What You Don’t Know About Bed Bugs

We live in the information age. The way we access knowledge is unlike anything humans have ever experienced before. You can literally take out your phone and ask it, “How far is it from the Earth to the moon?” And depending on what phone you have, it may even speak the answer back to you. By the way, the answer is 230,100 miles. This is absolutely amazing technology! But, there is a danger in thinking you know what you’re doing, because what you don’t know can hurt you.

When it comes to eradicating bed bugs from your home or business, you may be tempted to see if there is a quick fix on the internet, after all, who doesn’t want to save a few bucks. In going to the internet, you are sure to find page after page that says heat can kill these bugs, but a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. Sure, heat can kill bed bugs. In fact, it does a fantastic job of killing them. But, looking at one self-help DIY blog or two isn’t likely to give you the entire picture.

Here is what you need to know about bed bugs and heat treatments:

  • When the heat rises too quickly, bed bugs run; and they can move quickly. That is why many DIY heat treatments simply drive these bugs into wall voids, where they sit and wait till it is safe to come out. Pest professionals have the education, experience, and products to corral these pests so they don’t escape the heat.
  • There are a lot of things that can go wrong during a heat treatment, especially if you use the wrong heaters. There are countless stories of businesses catching ablaze because of an improper heat treatment. Just recently in the news, employees of a certain motel took furniture out into nearby sheds and attempted to use heat to kill the bed bugs inside the furniture. A fire broke out that nearly caught the motel on fire. Many other businesses have not been as lucky.
  • In order to kill bed bugs, an entire structure must be brought up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for over an hour. This is no easy task. To get the job done, professionals use self-regulating industrial heaters, heat sensors, and industrial strength fans. Setting an oven to 500 and leaving the door open is not only dangerous, it is completely ineffective.

If you have bed bugs, please don’t attempt a heat treatment on your own. Reach out to the professionals here at Active Pest Control. We are trained and educated in the safe removal of these and other pests.
What you don’t know can hurt you and your property. Stay safe, and get Active Pest Control.