The short answerChoose a firm that is on the BPCA or NPTA register, carries public liability insurance, inspects before it quotes, puts the number of visits and the guarantee in writing, and will tell you which products or temperatures it uses. Avoid anyone who quotes a single visit over the phone, will not name their trade body, or cannot show a written report from a previous job.
Bed bug treatment is one of the few jobs where a bad tradesperson can leave you worse off than before they came. A poor spray scatters bugs into other rooms. A rushed heat day leaves survivors behind a wardrobe. And because the problem takes weeks to show itself again, the firm has long since cashed the cheque.
This post sets out the checks to apply before booking.
Eight things to check
1. Trade body membership. The two registers that count in the UK are the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) and the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA). Both publish member lists. Members agree to a code of practice, hold insurance and employ qualified technicians. Membership does not guarantee a perfect job, but it means there is someone to complain to. We check it for every firm here.
2. Insurance. Ask for public liability insurance and, if they have staff, employer’s liability. A firm applying insecticide in your bedroom should show a certificate without fuss.
3. Qualifications. The usual technician qualification is the RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management. Ask who will attend and what they hold.
4. A real trading identity. A registered company number, or a sole trader name and address that match the quote. A mobile number and a first name is not a firm. We check Companies House and the trade registers for every listing; see how we check.
5. They inspect before they promise. A firm that quotes a fixed price without asking how many rooms, or without looking, is guessing. Bites are not proof of bed bugs.
6. They explain the visits. For spray, two or three visits are normal because eggs survive the first. For heat, one visit plus a check. A firm that cannot explain why should not be treating.
7. The guarantee is written down. Length, conditions and what happens if bugs return. A verbal guarantee is worth nothing in week five.
8. Local coverage. Firms that genuinely cover your town arrive on time for follow-ups. Ones travelling two hours each way stretch the schedule. Every firm on the Manchester list, the Leeds list and the other town pages states the towns it covers.
Questions to ask on the phone
The answers tell you more than the price does.
- Are you a member of BPCA or NPTA? Under what name?
- Who will attend, and what qualification do they hold?
- Will you inspect first, and is there a fee for that?
- Which method do you recommend for my situation, and why?
- How many visits are included, and how far apart?
- What product class or target temperature do you use?
- What do I need to do before the first visit?
- What is the guarantee, and what are its conditions?
- Does the price include VAT?
- Will I get a written report after each visit?
A good firm answers all ten without hesitation. Our guides to what happens during treatment and treatment costs tell you what the answers should be.
Red flags
Each one alone is a reason to pause. Two together are a reason to walk away.
- A single-visit price for spray with no mention of eggs or follow-up.
- No trade body, or a vague “fully accredited” with no name.
- Reluctance to put the quote in writing.
- Pressure to book today because “they spread fast”. A day to get a second quote changes nothing.
- Full payment in cash up front.
- A promise to treat the whole flat without asking about the neighbours.
- Reviews that are all five stars, all recent, all in the same style.
- Advice to throw the mattress away before anyone has seen it.
- No written report after the visit.
Why membership and insurance matter
The insecticides used by professionals are restricted products. Applied properly they are safe for your household once dry. Applied badly, in the wrong places or at the wrong concentration, they are not. BPCA and NPTA membership mean the firm has agreed to use products according to the label and the law, and that its technicians are trained to do so.
Insurance matters because things go wrong. Heat can damage furniture and electronics if run carelessly. Spray can stain. Without insurance, you are arguing with a sole trader about a ruined sofa.
The CIEH’s National Pest Advisory Panel, which brings together environmental health professionals and the trade bodies, makes the same point: use a registered professional, and expect them to work to a standard.
What a written report should contain
After every visit, you should receive a report, on paper or as a PDF, containing:
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date, address, technician name | Evidence if you need it later |
| Findings | Where bugs, eggs or signs were found, and how many |
| Assessment of extent | Light, moderate or heavy; helps with any tenancy dispute |
| Rooms and areas treated | So you know what was and was not done |
| Products used, with approval numbers | Required for professional products; also tells you what was applied in your home |
| Temperatures reached and held, for heat | Proof the kill temperature was achieved |
| Your instructions | What to do and not do before the next visit |
| Next visit date | Keeps the course on schedule |
| Guarantee terms | In writing, every time |
If you rent, the “assessment of extent” line is the one that matters most. Our guide to bed bugs when you rent explains why.
Big firm or sole trader?
Both can be good. National firms have systems, cover and spare capacity. Sole traders often have more experience per technician and more care per job, because their name is on it. A sole trader on the NPTA register with ten years of bed bug work is a better bet than a call centre that sends whoever is free.
Where to find firms that pass
We list firms by town and check three facts for each: trading, covering the town, and on the BPCA or NPTA register. Start with the Birmingham page, firms covering Sheffield, firms covering Glasgow, the Edinburgh page, the Bristol page or the Southampton list. For heat specialists, see the heat treatment page. For anywhere else, the A to Z of towns.
Ring two or three. Ask the ten questions. Book the one that answered them properly, not the cheapest. We take no fee from any of them, and your details go to nobody but the firm you call.
Where this information comes from
- BPCA, Video: choosing a professional pest controller, accessed October 2026
- BPCA, Pest advice for controlling bed bugs, accessed October 2026
- NPTA, Find a pest controller near me, accessed October 2026
- NPTA, Accredited members list, accessed October 2026
- CIEH, The role of the National Pest Advisory Panel, 2020