Best Professional Bed Bug Treatment
Experts say that the most important step in dealing with bedbugs is by consulting a professional. This is true because these critters are known to be difficult to deal with. They are not only hard to kill but their recurrence is also inevitable without proper treatment.
Opting for professional bed bug treatment does not only gets rid of the critters but also prevent bed bugs from coming back. Yes, there are bed bug sprays that you can use for your DIY treatment. However, these may not be enough especially when dealing with a larger infestation.
Professional Treatments Offered by Experts in Dealing with a Bed Bug Infestation
There are various treatments offered by professionals when it comes to dealing with an infestation. The three options that companies may offer you are the following:
- Chemical Treatments
These are known as the most inexpensive way to get rid of bed bugs. It is also considered an industry-standard practiced for many years. However, this is only effective on small infestations that can still be controlled.
Products included in this treatment have an active ingredient called pyrethroid. This ingredient is known as a bedbug killer and expression in products such as bed bug sprays. Some professionals also use insecticide dust such as diatomaceous earth that provides residual effects. The residues of the chemicals keep the bugs from re-entering treated areas.
Some of the disadvantages of using Chemical treatment are the need for time to make the chemicals work, which requires several visits before achieving full bed bug control. This means that it will also take a longer time to work in case you are dealing with a higher level of infestation.
Furthermore, there is also increasing resistance to professional-grade pesticides. This usually results in either failure of controlling the infestation or unsuccessful treatments.
Do it is considered as an effective solution for bed bugs, it is also known to be very disruptive do the household on an extended period. Since bedbugs hide in almost any narrow space, there are times when professional technicians are not able to eliminate all the bugs in an infested home.
Over time, the professionals may recommend the use of different products in every visit just to kill each bug hiding in your home. Without diligently following with the professionals say after the treatments, there is a great chance of reintroducing these bugs in your home just like how they found their way in it once.
- Partial Heat Treatment and Chemical Treatment in Unheated Areas
Given that there are items that cannot be chemically treated in your home, professionals would often recommend the use of heat treatment. Usually, portable heat chambers are set up to heat treat infested items.
Since other items cannot fit in the chamber, these are usually chemically treated. When heat treating items, you must guarantee the elimination of bed bugs in other items. If not, the remaining bedbugs will only get into the heated items and infest these items again. So, when using heat treatment, it is highly recommended that you do it right and kill all bed bugs and their eggs during the first time.
- Total Heat Treatment or Complete Thermal Remediation
The use of heat against bedbugs usually take one treatment. Unlike chemical treatment, the use of heat requires less preparation in your home. You will not have to throw any items since all of this can be heated to a certain temperature and make sure that no adult bugs and even eggs can survive.
With this option, the critters in all life stages will not survive once the temperature is above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the entire home can be treated easily as heat will penetrate furnishings, carpets, baseboards, door frames, bed frames, and even stored items.
When the lethal temperature is reached, it guarantees the complete eradication of the bugs. This is regardless if you have a small or large infestation.
Some of the minimal preparations you must do before this treatment are:
- Leave the home for at least 8 hours throughout the treatment
- Minimize clutter and keep all infested items exposed to kill any bedbugs hiding in it.
- Removal of flammable items is also recommended
Thermal remediation is more expensive than other treatments, however, it is far superior in many ways. This treatment kills bed bugs and critters have no resistance to this treatment. When exposed to temperatures reaching 122 ° Fahrenheit, these pests in all life stages will be killed in seconds. Like other treatments, reinfestation is still possible without observing precautionary measures.
Preventing the Reinfestation in Your Home After Getting Professional Bed Bug Treatment
There are a couple of things that you can do to prevent bedbugs from re-infesting your home after getting a bedbug treatment from a professional. These are the following:
- Learn the Signs of Their Presence
One way to know if bedbugs are lurking in your home is searching for signs of their presence. Check your mattress for dried blood spots, look at the seams and folds of your bed and look behind your headboard.
- Protect Your Bed
Since these critters feed off you when you are not moving or asleep, it is recommended that you use bed bug covers for your box springs, bed bug mattress encasements, and bed bug pillow covers.
- Stay Vigilant Whenever You Go Out or Traveling
Whenever you travel, it is recommended that you keep your clothes inside your luggage instead of putting them on the provided cabinet or shelves. Before going home make sure you put all soiled clothes in a separate plastic bag and wash and dry them at the highest heat setting before entering your home. This way you can prevent bugs that hitchhiked on your belongings from getting inside.
When dealing with bedbugs there is always an option of doing the treatments yourself. However, when it comes to larger infestations or if you have no background in dealing with such pests, it is highly recommended that you go for professional bedbug treatments.
