“I have bed bugs. Now what?”

 

You may as well just forget about the DIY option right off the bat. If you’re already seeing bed bugs, over the counter pesticide products are going to be a waste of your money, most likely not be very effective, and could potentially harm your health as well. (Check out the recent CDC release on DIY bed bug control products.)

So what options are left for you?

Hiring an exterminator can be intimidating. Especially if you’ve never had to do so. Take a look at National Pest Management Association’s recommended checklist when planning to hire an exterminator for bed bug control.

Photo courtesy of Ricky Kluge

Which treatment method is the best for bed bug control?

If you’re researching bed bug control online or calling around to local pest control companies, you’re going to hear a variety of methodical explanations for which treatment is the best for bed bug control. It’s important to know what each one is all about, so you can determine which will be best for you and your needs, with the guidance of the pest professionals you talk to.

These are the two most common treatments you’ll hear about:

  • Conventional Pesticide Treatment
  • Heat Treatment

 

Let’s compare

Conventional Pesticide Treatment for Bed Bugs

  • Requires a good amount of preparation work on your part before treatment (carefully removing clutter, laundering bed linens and clothing, removing items under bed, etc.)
  • Requires visual inspection, which can be tedious, time consuming and expensive. To avoid the possibility of inaccuracy, multiple visits may be necessary in accordance with breeding cycles to effectively eliminate generations of bed bugs.
  • Relies on the scrutiny of the technicians applying products. This is also why multiple visits are beneficial with this method.
  • Has residual benefits with products placed in cracks, crevices and along perimeters of affected rooms for continuous control.

“Can’t you just spray for bed bugs like you would for ants?”

Bed bugs are parasitic insects. This means that they MUST feed on a host to survive. Mosquitoes, fleas and lice are also examples. Ants, cockroaches, and most other common household pests don’t need hosts to survive. Their bodies are not structured the same way as parasitic insects, they have alternate purposes in this world and they can thrive without humans or animals.

 

The treatment methods are completely different. There are very few products labeled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the effective control of bed bugs. Over-the-counter products like foggers that claim to “kill bed bugs” are being removed from shelves because of reported hazards with their use. The professional products available to pest management professionals are not like they used to be decades ago. When bed bugs were common household pests in the 1950s, the “cure-all” pesticide, DDT, was introduced to control these creatures. Unfortunately, this chemical caused so many health issues because of its liberal usage. Pesticides are formulated much differently these days. Your health is our priority, here at Rose Pest Solutions Chicago.

 

Bed Bug Heat Treatment equipment

“Heat to kill bed bugs?”

Most professional pest management companies are using heat to control bed bugs these days. Why? Because it’s the most accurate bed bug control method out there right now. It eliminates the possibility for error in detection and precision in eradication.

  • An extremely effective method of controlling bed bug infestations with the reduced use of pesticides.
  • A process that uses electric heaters and powerful fans specifically designed for the pest control industry to raise a room’s temperature to between 120 and 135 degrees.
  • Kills all life cycles of bed bugs, including the eggs.
  • Heat penetrates tiny crevices the human eye can’t see, where bed bugs can hide.
  • Completely GREEN solution.
  • Diatomaceous Earth (natural chemical-free pest control product) is also applied around perimeters of room to kill bed bugs emerging as the room is heated.
  • Requires little to no preparation work on the customer’s part.

Bed bug heat treatment equipment

 

 

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