If you have a bed bug problem, you have a number of options in terms of treatment. One of the most effective ways of ridding a room or house of bed bugs is heat treatment.

When carried out by a pest control service, heat treatment can eradicate a bed bug infestation completely. But how does it work?

Bed Bugs Don't Like Heat

When exposed to high temperatures, bed bugs will eventually die. And if bed bugs directly encounter a temperature of 122°F or higher, they will die immediately. But since bed bugs often hide in crevices and nooks, multiple forms of heat treatment are often necessary.  

There Are Several Methods of Heat Treatment

A good pest control service will employ several methods to eradicate a bed bug infestation. One method of bed bug heat treatment involves using a home's air ducts to blow hot air into each room. A similar method of heating up rooms is to use electric heaters that the pest control experts position throughout a space. A home may be heated in these ways for up to six or more hours.

Some pest control services also use steam to kill bed bugs. Using a steamer helps pest controllers to target specific items and areas in a home. For instance, if a bed has a bad infestation, a pest controller can ensure that every inch of the bed receives enough heat to kill bed bugs that might be hiding in the nooks and crannies.

The Less Clutter There Is, the More Effective the Treatment Will Be

You will need to remove heat-sensitive items from your home before the pest controller arrives to treat your home. This means you need to remove things like paintings, plastics, and photos. Your pest controller will provide you with a list of sensitive items that you should remove.

And the less cluttered your home is, the more effective your treatment will be. Bed bugs can hide in clutter to survive a heat treatment, so removing clutter will ensure that bed bugs have few places to hide once treatment starts.

Heat Treatment Works Well When Combined With Chemical Treatment

The downside to heat treatment is that it isn't residual. But chemical treatment is. Therefore, to get the best out of your heat treatment, consider combining a heat treatment with a chemical treatment. That way, if there are any remaining bed bugs after the heat treatment, the chemical treatment will finish them off in the days or weeks following the heat treatment.