Are Heat Treatments More Effective Than Insecticides when dealing with bed bugs

There a number of new bed bug control technologies that have been developed in the recent years in dealing with bed bugs. The question still remains, are heat treatments more effective than insecticides?

It is widely known that insecticides alone cannot fully eliminate the infestation of bed bugs and for a long term control measure, heating and other non-chemical control methods should be used for effective control. However, heating methods are the most effective ways of controlling bed bugs in a home. 

Heat treatments are easy to use and best because bed bugs are easy to kill using heat and steam. The death point of bed bugs is about 115F. One can easily kill them by putting infested clothing in a hot dryer which will kill both bugs and their eggs. A steamer can also be used in furniture, carpeting and other bed bug hide-outs in the home.

The steamer is the most commonly used method of eliminating bed bugs using heat. It can be used to kill the bed bugs found on couches, mattresses and all other places that the bugs may be hiding. The steaming process is however slow and patience is required so as to effectively eliminate the bugs. The steamer user is advised to move slowly and concentrate the heat on the surfaces for some time before moving to the next surface. If the steamer’s head is large, then the effect is great and more bed bugs and their eggs will be killed.

It is also required that the velocity of to steamer is kept at the minimal to avoid blowing the bugs and eggs across the room. Steaming reduces the infestation quickly but does not eliminate it 100%. Another heating method used together with the steamer is use of the Temp-Air Heat Remediation System. It uses heaters that generate enough heat to reach the death point of bed bugs and their eggs, but not high enough to damage household items and furniture. The heat generated is blow by use of fans in the system and has a sensor that detects and controls heat generation.

If you would like a professional exterminator to verify activity please call 647-496-2211. We also feature a variety of bed bug related products such as mattress covers and bed bug monitors.