For a hotel, a bed bug problem is rarely just a pest problem. It is a guest complaint, a refund, a room out of service and, too often, a review that stays online for years. A University of Kentucky study found that a single bed bug mention in recent online reviews reduced the value travellers placed on a room by around $38 a night for business guests and $23 for leisure guests.
Bed bugs have also become harder to kill. Writing for the BPCA in December 2025, Dr Richard Naylor and Alexia Naylor of the Bed Bug Foundation reported that in 2022 tests on field strains, “most products, even after 36 hours of exposure, didn’t kill a single bug.” Resistance to the pyrethroid insecticides that make up most professional bed bug products is now widespread.
This guide compares six UK providers on the three things a hotel or commercial property needs: detecting an infestation early and precisely, treating it in a way that kills every life stage, and proving the problem has been resolved.
What the Research Says About Treatment
Research by Kells and Goblirsch (2011) found that adult bed bugs die at around 48°C, but eggs survive until around 55°C. That is why effective heat treatment targets 50°C to 60°C, and why cold spots, such as the inside of a mattress or behind a skirting board, are where treatments most often fail.
Detection matters just as much. A study of more than 500 UK hotels presented by entomologist Clive Boase found that a previous infestation substantially raises the risk of another, and that success depended “just as much on the monitoring, communication and coordination” as on the treatment itself.
Comparison Table
| Company | Best for | Detection | Treatment | Our rating |
| Merlin Environmental | Hotels, care homes and transport | In-house dogs, on site | Chemical-free heat and steam | 9.3/10 |
| Rentokil | Large hotel groups and student housing | Dogs analyse air samples off site | Entotherm heat plus insecticides | 9.2/10 |
| ThermoPest | Hotels in southern England and Manchester | K9 units | One-day heat treatment | 9.0/10 |
| Bed Bugs Limited | London properties wanting a steam specialist | Passive monitors and inspection | Super-heated steam | 8.8/10 |
| Nurture Pest Control | Facilities contracts across the UK | Partner detection dogs | Heat, steam or insecticide | 8.6/10 |
| Pest24 | Furniture and soft furnishings | Not stated | Portable heat chamber | 8.4/10 |
1. Merlin Environmental
Best for: Hotels, serviced apartments, care homes, student accommodation and transport operators including airlines, rail, coach and cruise.
Merlin Environmental is a commercial-only pest control company covering the UK and Republic of Ireland. It handles detection and treatment in-house, using its own Springer Spaniel detection dogs, and describes the unit as Europe’s longest-established canine bed bug detection team.
What stands out:
- On-site detection: A dog and handler can screen a room in two to three minutes and a hotel floor in under an hour. Dogs are tested monthly and taken off live work if they fall below standard.
- Two chemical-free treatments: Whole-room heat at 50°C to 60°C, with thermal imaging to find cold spots, or high-heat steam applied to the exact spots the dogs identify. Rooms can be used immediately afterwards.
- Same-day turnaround: In hotels, bed bugs found during an inspection can be treated the same day.
- Records: Treatment reports and infestation mapping aligned to BS EN 16636, plus scheduled screening.
Worth knowing: Merlin does not publish prices. Its accuracy figure of up to 98% comes from its own controlled tests; field studies generally show lower accuracy in real buildings.
- Accreditations: BS EN 16636, ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001, BPCA, UK Housekeepers Association member
- Price: Free inspection and quote
- Our rating: 9.3/10
- Website: merlinenvironmental.co.uk
2. Rentokil
Best for: Large hotel groups, universities and student accommodation providers that want bulk screening.
Rentokil offers bed bug services nationwide through its local technicians and has more than 100 years in pest control. Its bed bug offer combines heat treatment with a distinctive canine screening model launched in 2023.
What stands out:
- Bed Bug Dog Detect: Technicians collect air samples from room doorways with a vacuum backpack, covering more than 200 rooms a day. Dogs, including Labradors, German Shepherds, Beagles and Belgian Shepherds, then analyse the samples at a separate facility. Reactive on-site dog searches are also available.
- Entotherm heat treatment: Rentokil’s system reaches 49°C to 63°C to kill all life stages.
- Proof of treatment: Its on-site heat pod for furniture and soft furnishings is monitored by probes and produces a temperature graph as evidence.
- Scale: Capacity to handle large portfolios, backed by a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot rating from more than 11,000 reviews across its services.
Worth knowing: Results from proactive air sampling take around five days. Rentokil notes that follow-up insecticide treatments are required alongside its heat pod, and price is the most common complaint in its reviews.
- Accreditations: Technician qualifications recognised by BPCA and NPTA
- Price: Quote-based
- Our rating: 9.2/10
- Website: rentokil.co.uk
3. ThermoPest
Best for: Hotels and hostels in London, the South and Manchester.
