Bed Bugs: Do Heat Treatments Actually Work?

The name can be deceiving—bed bugs aren’t just found on your bed. They can hide in clothes, stuffed animals, shoes, and more, which is how they end up coming home with you from a trip. If you are wondering if you have bed bugs, the peskiest of stowaways, consider the signs:

• You have red, itchy bumps in a line
• You find cast bug shells or fecal matter on your bed

Sound familiar? Then bed bugs may be the culprit.

Heat treatments are an effective way to exterminate bed bugs, so if you are itching for a way to get rid of these unwelcome house pests, it might be time to put them in the hot seat.

Bring on The Heat.

In order to exterminate bed bugs using heat, it is important you get the temperature right. The lethal temperature for bed bugs is between 117 F and 122 F. There are a few ways you can get that toasty environment that will take care of them:

• Steam: Steam gets into all of the little crevices that can not be inspected. It also kills larvae and eggs.
• Dryers: Place small items, like clothing, shoes, stuffed animals, in your dryer and use the highest heat setting.
• Hot box: Just be sure to take the proper safety measures and be cautious of the heat source you use.

In an extreme situation, an entire building could be heated to the lethal temperature to kill off any bed bugs, though it is a very unlikely scenario for homeowners.

Dealing with a Bed Bug Problem? We Can Help.

The pest professionals at Green Pest Solutions have dealt with the dreaded bed bug before. If you want help exterminating the pests or want to take some preventative measures to stave off another outbreak, please consider giving us a call to schedule a free consultation. Contact us today at 855-312-7157.