Dependable Bed Bug Heat Treatment Houston

Traditional Bed Bug Treatments

Exterminators have several bed bug treatments at their disposal. These are beneficial for more localized bed bug infestation and in low-risk infestations in smaller homes, hotel rooms, and apartment units. Conventional bed bug methods require several visits to remove bed bugs completely because of their reproduction and incubation cycles. During traditional bed bug treatments, residents and business owners should leave their properties until the pesticides dry. 

Common bed bug treatments include injecting pesticides in cracks and crevices or applying pesticides in spot treatments. Unfortunately, bed bugs can leave their hiding spots, so exterminators often have to return for additional treatments according to experts at Michigan State University. Mattress encasement is another helpful tool. By covering mattresses, bed bugs cannot get in. While this treatment helps, bed bugs can move into other places like upholstered furniture and cracks in the wall, requiring other treatments. 

We also use pesticide dust and pesticide sprays to cover larger areas, but bed bugs are crafty and find new spots to live. Most people don’t want dangerous pesticides in their homes, especially if they have children or pets. Most pesticide treatments take several follow-up visits for reapplications in other spots around the house.

Bed Bug Heat Treatment in Houston

When exterminators use heat treatment or Thermal Remediation Treatment, they kill the majority of bed bugs in the area. Exterminators use portable heat chambers and large fans to increase the heat to 118 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. Experts at the University of Minnesota recommend this method in order to eliminate bed bugs in all developmental stages. 

Steam is another method that kills bed bugs, but this treatment requires more time. Exterminators apply heat in a small area – usually one square foot – for at least 30 seconds. They apply the hot-water steam to upholstered furniture or carpets.

Benefits of Bed Bug Heat Treatment

Heat treatment for bed bugs has several benefits, especially since it does not require pesticides. The benefits include:

• An eco-friendly pest control solution that does not harm children or animals
• A fast treatment that often takes one day, depending on the square footage of the space
• An effective way to kill bed bugs in all developmental stages
• Guarantees bed bugs cannot find another hiding space
• Eliminates bed bugs in tiny crevices and hard-to-reach areas
• Useful in apartments, residential homes, hotels, dormitories, and furniture stores

How Does Bed Bug Treatment Work?

Bed bug treatments work best when the infestation is extreme and in a centralized location smaller than 2,220 square feet. It is an ideal tool for removing bed bugs in a single room, suite, or dorm. Heat treatment can be expensive, especially if bed bugs are in several rooms. The large fans and heaters can damage heat-sensitive items.

What to Do Before a Bed Bug Heat Treatment

Residents and business owners must prepare their homes and businesses before heat treatment starts. Everything in a drawer or closet can stay in place. Because bed bugs hide in small items, everything should remain in the infested room. However, homeowners should clean each room before they leave their homes. 

It’s important to leave purses, backpacks, briefcases, and clothing inside the space being treated. Items that should be removed include aerosol cans, ammunition, fire extinguishers, live plants, musical instruments, candles, and unopened carbonated cans. Fragile items and loose papers should be placed on drawers or moved to safe locations so the hot air moving through the room won’t damage them.