ThermoPest is a heat treatment specialist with teams in London, Brighton, Bristol, Bournemouth, Manchester, Portsmouth, Reading and Southampton. It is one of the few bed bug firms that publishes a starting price, which makes budgeting easier.
What stands out:
- One-day heat treatment: Industrial heaters treat a property in a single day, usually with same-day re-entry.
- Layered approach: Heat is supported by steam, extraction and diatomaceous earth where needed.
- Detection and monitoring: K9 detection units and discreet monitoring services for hotels and hostels.
- Commercial support: Volume pricing for multi-room contracts, risk assessments and method statements, and a 60-day return-visit guarantee on qualifying heat treatments. It holds a 4.7 Trustpilot rating.
Worth knowing: Coverage is limited to its listed cities, and it does not publish the temperatures its treatments reach. Its dog accuracy claim of more than 95% is not independently verified.
- Accreditations: BPCA, NPTA, TrustMark
- Price: Heat treatment from £895; commercial work quoted
- Our rating: 9.0/10
- Website: pest.co.uk
4. Bed Bugs Limited
Best for: London businesses that want a long-standing bed bug-only specialist.
Founded in 2005, Bed Bugs Limited deals only with bed bugs and says it has treated more than 29,000 cases. It takes a contrarian position in the industry, arguing against whole-room heat treatment because of cool spots and the lack of residual protection.
What stands out:
- Steam-based treatment: Super-heated steam at 180°C, which is insecticide-free, combined with an organic residual product.
- Monitoring: Passive monitors designed for a 30-second weekly check by staff.
- Hotel support: Staff training materials and an on-site decontamination facility for affected guests.
- Transparent pricing: Published rates, including £150 an hour for assessments and £75 for follow-up visits (plus VAT).
Worth knowing: It does not list BPCA membership, it has very few public reviews, and it does not offer canine detection.
- Accreditations and memberships: Federation of Small Businesses, Entomological Society of America, Bed Bugs Federation
- Price: Published hourly rates; commercial work quoted
- Our rating: 8.8/10
- Website: bed-bugs.co.uk
5. Nurture Pest Control
Best for: Businesses that already use The Nurture Group for facilities services.
Nurture Pest Control is part of The Nurture Group, a facilities services business based in Windlesham, Surrey, with more than 45 years of history. It offers bed bug services across England, Scotland and Wales through local teams.
What stands out:
- Dog detection: Delivered with canine search partners, with dogs able to search up to 100 rooms a day and distinguish live bugs and viable eggs from other insects.
- Treatment choice: Heat, steam, and chemical or natural insecticides, followed by cleaning and disinfection.
- One supplier: Useful for clients who want pest control alongside grounds, cleaning or other facilities services.
- Honest guidance: Nurture states that dogs cannot enter rooms treated with insecticide for six weeks, which helps clients plan inspections.
Worth knowing: The dogs are supplied by partners rather than kept in-house, its accuracy claims vary between its own pages, and bed bugs are one service line within a much broader business.
- Accreditations: RSPH, NPTA, ISO 9001, 14001 and 50001, SafeContractor, CHAS
- Price: Free consultation; quote-based
- Our rating: 8.6/10
- Website: nurture-group.co.uk
6. Pest24
Best for: Treating beds, sofas and soft furnishings without disposing of them.
Pest24 is based in Swindon and works nationwide. Its bed bug service focuses on heat, with equipment designed to treat furniture and belongings that would otherwise be thrown away.
What stands out:
- Portable heat chamber: A sealed chamber for treating beds, sofas and other furniture on site.
- Newer technology: A hydronic heat system introduced in 2025.
- Drop-off option: A drop-off service for luggage and furniture.
- Discretion and standards: Unbranded vehicles, Trading Standards Approved status and support for the Bed Bug Foundation.
Worth knowing: Pest24 does not offer canine detection and does not publish its treatment temperatures or prices.
- Accreditations: Trading Standards Approved
- Price: Quote-based
- Our rating: 8.4/10
- Website: pest24.co.uk
A Hotel Manager’s Checklist
- Does the provider detect on site and give same-day results, or send samples away?
- Will treatment reach 50°C to 60°C everywhere, and how are cold spots found?
- Can rooms be used immediately after treatment, or is there a waiting period?
- Will you receive mapping and reports you can show an insurer or a complaining guest?
- Is there a proactive screening plan, given that previously affected hotels face a higher risk of reinfestation?
- What does the guarantee cover, and for how long?
Final Thoughts
The best bed bug control company for your property depends on its size, location and how much disruption you can tolerate. A large hotel group may prioritise screening capacity, a London guesthouse may value a long-standing local specialist, and a care home may need treatment that avoids chemicals entirely. Ask each shortlisted provider how they detect, how they treat and how they prove the job is done, and compare their answers before you commit.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com and pexels.com
