If you’re looking for information on how exterminators are able to get rid of one of the most difficult household pests we have to deal with, you’ve come to the correct place.
In this article, we’ll go through the three main measures an exterminator would take to eradicate bed bugs from your house. You’ll also learn about the changes in bed bug treatment over the past 50 years. Some of the information you previously thought you knew about bed bug elimination can be outdated.
In our final piece, we’ll go over the three crucial measures a professional exterminator will take before starting the bed bug management process. Power truly lies in knowledge. So let’s get you going so you can successfully repel these annoying, embarrassing, and remarkably tough little pests.
Remember that we can help if you require Cincinnati bed bug extermination as well.
3 Typical Techniques for Bug Removal
Numerous bed bug remedies are available. You can find conversations regarding mattress covers, furniture interceptors, vacuuming, and steaming on YouTube and in forums devoted to pest management.
They are regularly questioned by customers who want to know if they are good choices. the prompt reaction?
There is a space for each of them. When assisting a client in getting rid of their bed bugs, we almost certainly combine a few of these methods. However, none of them are strong enough to change things on their own.
Only chemical, cold, or heat therapies may successfully eradicate bed bugs. We’ll talk more specifically about these three bed bug treatments in this article.
Chemical Therapy
Needing swift fixes is an understandable and rather common quality. Ask the vast majority of sick people whether they would prefer to receive therapy with a single drug or a course of physical therapies. Nine out of ten persons will use the drug for obvious reasons.
For insect control, the same holds true.
Let’s begin with a brief history lesson. In the past, bed bugs were eradicated using a pesticide that was frequently sprayed during fumigation. Over the past century, we have relied on a wide variety of hazardous substances, from sulfur to mercury chloride.
Then, don’t worry, came dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, which we also cannot pronounce. Every aspect is impacted by DDT. We now had a product that would enable us to continue eradicating present bug generations in addition to your current problem. This extraordinary substance makes it possible to eradicate bed bugs at every stage of their life cycles, from eggs to fully developed adults.
So it makes sense to ask: Why aren’t we using this as our default solution right now?
Two words: insecticide resistance.
In the 1960s, we thought bed bugs were all but extinct in the US. However, there is a big outbreak occurring right now.
The root of the problem is anxiety.
DDT-resistant bed bugs are becoming more prevalent. Science created multiple waves of DDT alternatives, including lindane, chlordane, and diazinon, but they all eventually lost their effectiveness as a means of keeping up with the insects.
Because they are extremely adaptive creatures, bed bugs have a variety of behavioral, morphological, and biochemical resistance against chemical treatments.
In other words, they kept growing stronger.
The more chemicals we throw at them, the more chemically resistant they become.
This background information should make it clear why, even though we now use chemicals to address the problem, they aren’t always the greatest solution to eradicate a bed bug infestation. They are practical. But we needed better instruments to get rid of bed bugs.
The requirement for multiple treatments when using chemicals almost always results in extra harm to your home and higher overall costs.
Cold Therapy
Once the entire extent of chemical resistance was understood, exterminators needed to develop a new approach.
The concept of applying cold treatment was our idea.
Actually, there isn’t much to explain. Using a machine that spreads frozen carbon dioxide, the exterminator’s goal is to instantly snap-freeze and kill all bed bugs and bed bug eggs on a treated surface.
Because cold therapy concentrates on drastic environmental change, it completely avoids the problem of chemical resistance and greatly reduces the possibility of bed bugs developing biological resistance.
The fact that this is a non-toxic treatment strengthens the case for choosing cold over chemicals. The absence of residues and harmful contaminants will result in a marked improvement in the environment’s overall performance.
Do you think there will be a “but” after this?
The following are the primary disadvantages of using cold treatments: Even while they might not be able to adapt to the cold like they have to pesticides over time, bed bugs are naturally extremely resistant to it.
Have we stated how challenging these assignments are yet?
Simply said, killing bed bugs with cold is not the most effective method. Bed bugs can endure temperatures of – 15 degrees Fahrenheit. You won’t be able to declare for sure that the population has been wiped out until several days have passed with temperatures in that range.
You are entirely accurate that it would be difficult to carry that through.
Do you know that bed bugs may be found concealed in the nooks and cracks of pillows, mattresses, bed frames, clothing, and other items? By the way, all of that is insulation. The deeper an insect is buried, the harder it is to expose it to a lethal cold. The majority of bed bugs, which should annoy you the most, are unaffected.
Not cool enough or not cool at all.
The essential point is that although cold increases our options a little, it is not a surefire fix.
Heat Therapy
Heat follows. Again, you won’t need a complicated scenario to understand how this elimination approach works.
To circulate hot air inside a damaged house, fans are utilized in conjunction with a strategically positioned battery of incredibly powerful heaters.
How hot is the temperature are we talking about?
