Will Bed Bug Heat Treatment Damage My Home?
Bed bugs are among the peskiest, most tenacious, and most challenging pests that infiltrate people’s homes in America. They are incredibly tiny, wingless organisms that are only a few millimeters in size. They can easily fit their little bodies into tight spaces and other obscure, out-of-the-way places. When bed bugs bite you, you may not immediately notice their attack since they release an aesthetic during the first few minutes of sucking your blood. Later, you will begin to feel the itchy discomfort of their bites and observe some flat red welts on your skin. The healing process for bed bug bites is slower than for mosquito bites. It’s a good thing that these pesky pests don’t spread viruses.
Unfortunately, these annoying creatures do not discriminate when infesting a house or building. It doesn’t matter if you are very hygienic or if your home is clean. You can still fall victim to these annoying critters.
It’s upsetting enough to know you have a few bed bugs in your bed. Worrying about the potential danger a treatment procedure can inflict on your property is the worst thing you need. However, there’s no need to overthink. Bed bug heat treatment is one of most pest control experts’ safest and preferred methods. When done correctly, it won’t harm your possessions and doesn’t leave any residue, unlike chemical treatment.
Bed Bug Heat Treatment: How It Works
The effectiveness of this bed bug elimination method ranges from 95% to 100%. Heat treatment, or heat remediation, is deemed more environmentally friendly than chemical treatment. It doesn’t require chemicals or pesticides to kill bugs. Essentially, it would be best if you had a licensed expert install specialized heaters in specific locations inside your home. The bed bug exterminators will also mount wireless sensors and remote thermometers throughout the infested space. It is to ensure they meet the appropriate “lethal” temperatures of 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit to wipe out all the bed bugs, including their eggs and larvae.
The specialized heating apparatus will release hot air that will permeate every crack, gap, and soft furnishings inside the home. The exterminators also use commercial fans to spread the heat further.
Unlike chemical treatment, heat remediation needs no follow-up sessions to take effect. It is a one-time procedure that only lasts between 4 to 10 hours. Moreover, people may enter or pass by the treated area. While the treatment continues, experts suggest removing pets and heat-sensitive items from the affected room.
What to Expect During Heat Treatment
Provided that a certified bed bug exterminator performs the procedure, the items and structures in your home will all be secure. Bed bug heat treatment will not harm nor melt your belongings. However, the exterminators will instruct you to take precautions such as removing or relocating a few things, particularly heat-sensitive and flammable items, and chemicals, from your house. Homeowners must follow the exterminators’ recommendations. Typically, the exterminators will ask you to vacate the area and take your pets, including fish tanks, outside the house or to an appropriate location.
Preparing for Heat Treatment
Your pest control specialist will provide the best guidance on preparing your house for heat treatment. Ask them beforehand to note any objects you need to preserve or relocate (i.e., plants, appliances, and furniture). After doing this, prepare your home by:
- Cleaning your area.
Before inviting an exterminator in, ensure your home is clean and clutter-free. It will be better to begin the treatment in a clean environment.
- Unplugging your electronics
Make sure all your electronics are unplugged before conducting heat treatment.
- Removing explosives and fire hazards
Homeowners must take things like alcohol, spray cans, perfume, fire extinguishers, pressurized bottles, and ammunition out of the property during treatment.
- Removing heat-sensitive items
Homeowners must also remove household heat-vulnerable objects (i.e., indoor plants, candles, and oil paintings) and have the blinds drawn during heat remediation.
- Keeping meltable objects in the refrigerator
It is best to store things like food, chocolates, drinks, and medicines in your fridge when heat treatment is on.
Why Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is the most viable alternative for treating pests like bed bugs because of the following reasons:
- It causes no harm to animals and other beneficial organisms because no chemicals are involved in the procedure.
- It is time-efficient because you can do it in just one session. It takes less than 12 hours to completely wipe out the bugs, their larvae, and their eggs.
- It is not as expensive as other professional treatment methods.
- It penetrates bed bug hideouts that are difficult to reach by chemical means.
- It is a discreet method of removing bed bugs. Your nosy neighbors will not even know about it.
Even though a re-infestation could happen after heat treatment, you can prevent it from occurring by following the precautions suggested by bed bug experts. Experts advise applying residue chemicals to ensure success in removing the remaining bugs.
Bed Bug Heat Treatment, Sacramento CA
California is among those US states with serious bed bug problems. Because bed bugs are so adept at hitchhiking and hiding in tiny gaps and cracks, they are tough to eradicate. If you want to kill bed bugs in Sacramento, CA, the first thing to do is call a qualified exterminator. Your possessions are perfectly safe if you take all necessary steps and seek guidance from bed bug professionals. Following a successful bed bug heat treatment, your home’s comfort and full splendor should be expected.
