Once you realize you have bed bugs, the first thing you probably think is, “how do I get rid of these fast?” There are two types of extermination processes you can choose from, heat treatment and chemical treatment. Which is the best treatment option for you?
Efficiency
Chemical treatments, at one time, were the only and most effective treatment for bed bug removal. Since chemical treatments have been on the market for a long period of time, bed bugs have become resistant to this form of treatment. Bed bugs are now forming new generations with harder shells and a stronger immune system that will counteract the chemicals used to treat bed bug infestations.
Now, heat treatment has become a more popular choice when it comes to bed bug removal. There has been no way found that bed bugs can resist a heat treatment. Once the temperature reaches approximately 140 degrees, bed bugs can no longer survive the heat. As the temperature and heat rises bed bugs slow down and eventually will die. Even the bed bugs that you cannot see will die off.
Although chemical treatments are toxic enough to kill bed bugs, is this treatment plan worth possibly endangering your family or pets. Many chemical treatment options have odors and insecticides that can be harmful to your health if inhaled.
Now heat treatments do not create any type of health risks at all. Since there is no residue or toxins left behind this form of treatment is completely safe to you, your family and your pets. The only component involved in heat treatments is the actual heat.
Time
Chemical treatments take on average two to three different treatment sessions for chemical treatments to work. This can be quite a disruption since you will have to leave your home for quite a while. Being out of your home for even a few days can be a huge hassle.
Heat treatments leave you with minimal down time and your home is usually back to normal within a da. For a bed bug heat treatment to be effective, bed bugs need to be at 140° for at least 90 minutes. The entire process should take approximately six hours, however, this needs to be determined based on the size of your home. By using a heat treatment, your household can be back to normal the same day vs. using a chemical treatment.
Feasibility
When using chemicals to treat a bed bug infestation, the bed bugs will actively try to get away from the chemicals being used. The may cause them to enter additional spaces in your home. The only way to be sure the bed bugs will all be gone, is to spray every bed bug and every egg. This is not reasonable to assume you were able to spray all the bed bugs in the infestation. Bed bugs will continue to keep coming back, and you will be right back where you started in a few weeks’ time.
By heating the entire room, heat treatments are able to kill all the eggs and bed bugs. The heat causes their bodies to slow down and you will not have bed bugs spreading to other areas of your home.
Chemical treatments are becoming a thing of the past. With the ease of heat treatments for bed bug removal, this is the way most people choose to go. No bed bug treatment is ever going to be 100% guaranteed, but our heat treatment has been a proven and safer solution that chemicals.
If you think you may have a bed bug infestation, contact us for a free home estimate.