Bed bugs look tiny and innocent but the annoyance and damage they cause cannot go unnoticed. Unfortunately, killing them isn’t a walk in the park. Since bed bug infestations aren’t the same, there’s no single solution that will work for all of them. That’s why there are various pest removal treatments that you can benefit from to get rid of bed bugs in your home.
Heat treatment is a common method used by many pest control professionals. It involves using specific equipment that raises the temperature of a room in order to kill bed bugs. This treatment dries out the bed bugs’ bodies while using high heat.
Bed bugs and their eggs die when exposed to a temperature of 118 °F and above. The exact time it takes will depend on the temperature and the equipment used. But expect bed bugs to die immediately at 122 °F or within ninety minutes at 118 °F. Heat treatments usually take 6 to 8 hours, depending on the severity of bed bug infestation in the house.
Keep reading to learn more about the heat treatment for bed bug removal.
Can Bed Bugs Survive After Heat Treatment?
Heat treatment is suitable for those who want an eco-friendly solution that leaves no residue. It kills these insects in all life stages, from eggs to adults. Plus, it only requires one treatment that can be accomplished within the same day, and usually without any further follow-up visits from a pest control company.
Heat treatments are highly effective as they can get rid of 95% of bed bugs with just a single treatment. Because of the high heat that the bugs are exposed to, it’ll be difficult for them to survive after this treatment.
Certainly, bed bugs can move quickly, especially when they sense a threat. They will often run to hide inside walls or a piece of furniture. But the good news is that heat can get into all these places.
When the temperature of your entire home is raised to 120°F, it will be impossible for these insects to make it out alive, no matter where they are hiding.
Also, the treatment kills even those that are resistant to pesticides. Note that there’s nothing like heat-resistant beg bugs, meaning all of them will die when they overheat.
But it’s important to mention that these insects can escape the heat! And they can come to bite you later. That’s why the heat treatment is most effective when done by an expert pest control company to ensure that all bedbugs are killed once and for all.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live In Heat?
The length of time it takes for bed bugs to die depends on the type of heat treatment you are using. Obviously, higher temperatures will instantly kill these insects compared to lower temperatures.
When using home methods, such as the laundry drier, these critters will not survive more than half an hour.
However, professional pest control companies sometimes use steaming methods, to supply heat of 160-180 °F that kills these insects within seconds.
How Long Do You Need To Heat A Room To Kill Bed Bugs?
In general, the thermal death point of bed bugs has to be reached for them to die. This point is determined by exposure time and temperature. If you expose a bed bug to 113 °F constantly, it won’t live past 90 minutes. And it will only take 20 minutes for a bed bug to die if exposed to a temperature of 118 °F. But to kill the eggs, they need to be exposed to 118 °F for 90 minutes.
Will Heat Treatment For Bed Bugs Damage Your Home And Belongings?
Heat treatment for bed bugs is very effective, however, it can potentially damage your home.
Some examples of heat stress damage can include melting, breakage, cracking, drying, shrinking, as well as chemical alterations.
Not only can high heat melt plastic TV stands, which can lead to your TV breaking, but it can also cause framed pictures on the wall to crack.
In addition, wallpaper, laminates, and linoleum tiles can get damaged by heat.
However, you can do several things to minimize or prevent damage when using heat treatment for bed bugs. So, before your heat treatment, make sure you do the following:
– Remove valuable items like developed photos, artwork, oil paintings, live plants, fish tanks, etc. Also, remove flammable items or those that can melt when exposed to heat such as laminated furniture and all laminates. Things such as make-up, perfumes, alcohol, posters, candles, etc., should be taken out of the house.
– Empty your suitcases of clothes that can be hot washed in the washing machine.
– Unplug all your electronics and shield them.
– Take out aerosols, fire extinguishers, and pressurized cans as they may explode.
– Drain your water bed and deflate air from an air bed, if you have those.
– Take down your window blinds.
– Store medication, beverages, and food that can melt in the refrigerator.
Bed bugs are known to be fast and elusive pests, they can escape treatments and live in your home for many months, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
At Peachtree Pest Control, our trained and experienced bed bug inspectors can locate bed bugs right at the source. We ensure complete eradication so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!
