Bed bugs have been plaguing humanity for hundreds of years and theyre still going strong to this day. Tiny, resilient, and incredibly effective at invading human living spaces, these insects are responsible for thousands of property evacuations each year. Whats worse: many property evacuations are not isolated occurrences. When removal and prevention services fail to eliminate bed bugs entirely, afflicted homeowners and business owners often find themselves dealing with a recurring problem. More often than not, this is due to ineffective methodology. To state it simply: many bed bug treatment techniques just dont work as advertised.
In this guide, our bed bug removal professionals discuss why common bed bug removal methods such as insecticide use and vacuuming are ultimately ineffective (and frequently dangerous) when it comes to dealing with bed bugs. Well also present several reasons why the use of directed heat is the most effective bed bug treatment available today. Read on to learn more, and contact our PrevSol bed bug removal team at (844) 364-3281 for more information about our products and services.
Know Thine Enemy: A Bit About the Bed Bug
The term bed bug doesnt refer to a single species of insect, but rather the entire Cimicidae insect family. Insects in the Cimicidae family are characterized by their primary dietary preference for human blood, which is why bed bugs nest in mattresses, luggage, clothing and other human areas and objects. Bed bugs are found in virtually every area of the world and are quite resilient to a number of modern removal techniques. In fact, a recent study in the Journal of Economic Entomology has shown that bed bugs are becoming resistant to two of the most common types of insecticides: Chlorfenapyr and Bifenthrin. Coupled with bed bugs miniscule size and breeding rate, increased immunities such as these make the bed bug an extremely difficult pest to remove.
The Issue With Insecticides
The primary problem with insecticides as a solution for bed bugs is that bed bugs are becoming resistant to the chemicals used in most pesticide products. Chemicals such as Chlorfenapyr and Bifenthrin are fast becoming obsolete as new generations of bed bugs are beginning to develop immunities. It has also been widely documented that the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, has displayed considerable resistance to several other chemicals, including Deltamethrin, one of the most commonly-used ingredients in todays insecticides.
Though significant, chemical immunities arent the only reason why insecticides arent an effective choice for bed bug extermination. Another primary reason is the health risk most insecticides pose for the humans inhabiting a given property. Each year, dozens of Americans fall ill due to chemical exposure from insecticides. Whats worse, insecticides are typically quite expensive, forcing many property owners to take the DIY route for treatment. Those looking to preserve the health of those under their roof should always consider other avenues of bed bug removal before using insecticides.
Considering Vacuuming? Youll Likely Always Miss a Spot
Aside from chemical solutions, there are several physical removal techniques used to address bed bugs in both homes and businesses. One of the most common physical bed bug-removal methods is vacuuming: the process of literally sucking bed bugs out of their nesting places. However, the size and resilience of bed bugs makes it virtually impossible for vacuums even industrial-grade vacuums to completely clear out bed bugs from a given space. Plus, if vacuum contents are not emptied immediately following each use, the bedbugs that are captured may crawl out through the vacuum’s hoses and re-establish themselves.
Heat: A Highly-Effective Bed Bug Removal Solution
With the drawbacks of bed bug removal solutions such as insecticides and vacuuming clearly outlined, well spend the rest of this article discussing why heat is the most effective bed bug treatment on the market today.
Heating techniques utilize small, specifically designed heaters to raise the temperature of the spaces inhabited by bed bugs. At PrevSol, our state-of-the-art heaters are set to run at temperatures close to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is hot enough to kill bed bugs, yet cool enough to not damage appliances or other valuables often kept indoors. (Bed bugs themselves die at 111 degrees, while their eggs die at 117 degrees.)
As no studies have shown bed bugs or bed bug eggs surviving in statistically significant numbers much past the temperatures of 111 and 117 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, heat treatment is, by default, a highly-effective means of eliminating infestations altogether. It also works quickly. Many of our heat machine models can effectively eliminate bed bugs from a given room in 6-8 hours.
From a safety perspective, heat treating bed bugs is considerably safer than using insecticides. Our heaters here at PrevSol have been extensively tested and leave behind no physical damage or chemical trace in the rooms they heat. Plus, theyre designed and manufactured right here in the USA for unparalleled performance and reliability where theyre needed most.
Interested in learning more about the effectiveness and advantages of heat treatment for bed bug removal? Contact our professionals here at PrevSol by calling (844) 364-3281 today!