To increase the air’s temperature above 130 degrees Fahrenheit is the goal.
A bed bug population will start to decline, according to the research, at about 110 degrees. Over 120 is the biological tipping point where bed bugs begin to almost instantly die.
Finally, a suitable answer is now within reach.
Despite their resistance, heat seems to be bed bugs’ biggest—and possibly only—vulnerability that can be easily exploited.
The fact that heat is more accessible than cold is another benefit.
Right now, 130 degrees Fahrenheit seems a bit warm. Do not get us wrong; we do not recommend spending time outside in such heat. It is far simpler to increase a home’s ambient temperature to this level of warmth than to decrease it to – 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Did you also know that insulation frequently harbors bed bugs? Though not significantly, it can endure cold better than heat. areas where chemicals and cold are less likely to penetrate can be reached by heat.
Everything mentioned so raises the question. Is boiling bed bugs to death the simplest method for getting rid of them? Is it the answer we have all been looking for?
I guess there are two possible answers.
Bed bug infestation management is still difficult. Bed bugs top the list of insects for inventiveness, tenacity, and spreadability.
However, heat is one of the most effective treatments we have for targeting the little irritants where they are most exposed.
In the vast majority of instances, chemical therapies that are applied are a component of the solution. But based on our significant expertise, heat is by far the best way to get rid of bed bugs. Even though it’s not a full solution, it needs to be included in every bed bug extermination strategy.
Consider some fundamental logistics as well. Heat treatment is:
- Less disturbance arises from chemical use.
- Easier to implement than cold therapy.
- The most affordable and secure option available on the market.
How to Choose a Trustworthy Exterminator
You now have more information about bed bugs and the methods we can take to get rid of them. An essential extra element of the bed bug problem is the people who are removing the pests.
How do you pick a good person?
This is a really important question.
Although there are many people who declare to provide professional services, it can be challenging to spot the real deal, which is usually represented by businesses with cutting-edge equipment, years of combined extermination expertise, and a strong commitment to entomology.
Prior to anything else, it’s critical to understand what a competent exterminator isn’t.
3 Vital Information About Pest Control
No, a qualified exterminator only performs removal. Killing is not enough.
The primary goal of a competent exterminator is to terminate the entire bug life cycle, starting with reproduction. Taking that measure is the only way to stop bed bugs from entering your home, not just tomorrow but also in six months.
#1: A thorough knowledge of bugs is an exterminator’s best tool.
An experienced exterminator will use just one method:
A common adage is “This guy’s great because he has all the nasty, deadly chemicals.” For the reasons we discussed above, chemicals are a factor in the problem, but they are not the only one.
One bed insect removal method rarely provides effective results on its own. However, a knowledgeable exterminator would concentrate on integrated pest management, which expertly integrates a number of eradication strategies to fight pests from multiple directions.
#2: The most effective strategy is typically a dual treatment-control procedure.
A knowledgeable exterminator will almost never choose the “nuclear” approach. Many of our clients believe that we will arrive at their home outfitted in biohazard gear and with poisons lethal enough to be carried as weapons.
Some folks find this concept unsettling. It gives some individuals comfort.
The awful chemical bed bug treatments, however, are now a thing of the past. It doesn’t work. It is detrimental to the environment. Did we not also state that it is a total failure? There are significantly more effective methods to eradicate bed bugs (such as our friend heat therapy).
#3: Greater harm does not always imply greater effectiveness.
Effective extermination involves:
- Questions – Where have you found evidence of bugs, please? Have you recently purchased used furniture? What happened in your home before you realized they were there? Are you at all bit? Do you have any pets? Allergies? The responses to each of these questions will have a significant impact on the treatment strategy that will be most effective for you.
- Investigations – Consider an investigation when you think about Sherlock Holmes! Your home will undergo a forensic inspection by a qualified exterminator to identify the precise type of the problem you’re having.
- Combinations – As years of experience (and a significant quantity of exceptional research) have repeatedly demonstrated, heat treatment should be a part of every bed bug extermination approach. In addition to the heat treatment, a knowledgeable bed bug exterminator will know how to delicately administer extra chemical treatments.
In Conclusion
So there you have it. Here is the short version (too long, didn’t read):
Over time, there has been a substantial evolution in the methods used to eradicate bed bugs. These days, heat treatment is the industry standard. Now that you know, it also has the benefits of being more affordable and secure than pharmacological therapy alone.
Make sure the exterminator you hire asks questions, conducts investigations, and works together to eliminate these disgusting little gremlins from your home. If you keep these suggestions in mind, you’ll be well on your way to a home free of pests (and bug bites!).
Wish to learn more? If you’re unsure whether to use heat or insecticides to treat bed bugs, go to our comprehensive advice. Send us an email or give us a call if you live in California and are having problems with a bed bug infestation.