| Whole-home heat | Chemical program | |
|---|---|---|
| Visits | Usually one, most of a day | Two to three, spaced over weeks |
| Kills eggs | Yes, when cracks reach 122°F+ (VT); 130°F+ to our standard | Most products do not kill eggs; follow-ups catch hatchlings |
| Prep | Light: remove heat-sensitive items, unplug electronics | Heavier: bag and launder, clear closets, repeat each visit |
| Residual protection | None by itself; add a residual after heat (VT recommends it) | Yes, that is the point of it |
| Typical Pierce County price | From about $1,200; $1,800–$2,400 for a 3-bed home | About $300–$500 per room per visit, 2–3 visits |
| Where it struggles | Cold spots if probes are not used; the unit next door | Resistant populations; eggs; tenants who cannot prep repeatedly |
When heat is the right call
An established infestation across several rooms; a household that cannot do three rounds of bagging and laundering; a rental where the landlord needs one documented event rather than a months-long program; anyone who wants eggs dealt with in the same day.
When chemical is the right call
A very early catch confined to one bed; a budget that cannot stretch to heat right now; a building where the neighbors are also being treated on a program and a residual barrier matters more than speed. A good chemical job is still a professional job: Washington’s health department says chemicals “should only be applied by a licensed pest management professional,” and WSU’s extension guidance is blunt: do not treat bedding or mattresses with pesticides yourself.
What we recommend most often
Heat, then a residual at the edges. The extension entomologists who wrote the heat-treatment guidance recommend exactly that pairing, and it covers the two failure modes — a missed cold spot and a re-introduction — at once.
Not sure which?
Describe the situation. We will tell you which one we would choose for our own house.
Call (253) 683-8516