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Killing Bed Bugs: Heat vs Chemical

Killing Bed Bugs: Heat vs Chemical

 

If you haven’t heard already, killing bed bugs seems just about impossible. These resilient pests can be found anywhere on your bed, walls, baseboards, couch, and even within cracks and holes in furniture. They are extremely hard to find because of their natural instinct to hide during the day.

You could easily get rid of them in one area and not even know they are hiding in a completely different area in the house. Since they can travel on your clothes, it is more than likely that the bed bugs are not just confined to your bedroom.

Considering all of these typical behaviors, we have to consider the difference between using chemicals to kill them and a proprietary heat treatment. Here are your pros and cons:

Chemical Treatment

If the goal is to remove all bed bugs the job has to be done correctly. Considering the size of a bed bug they can live anywhere. They only need to squeeze into a place the width of a credit card. This present a huge control challenge.

For a quick, cheap fix, people often rely on insecticides and chemicals as a control strategy. Although the EPA has approved over 300 insecticides for use to kill bed bugs, there are still products out there that are not EPA approved. If you are reading this thinking that chemicals are the way to go, at least make sure it’s on the list.

Pros

So why do people often rely on chemicals to rid of bed bugs? Some quick answers for you:

  • Cost
    • $10 for a gallon of insecticide vs $1000+ for professional treatment
  • Accessibility
    • Products can easily be found at your local hardware store or online
  • Do-It-Yourself
    • No need for professionals (although we recommend them)
  • Quick Fix
    • Nothing like seeing a colony die in a matter of minutes.

If this is the route you wish to take, ensure that you are vigilant in surveillance and monitoring your progress. You may also consider hiring trained and reputable pest management professionals.

Cons

Not taking the safe route can have its consequences. Here is why chemicals are not the way to go to kill bed bugs

  • Could present harmful fumes or damage furniture
    • Even if the product is not EPA approved there can still be a health risk to children, pets, elderly as well as property damage.
  • You have to get rid of your furniture
    • You can’t sleep on something that has been rinsed with insecticide. This means your mattress, couch, and other furniture items will have to be disposed of.
  • It doesn’t eliminate the bed bugs you can’t see
    • Think, they could be in the walls or the baseboards of your home.
  • Overlooks treatment of any of the known resting areas
    • You would have to spray your mattress and couch with insecticides.
  • Fails to treat nearby areas where bed bugs may have migrated
    • Bed bugs often travel using your clothes – you would have to spray each room.
  • Can be easily misused if label recommendations are not precisely followed
    • If you don’t use enough, it won’t kill them. If you use to much, you can cause damage to the treatment area.
  • Requires several follow up treatments
    • Most insecticides will not kill eggs, so treatment must be repeated after the eggs hatch or you are just going to have another infestation.
  • Not allowing enough time for an insecticide to work
    • Drying agents or growth regulators may be effective, but take some time to kill an infestation.

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Heat Treatment

A Bed Bug Heat Treatment involves a Pest Management Professional bringing specialized equipment to raise the temperature of your home to kill bed bugs. Eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs die within 90 minutes of being exposed at 118°F (48°C) or immediately at 122°F (50°C). To ensure all bed bugs are dead, many companies, including ourselves raise the temperature typically between 130°F and 145°F for several hours. By placing thermometers throughout a home, we can monitor the temperature to make sure it is hot enough to kill all bed bugs.

Pros

100% Safe and Non-Chemical this treatment is highly recommended to those that have an infestation, so why is that? Let’s look at some pros:

  • It eliminates all eggs, nymphs, and adults – kills 100% of bed bugs
    • Heating a home to 122°F for several hours ensure all are dead.
  • Its Safe and Non-Chemical
    • Only heating equipment & fans are used.
  • Low risk of damage to property
    • Thankfully, you don’t have to get rid of your furniture, but your box of crayons might have a chance of melting.

Sure the list is short, but IT GETS RID OF 100% of your Bed Bugs. That’s good enough for me.

 

Cons

Sure, everything has its downside. But to get rid of 100% of your bed bugs, these items may be worth enduring.

  • Cost
    • Depending on the size of home, the cost can range from $250 to $5000 (priced on size of property). It is more expensive than DIY pesticide but you get rid of 100% the first time and end suffering.
  • Prevention
    • A heat treatment will kill every bed bug in your home in one day, but you have to ensure that you don’t bring them back in. This may require some awkward conversations with family or friends.

If you are considering a Bed Bug Heat Treatment for your home, call Bed Bug BBQ for a FREE inspection: (216) 232-2762. Get rid of all bed bugs in just one day!

 

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