If you suspect bed bugs may be present in your house, one of your first inquiries probably will be, “How do I get rid of these things, and fast?” Heat treatment and chemical treatment are your two major alternatives for getting rid of these pesky little insects from your home.
We’ll examine both the advantages and disadvantages in this tutorial. Additionally, you’ll receive all the fundamental information required to ensure that you can get rid of bed bugs as quickly and effectively as possible.
A Few Bed Bug Facts You Should Know
Life Cycle of Bed Bugs Image
To begin with, you should have a basic understanding of the frequency of bed bugs, their life cycle, and the reasons why infestations are difficult to control in order to better understand your treatment options.
How frequently do bed bugs occur in the US?
The prevalence of bed bugs was nearly nonexistent fifty years ago. However, there has been a significant resurgence since the 1980s. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assert that this has occurred in part as a result of bed bugs developing a resistance to some insecticides as well as an increase in transmission rates as a result of both domestic and international travel.
Many pest control professionals today believe that the biggest infestation issue in the US is bed bugs. We can vouch for this because Ohio has some of the worst bed bug infestations in the country, including Cincinnati, which consistently ranks among the top 10 bed buggiest cities in the country.
Fact 1: bed bugs are fairly widespread.
Why Is It Hard to Treat Them?
Bed bugs are really cunning. Because of their small size, they have a natural survival instinct to tuck themselves into small, hard-to-reach crevices. They can hide themselves in spaces that are no wider than a fingernail, and they can remain there without being seen for months at a time in between feeding sessions.
Bed bugs are challenging to locate and considerably more challenging to get rid of after you do.
Fact 2: They are hardy, secretive, and cunning.
Why are they difficult to treat?
Up to a dozen eggs can be laid per day by adult female bed bugs. It will produce up to 500 eggs during its lifetime. Therefore, a bed bug colony will spread quickly. But the issue goes much deeper than that. It’s made worse by the way they move.
Before laying her eggs, a female bed bug is hard-wired to flee from other bed bugs. This indicates that bed bugs frequently move from one room to another. A small colony in one bedroom can quickly spread to infest the entire home.
Fact 3: Quick action and effective treatment are crucial.
Let’s evaluate your treatment alternatives now that you are familiar with bed bug behavior and why infestation control is so difficult.
Option 1: Bed Bug Heat Treatment Omaha in Omaha heat treatment in progress
In order to kill bed bugs, bed bug heat treatment includes raising the temperature in your home. Your home will be fitted with specialized heaters by a pest control expert who will gradually raise the temperature to above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Fans positioned in key locations move the hot air, thus converting the bed bug-infested spaces in your home into a convection oven.
A bed bug will perish if exposed to temperatures between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour or two. Once the temperature rises above that, they’ll pass away instantly. That is the target temperature.
The entire procedure is covert, completed in under a day, and is powered by a single generator.
Pros of Heat Treatment
- Typically, there is only one treatment: If a bed bug heat treatment is done correctly, it only needs one treatment. Multiple visits are typically necessary for chemical treatment.
- It targets bed bugs where they are most susceptible because they are hardy insects and excel at hiding from view. Additionally, some strains are pesticide resistant. Heat has the advantage of being universal, unlike chemicals. No matter how many layers of clothing or bedding a bed bug is hidden beneath, the heat will still be able to reach it and kill it. Bed bugs are likewise fatally affected by heat at all phases of their life cycles. Although they can run, they cannot hide.
- There are no lingering consequences: The only thing that remains after the heat in your home returns to normal is a large number of dead bed bugs. If you are concerned about chemical residues in your home, this is a benefit.
- Bed Bug Heat Treatment is discrete: Let’s face it: advertising to your neighbors that you have had your home treated for bed bugs is probably not the best idea. Treatment with heat is discrete. The only item that can be seen from the street is a generator, which you could use to power anything from fans to a steam cleaner to dry paint.
Cons of Heat Treatment
Bed bug re-infestation is not prevented by heat treatment: The consequences of heat are permanent. They might come back if residual chemicals aren’t there to act as a barrier. However, maintaining a clutter-free home and routinely cleaning your bedding thoroughly are both good non-chemical bed bug prevention strategies.
You must get your house ready: Your home will need to be empty throughout treatment, including any pets. Additionally, you should probably remove any heat-sensitive items from the house, like wax and crayons. Our pest control specialists can provide guidance on what should be removed from your house and what can be safely left there.
