I’m guessing you’ve heard through the grapevine, “Heat is the only way to go!”. Well. Not so. Heat is more expensive. Heat needs to be paired with chemical. Heat can damage electronics. Heat can even warp walls and floors! This is why you need to research your professional applicator! One wrong move and things can turn sour real quick. I would recommend you looking through personal reviews found on social media sites and Google.
Something you should know, there are two types of heat treatments: First, you have your traditional heat treatment. Second, you have a pressurized heat injector treatment.
Your traditional heat treatment, being “the only way to go”, must be paired with chemical. The reason being: this type of treatment does not penetrate completely through walls or deep furniture. When a bed bug finds a cold spot, it will hide out until your structure cools down, then come out to make itself comfortable again.
The pressurized heat injector treatment is one step higher than your traditional heat treatment. It does exactly what the name says: It pressurizes your structure, eliminating drafts and cold spots, killing adults and their eggs in one treatment. If I had bed bugs, this would be the only way I’d go!
When Choosing a Professional Pest Company
No matter what treatment option you choose, you need to find out more about the person and company you are choosing to come into your structure and help you get a non-biting night’s sleep. Just like the fungal and chemical treatments, you need to ask any potential company these questions:
- How long have you been in business/How many years of experience do you have?
- What type of treatment do you do for bed bugs and what does it entail?
- Do you treat per room or do you treat the whole structure?
- How long does the treatment take?
- How long is your guarantee?
- What is the prep work involved?
- How much would it cost?
Length of Heat Treatments
A successful heat treatment will take several, and I mean several, hours. Setting up the equipment, placing duct-work throughout your structure, getting to the desired temperature, then maintaining that desired temperature for hours. Then you have to wait for your structure to cool down. Such. A. Long. Process.
Fun fact: With the pressurized heat injector treatment, unlike the traditional heat treatment, there is the ability to purge the airflow, causing a quicker cool down, meaning, you can go back into your structure hours sooner!
Prices of Heat Treatments
Duh. A lot. You are paying for the time. Typically the cost is per square foot: Like, $0.90 to $3.00 per square foot. Little tip, the pressurized heat injector treatment will be a little cheaper than the traditional heat treatment.
Prepping for Heat Treatments
People like heat treatments because of the lack of preparation needed, compared to the fungal and chemical treatments. You will need to take things out of your house though. Here’s an idea of what you’ll need to do to prepare for a heat treatment:
- Find a place for you and your pets to go for the day.
- Remove all clutter.
- Vacuum, using crevice tool, around baseboards where floors and walls meet. Go ahead and vacuum all carpet areas while you’re at it.
- Take these items out of your structure: plants, medicines, aerosol cans, candles and other kinds of wax items, carbonated beverages, oil and acrylic paintings, fire extinguishers, oxygen bottles, and ammunition.
- For a traditional heat treatment, on top of the above list, you will need to remove electronics, computers, fresh fruits and veggies, melting food in general, fish tanks, musical instruments, loose papers. You also have to drain water beds, air beds must be deflated and unplugged, paint cans, soft vinyl items, computer software, CDs/DVDs, and vinyl blinds. Don’t forget soaps, crayons, deodorants, makeups, creams and lotions, bottled alcohol, and olefin carpets (no, that is not a misspelling. Olefin fabrics, it’s a real thing). Just incase, go ahead and take out your photographs and other sentimental items, as well as any antique furniture and refrigerator magnets.
If you want to go another route, let’s learn a little more about different treatment options for you by clicking one of the links below:
FUNGAL TREATMENTS
SELF TREATMENTS
CHEMICAL TREATMENTS