With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the last thing you want to have to worry about are bed bugs in your sheets. If you have signs of bed bugs around your home or business, you don’t want to leave the infestation unattended for long, as bed bugs can pose health risks to you and your family and you could be spreading them to other people and places. The most effective way to get rid of bed bugs is with heat and thermal treatment. While this may sound scary, it shouldn’t be. We are going to review how to prepare for bed bug thermal treatment.
What is Bed Bug Thermal Treatment?
As mentioned, the best way to get rid of bed bugs is with heat. Heat treatments effectively eliminate bed bugs at all stages of their life cycle. It is a good solution when results are needed quickly or when a chemical-free option is desired. Plus, studies have shown that bed bugs can become resistant to chemicals and adapt to living in dangerous environments. This can make it a difficult to treat for bed bugs with chemical products where heat is still effective.
To put this simply, bed bugs die when exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time, and because these critters are known for their hiding abilities, during thermal treatment, heat permeates the entire home or business. Meaning all of your belongings reach levels of heat that bed bugs can’t survive, even those in hidden corners, walls, furniture, etc. The pest control company will raise the temperatures in your home or business to those in which bed bugs cannot survive.
Thermal treatment times are based on the environment which is being treated. There are other factors like air temperature, outside temperature, clutter, preparation, and size of the structure that needs treatment that will determine how long the treatment on your home or business will take. Generally speaking, this treatment can be completed in a matter of hours, typically 8 to 10 hours.
How to Prepare for Bed Bug Thermal Treatment
Although heat treatment is the most effective way to rid your home or business of bed bugs, it can be scary to think that your home, business, and/or belongings will be exposed to such high temperatures. Many of our customers who receive this type of treatment are concerned about their belongings and property, and rightfully so; however, you can rest assured that our technicians are trained in how to properly place heaters to keep homes and businesses safe while effectively performing treatments.
There are some things you can and should do to prepare for bed bug thermal treatment.
Step One: The first thing is to be prepared to be away from your home or business for the amount of time that the treatment is expected to take. This includes removing all pets from the space as well.
Step Two: Place the below items in plastic storage bins, so they can be removed from your home or business once inspected for bed bugs.
- Plants
- Fresh foods that are left out (vegetables, fruits, bread, etc.)
- Any belongings or food that may melt (candles, crayons, chocolate, etc.)
- Alcohol
- Medications (both prescription and over-the-counter)
- Anything pressurized (soda bottles, aerosol cans, propane bottles, etc.)
- Flammable items and firearm ammunition (lighters, fireworks, bleach, etc.)
- Wooden and stringed musical instruments (leave the case behind for treatment)
- Anything that is valuable and you are worried about the heat affecting it (paintings, documents, etc.)
Step Three: Vacuum your entire home or business, and vehicle/s. Discard of the vacuum bag or empty the vacuum canister into the trash.
Step Four: Secure all loose papers and all valuable/breakable items from shelves, nightstands, end tables, desks, etc. that could be knocked down by air movement.
Step Five: Leave it up to the professionals. Be sure not to remove the below items from your home or business, as they can be great hiding places for bed bugs:
- All furniture (including mattresses, file cabinets, etc.)
- Clothing
- Wheelchairs, scooters, or strollers
- Linens, pillows, etc.
- Anything else the pest control professional advises may be infested with bed bugs and is safe during the thermal treatment
When in doubt, ask the pest control professional what is safe for you to leave and what you should take.
At Delving Pest Control, we can treat both recently discovered and prolonged bed bug infestations. We use heat and thermal treatment for bed bug removal because it is the leading, proven way to rid your home or office space of bed bugs for good.
Delving Pest control is the leading discreet bed bug exterminator in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Our vehicles are unmarked for your privacy.
Contact us today to learn more about heat and thermal treatment for bed bugs and for a free inspection and strategy to help eliminate your bed bug issues.