Things to Take into Account When Using bed bug heat treatment is a fantastic choice. It can reach infection regions that are difficult to reach with insecticides and is quick and discrete. But you’ll need to put a prevention plan in place. Use of heat in conjunction with chemical treatments around the perimeter of your home is a fantastic alternative to think about.
By doing this, you can reduce the amount of chemicals in your home while still creating a residual chemical barrier where it will be most helpful.
Alternative 2: Chemical therapy
Chemical agents are introduced throughout the residence as part of the treatment process. A pest control specialist will typically use three different chemical types: a contact insecticide to quickly eliminate bed bugs that are easy to reach, a residual (long-lasting) chemical to kill bed bugs continuously, and a dust to offer more durable protection in cracks and crevices inside and outside of infested rooms.
Reaching the bed bugs is necessary for chemical therapy to be effective. Chemical therapy is site-specific in contrast to heating. To ensure that all bed bugs are treated, treatment is often spread out over several visits.
Pros of Chemical Treatment
- Chemical therapy can be very successful: Chemicals can rapidly and effectively eliminate bed bugs, especially if you catch the problem in its early stages. Additionally, you can effectively combat bed bugs over time and throughout every stage of their life cycle by combining quick-acting pesticides with dusts and residual chemicals.
- It could aid in avoiding further infestations: Chemical residue serves as a deterrent against further bed bug infestations. Even though having chemicals around the house all the time is not everyone’s ideal solution, it unquestionably provides long-term security.
- It is economical. The cost of chemical treatment is frequently somewhat lower than that of heat therapy for bed bugs.
Cons of Chemical Treatment
- A lot of preparation is needed before chemical treatment: The bed bugs must be exposed to the chemicals. This implies that in order to ensure that the chemicals get to where the bed bugs are hiding, you’ll need to completely prepare contaminated regions by taking down as many barriers as you can. A chemical treatment needs time, planning, and preparation.
- Your house is exposed to lingering pollutants as a result. Although these substances are safe for residential use, the chemical treatment approach might not be the best choice if you have pets or people who are chemically sensitive in your home.
- The bed bug egg is not killed by chemicals: Unfortunately, chemical remedies are ineffective against bed bug eggs. Keep in mind that a female bed bug lays at least 5 eggs per day.
- You’re probably considering a number of treatments, and none of them are guaranteed to rid you of bed bugs: A pest exterminator must carefully identify and target the areas where bed bugs are most prevalent before using chemical treatments. These creatures are cunning, as you have already discovered. This is why chemical treatments typically produce the best results when used twice or three times over the course of a few days or weeks. As a result, it’s typically a less practical and covert choice.
Considerations for Using Chemicals
The fact that chemical treatment offers enduring protection against bed insect infestation is a major incentive for many customers.
The disadvantage is that it typically calls for numerous applications, and some individuals could feel uneasy about chemical residues in their home. Additionally, keep in mind that your home must be carefully prepared in order for the chemicals to effectively reach the desired areas if you want the treatment to be effective.
The Best Treatment for Bed Bug Heat Treatment
So, let’s go back to the crucial query: what is the best course of action to take if you have a bed bug infestation?
Obviously, all the factors we’ve discussed in this guide will determine whether you choose heat treatment or chemical treatment. Others believe that chemical treatment’s long-lasting protection justifies the potential drawbacks of having residual chemicals in your home, while some people are drawn to the convenience of heat’s one-treatment approach.
Overall, we advise heat treatment for the most majority of our clients (our clients adore this choice because they don’t have to get rid of furniture due to bed bugs). It seems to be the greatest technique to combat bed bugs’ inherent cunning and tenacity because it is rapid, discrete, and effective. Heat treatment consistently eliminates bed bugs, according to years of expertise. We frequently receive inquiries from clients whose houses have undergone chemical treatment for bed bugs only for the pests to return a few weeks or months later.
Of course, you may always utilize chemicals to create a barrier around the outside of your home while depending on heat to treat your present infestation if you really want a preventive treatment. The best of all worlds may be provided through this.
Just ask us if you have any more questions! We have years of experience dealing with bed bug infestations, so we can advise you on the best course of action for your particular case.
The best pest bed bug heat treatment company in Omaha is called Pest Busters Omaha. In one of the states where bed bugs are most prevalent, Pest Busters Omaha, has performed over 12,000 heat treatments for bed bugs.
