and what treatment actually takes
Under NYC Local Law 69 of 2017, owners of buildings with three or more units must annually request bedbug information from occupants and file a Bedbug Annual Report with HPD between December 1 and December 31 (Administrative Code section 27-2018.2). Documented professional treatment is what an owner reports, which is why a clear service record matters to landlords and tenants alike. (NYC311 — Bed Bug Annual Report)
NYC Health Department guidance for landlords states that, alongside the section 27-2018.1 disclosure of an apartment's and building's prior-year bedbug history at lease signing, owners must give tenants the receipt for their HPD filing and the Department's "Stop Bed Bugs Safely" guide — making a documented treatment record a tenant's right, not a courtesy. (NYC Health (DOHMH) — Bedbugs: Information for Landlords)
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) spread by hitchhiking and readily travel 5 to 20 feet from a harborage to a host. The US EPA warns that misidentifying an infestation lets them hitchhike a ride to someone else's home to start a new infestation — which in a NYC building means a single treated unit rarely ends the problem when bugs move along shared walls and risers. (US EPA — How to Find Bed Bugs)
The US EPA notes that controlling bed bugs takes time and patience because they reproduce quickly and their eggs are resistant to many methods of pest control, both chemical and non-chemical. So very few NYC infestations clear in a single visit, and an IPM approach with resident participation and ongoing monitoring is what actually finishes the job. (US EPA — Controlling Bed Bugs Using IPM)
Heat vs conventional insecticide for a NYC apartment bed-bug job
| Factor | Whole-room heat treatment | Conventional / chemical treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on eggs and all stages | Lethal to bed bugs and eggs — they die within 90 minutes at 118°F (48°C) and immediately at 122°F (50°C) (UMN Extension) | Eggs resist many chemical and non-chemical methods, so survivors hatch after treatment (EPA) |
| Typical visits to resolve | Can kill all stages in a single heated session if target temperatures are held room-wide | Very few infestations are eliminated by one treatment; multiple visits are usual (EPA) |
| How it works | Room air typically held at 135–145°F (57–63°C) until the whole space reaches lethal temperature (UMN Extension) | Relies on residual and contact insecticides reaching every harborage |
| NYC multi-unit reality | Treats one unit thoroughly, but bugs can still arrive from adjacent apartments through wall and pipe gaps (UMN Extension) | Same risk — IPM, monitoring and inspecting adjacent units stay essential (EPA / UMN) |
| What both require | Resident prep and post-treatment monitoring for survivors | Resident prep, IPM and diligent monitoring; success depends on resident participation (EPA) |
Signs you have a bed bug control problem
- Itchy bites in a line or cluster, often on arms, shoulders or legs after sleeping
- Small rust-coloured or dark spots on sheets, mattress seams or the headboard
- Tiny pale eggs or translucent shed skins along seams and crevices
- A faint, sweet, musty odour in heavily infested rooms
- Live bugs (apple-seed sized, flat, reddish-brown) in mattress seams or behind the headboard
Why Park Slope sees this
Pre-war buildings and brownstones have deep baseboard gaps and shared voids that let bed bugs travel between units — we treat with the whole building in mind, not just one room.
We provide documentation that satisfies NYC landlord disclosure obligations and co-op/condo board requirements.