Is this bed bug treatment right for you?
About 90% of the customers who contact us for bed bugs discuss the option of heat treatments and whether those treatments are right for them. Not all situations are the same, but here are a few examples of what happens during bed bug heat treatments, their effectiveness, and whether it’s right for you. With this knowledge, you can be the judge as to whether heat treatment is the way to go with your bed bug problem.
How Hot Will My Home Be During A Bed Bug Heat Treatment?
As a homeowner you must understand that in order to effectively kill bed bugs, the temperature inside the structure and in all the areas of a home must reach at least 117 degrees Fahrenheit. This may seem like a reasonable temperature, but remember that that 117 is the low target that must be reached in all the cracks, crevices and so on. The actual target according to University of Virginia is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Anyone who has seen or used an infrared camera will tell you that to reach that temperature there are going to be areas of the home in excess of 250 degrees. Think of a fireplace – the farther away you are from it the lower the temperature. Any areas away from the equipment source are going to be much cooler.
This means that you are going to have to evaluate certain items in your home that could be sensitive to excessive heat. It’s not uncommon to have personal items damaged or discolored from the extreme high temperatures. Boxing and bagging these materials for storage or removal can be hard to identify beforehand, and most companies will not touch personal items (for insurance reasons and just sheer time). There can be a cost associated with throwing out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of damaged personal items.
No Chemicals When Using A Bed Bug Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is a great way to eliminate bed bugs without chemical treatment. The exposure to pesticides, especially sensitive folks, is something a lot of people are very wary about. This is for good reason. We can tell you from experience that there are a lot of people applying pesticides commercially in New York state that don’t have proper training.
Poor Guarantees
I have rarely seen pest control companies warranty heat treatment for bed bugs longer than 60 days, and there is a reason why. Very often, you don’t realize something was missed until the bed bug nymphs have gone through their life cycle and started their blood meals. This can take 6-8 weeks before the signs of an infestation. This means companies will be out of their contracts by the time you see it as an issue. If you are going with a heat treatment, ask the bed bug company what happens if they must come back past the warranty period. A lot of companies will either charge you the same amount or charge you a slightly reduced rate.
Choose The Right Company
For a pest control company to treat properly for bed bugs you need some high-end expensive equipment, good insurance and good people. This can be a lot of investment for the company itself, and retreating the property will cost them most of their initial profits. From a business perspective it doesn’t make sense to spend 6 hours of equipment and labor to redo a treatment for free. If heat treatments are 50% effective, then your best bet is to double the amount they are charging you. Unless you’re getting a year guarantee, there is a good chance your going to be paying again. Not to mention the hassle of prep and just the sheer discouragement for a re-infestation.
At EnviroPest we employ only highly trained licensed techs that work majority on bed bug treatments. Although we have the expertise and equipment to do heat treatments, the majority of the work we perform is treatment to the source areas with the proper types of materials. The reason is most people want an affordable, long guaranteed and less intrusive program.
Call Today! (855) GET-ENVIRO
If you discover bed bugs, ants, bees, mice or other pests in your home, contact EnviroPest for immediate relief. Our certified team is educated in the most advanced bed bug protocols and equipped with the state-of-the-art resources necessary for complete eradication of these pests. You can also sign up online or call. We’re the exterminators NY trusts and we look forward to discussing your issue.
