In 2019, San Antonio was listed as one of the four worst cities in Texas for bed bugs. Unfortunately, there were a total of four, which only makes the need for effective and efficient bed bug treatment all the more important. That being said, ever since this listing, residents, and pest management professionals have been on the lookout for effective solutions. Throughout this search, one such method kept coming up over and over again.
This would be the heat treatment. And while this is not a new form of treatment, it has just started making its way into the United States. Other than that, the treatment was heavily used in Europe and throughout Australia with more than effective results.
How Do Heat Treatments Work?
When most people hear the term heat treatment, they automatically make the assumption they know how these treatments work. When you look at the name, the overall theory might seem pretty basic. It’s just a heat treatment, right? So, doesn’t this just involve raising the temperature in the home to a specific degree? Yes, that is pretty much what the treatment involves in its most basic form, but the theory behind the treatment is much more in-depth than this.
While different pest management professionals will go about apply heat differently, our techs like to bring in specialized equipment to raise the temperature in the home. Depending on the severity of the infestation, we may only need to heat one or two rooms. In some severe situations, we may need to heat the entire home. That being said, the goal is to raise the temperature to 140 degrees F or above. When exposed to these temperatures for a specific amount of time, bed bugs will dry out and die. Their bodies will dehydrate.
The Most Effective Solution
While you will read all kinds of different things about heat treatment, it is hard to deny that when applied right under the right circumstances, it is one of the most effective treatments available today. And, this is because it permeates. It gets into cracks, crevices, behind objects, in electrical outlets, and deep behind moldings and frames.
In addition to this, heat treatment kills bugs in all stages. Eggs, adults, or larvae, it doesn’t matter. Heat will kill them. Of course, this is if the bugs are exposed to 140 degrees F for at least 90 minutes.
Properly Monitoring Heat Treatment For Bed Bugs
So, what makes our heat treatments more effective than the competition? It is the fact that we don’t just raise the temperature in the home, but we monitor it. We not only bring in specialized equipment to raise the temperature to 140 degrees F, but we bring in special monitors. These monitors will detect the heat and make the proper adjustments if the heat starts to waver.
In order for heat treatment to be 100 percent effective, they must maintain 140 degrees F or hotter. If the temperatures drop or falter constantly, you are going to get less than desired results. The key is to maintain extremely high temperatures consistently without fluctuations, and that’s exactly why we monitor the temperatures the way we do.
Evacuation Of The Premises
As you can see, there are a lot of great things about our eco-friendly heat treatments. It not only permeates deep into cracks and crevices, but it kills bugs in all stages. When applied under the right circumstances, this stands to be one of the most effective solutions available today for bed bugs. All that being said, there are some drawbacks to the treatment.
Unfortunately, one of these drawbacks is, the home will need to be evacuated. All things considered, this is not really that big of a drawback. If you just schedule the treatment on a day you’ll be at work, it’ll be like you never missed a beat. Get up, go to work, and come home to a pest-free home. It doesn’t get any better than that. Another thing to consider is the heat. There are some items that might not stand up so well when exposed to temperatures of 140 degrees F or hotter. Some furniture or clothing might need to be removed from the home during treatment, but this is something we can help with.
In addition to all this, we are more than willing to work around your schedule. Maybe you need us out at the home on the weekend. Perhaps, you need us out after hours. Whatever the situation is, we are more than willing to accommodate the residents of San Antonio.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
