HOW TO GET RID OF BED BUGS
You have determined that yes, you do in fact have bed bugs. Now what? You have a couple of choices. There are two ways to get rid of bed bugs in your home. One is Thermal Remediation, also known as a heat treatment. The other is a Traditional Treatment, which uses chemicals to kill the bed bugs. Let’s break it down.
Thermal Remediation Equipment
Thermal Remediation – This involves heating up the entire house to a minimum of 130 degrees. Within approximately 45 minutes the live bed bugs will be killed. However, the minimum temperature must be maintained for at least 3 hours to ensure that all the eggs are killed too. A heat treatment does require some prep work. Most items can be left in the home but you will want to remove anything that could melt at that temperature and of course no pets or humans can be inside during the treatment.
Bed Bug Temperature Guide
Traditional Treatment – This treatment uses a combination of spray and dust to eradicate the bed bug population. The insecticide is used on the bedding, furniture, baseboards, closets, windows, etc. The preparation for this type of treatment is extensive. It requires that all bedding be removed as well as removing all clothing from the infested room. These items need to be placed into heavy duty plastic bags until they can be laundered and placed in a dryer on high heat for a minimum of half an hour.
A pest exterminator can do either of these treatments for you, and will sometimes offer a combination of the two. Keep in mind that a heat treatment is fairly expensive and can start around $1000. Chemical treatments will usually start around $500 – $600. Ask what type of warranty, if any, you can expect with each treatment.
You can buy mattress, box-spring and pillow encasement’s. These fit over your bedding and do not allow bed bugs in or out. A bed bug can lay dormant for up to 18 months without feeding. Using the encasement’s will keep them locked in and unable to bite. Rapid Pest Solutions has these encasement’s in stock for all sizes of bedding.
Some people may want to try and get rid of the problem themselves, especially due to the high cost. Rapid Pest Solutions offers a retail section in store that sells bed bug kits with the items you need to do a bed bug treatment yourself. The key to being successful is being thorough. You have a greater chance of success, both on your own and with a pest control expert, if you’re sure to follow the prep list given to you and if you’re doing it on your own, follow the instructions on the pesticides to the letter.
Bed Bugs Along A Mattress Seam
