It can be very upsetting to discover you have bed bugs. Those minuscule, hardy pests can ruin your tranquil haven and good night’s sleep. Getting rid of bed bugs with heat treatment is your go-to action here.
Heat therapy targets all bed bug life cycle phases, including eggs, nymphs, and adults. This is done by subjecting them to high temperatures.
To use this effective pest control strategy, some preparations must be made. Your home must be adequately prepared to ensure treatment success and possession protection.
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Knowing Why Bed Bug Heat Treatment Is Effective
Before beginning the preparation process, it’s critical to comprehend the reasons behind bed bug heat treatment effectiveness. Bed bugs have high-temperature sensitivity. They perish quickly at temperatures above 120°F (49°C).
A heat treatment kills bed bugs by heating the contaminated area between 130°F and 145°F (54°C and 63°C). Deep within mattresses, furniture, and wall voids-areas challenging to access with chemical treatments—this intense heat reaches every nook and cranny.
When used properly, heat treatment can eradicate bed bugs in a single session, which is its greatest benefit. To guarantee the treatment is effective and to protect your things, appropriate preparation is necessary because it involves high heat.
Step 1: Tidy Up Your House
Decluttering your house is the first step in getting ready for a bed bug heat treatment. Bed bugs thrive in cluttered areas. By removing unnecessary objects, you will make your house more heat-efficient and reduce bed bug hiding places.
How to Proceed:
- Sort through every area and get rid of everything you don’t need, especially anything that is in closets, beneath beds, or tucked away around the borders of rooms.
- Remaining things should be arranged so that they are not crammed or packed closely together, as this may hinder heat transfer to particular regions.
- Get rid of any contaminated objects, including badly infected furniture or old mattresses, that you are unable to clean or treat.
Step 2: Safeguard Items Sensitive to Heat
Although bed bug heat treatment works incredibly well, some items may be damaged by the high temperatures used. Before the treatment starts, you will need to identify these heat-sensitive items and either remove them or cover them.
Things to Take Out or Keep Safe:
- Electronics. Take out or shield sensitive electronics, such as TVs, laptops, and other items that might be harmed by heat. See your pest control company for detailed instructions on what should be taken out and what should be left in place.
- Artwork and Musical Instruments. Get rid of everything that could melt or deform in the heat, including artwork.
- Candles and Makeup. Take out any makeup, candles, and anything that could melt in the heat.
- Pets and Plants. Everything that is alive should be taken out of the house, including pets and plants. Additionally, fish tanks ought to be moved to a safer location.
- Pressurised cans, aerosols, and possibly explosive goods should all be removed from your home since they can be dangerous when exposed to intense heat.
How to Proceed:
- Make a list of all the things in your house that are susceptible to heat and proceed room by room to either remove or safeguard them.
- Keep these things cold, out of the treatment zone, in a shed, garage, or with a neighbour.
- Consider utilising thermal covers or blankets as insulation for objects that are required to remain in the house, but first speak with your pest control professional.
Step 3: Get Your House Ready for the Heat to Enter
You must set up your house so that heat can flow freely across all afflicted areas in order to guarantee the heat therapy is as successful as feasible. This entails making sure that air can flow through the entire space.
How to Proceed:
- Remove Furniture from Walls. Pull dressers, couches, and beds out from against the walls. This makes it possible for heat to enter the spaces beneath and behind furniture, where bed bugs frequently hide.
- Drawers and Closets Open. To let heat enter, open all cabinets, closets, and drawers. It’s crucial to make sure bed bugs are exposed to heat since they might conceal themselves in these areas.
- Dismantle furniture. Disassemble furniture pieces, including bed frames, to expose greater surface area to the heat, if at all possible. This makes it easier for any bed bugs lurking in joints or crevices to be heated.
- Take out the bed linens. Take off all the bedding from your beds, such as the covers for the mattresses, pillowcases, and sheets, and give them a hot water wash. Clean sheets should be kept out of the treatment area or packed in a bag.
Step 4: Arrange the Treatment Day
On the day of the bed bug heat treatment, you must leave your home for several hours. Treatment may take six to eight hours, depending on the size of your property and the severity of the infestation.
How to Proceed:
- Make a departure plan. Make plans to spend the treatment term away from home. Spend the day at a local park, café, or with family or friends. Pets are not allowed in the house during therapy, so bring them along.
- Grab the necessities. Take with you anything you could need for the day, including valuables, prescription drugs, and anything you took out of the house while getting ready.
- Work together with the Pest Control Pros. Make sure your phone is open and that you have discussed any last-minute worries or enquiries with your pest control experts.
Step 5: Following the Procedure
To guarantee the effectiveness of the procedure and stop re-infestation, you must adhere to certain post-treatment procedures after the heat treatment is finished.
How to Proceed:
- Examine Your House. As soon as you are permitted to return, look about your house for any indications of bed bugs. Even though heat treatment works wonders, it’s crucial to keep an eye on things to make sure all bed bugs have been destroyed.
- Clean Up. Before returning any heat-sensitive things you removed, wait for the house to calm down. Thoroughly hoover to get rid of any trash, eggs or dead bed bugs.
- Proceed Observing. Because bed bugs are hardy, even though heat treatment should get rid of them, you should still exercise caution. In order to capture any remaining bed bugs, keep an eye out for any indications of bed bugs and think about installing bed bug interceptors on your bed legs and other furniture.
In summary
The effectiveness of bed bug heat treatment, which is a potent way to get rid of bed bugs from your house, mostly depends on how well you prepare.
You may contribute to the treatment’s effectiveness by organising your space, safeguarding your possessions, and making sure your house is prepared for the greatest amount of heat to enter.
Keep in mind to work closely with your pest control experts, pay strict attention to their recommendations, and keep an eye on your house following the treatment. You can get rid of bed bugs and restore your peace of mind in your house with the appropriate planning.
