In hideaways ranging from mattress seams to carpet edges to bed frames, bed bugs are insidious pests that tend to settle in and stay awhile, and finding and identifying them is the first step in determining whether you have a problem with these unwelcome guests. After all, the long-term consequences of an infestation is more than just annoyance – their bites can result in sores, welts and allergic reactions, leaving victims open to a wide array of potential pathogens.
That’s why it’s the next step that people tend to care most about as soon as they find evidence of an infestation – how to get rid of bed bugs.
DIY Solutions Come Up Short
While some do-it- yourself homeowners or less experienced professionals may opt for a home chemical solution of some kind to get rid of bed bugs, there are several problems with this approach.
First off, bed bugs can be extremely difficult to find – even if you think you’ve discovered a substantial pocket of them, chances are there are others hiding in cracks and crevices that you may never come across. Second, and even more troublesome, bed bugs are extremely hardy little pests, making it unlikely that any spray, powder or poison will eliminate them with 100% effectiveness.
Other oft-advised DIY strategies include thorough vacuuming, disassembling the bed for a major cleaning and utilizing pest strips in shoes and closets, all of which are likely to have varying degrees of success. However, like insecticides, these methods often come up short in completely eliminating the problem – even if you are lucky enough to knock most of them out, those that survive will go right on reproducing and re-infesting your home.
So if it’s so hard to find them and even harder to poison them, then what is the best way to get rid of bed bugs? Three words: bring the heat.
How Does Heat Treatment Work?
While bed bugs can find a way to thrive under almost any conditions, the one element they simply cannot tolerate is extreme heat. Where insecticides and chemicals come up short, a good, thorough heat treatment gets the job done by going everywhere the bugs can go – there are no limitations and no concerns about missing out on a hidden pocket of pests.
In a heat treatment, the entire living area is fired up to 120+ degrees, temperatures at which it is impossible for bed bugs to survive. And because the heat is everywhere, there are no hiding places; mattresses, sheets, drapes – no matter where those bugs have decided to dig in, they won’t be able to escape the heat. This is, quite simply, the only truly effective way to get rid of bed bugs.
Be Less Bug-Friendly
One thing that bed bugs really like is having lots of places to hide and hang out, which is why it’s important to make your home as inhospitable as possible to them. The easiest and most straightforward way to achieve this is to de-clutter and keep your living areas as clean as possible.
In the case of a heat treatment, you’ll need to have your rooms mostly clear of obstructions anyway, so the goal following the treatment should be to try and keep things that way. Avoid keeping large stacks of newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes and other potential nesting spots around, and definitely don’t leave food lying around for long periods. Because once you’ve gone through the effort to get rid of bed bugs, the last thing you want to do is create an environment that makes your home an inviting target for a future infestation.
Call an Expert
A heat treatment is not something you want to attempt on your own. Trying to heat a home to those extreme temperatures in a safe and effective manner is something that only a professional should be doing.
If you think you have an infestation and want to make sure you’re taking the right steps to tackle it, call (920) 455-0373 Erdye’s Pest Control for a 100% FREE inspection. We’ll help you determine the extent of your issues and walk you through a heat treatment plan designed to help you get rid of bed bugs once and for all.