Bed bugs are parasitic insects that are small and flat, with a reddish-brown color, and they feed on human blood. They can be brought into the home through various means ranging from secondhand furniture, backpacks, travel luggage, and many more. Once they get into the home, they find comfy cracks, crevices, and other dark areas to hide. They’re commonly found in beds, couches, carpets, and other places around the home. These nuisance pests can be hard to get rid of because they multiply rapidly and are somewhat resistant to regular pest control treatments. The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to seek the help of a professional exterminator who has experience with bed bug removal. Suppose you’re experiencing bed bug infestation in Charlotte, NC; you can reach out to an expert bed bug exterminator in Charlotte NC.
These experts understand the metamorphosis of bed bugs and the right treatment to combat bed bugs at their different growth stages.
Read on to learn more about how exterminators get rid of bed bugs and how to prepare your home for professional bed bug treatment.
Treatment Methods Used By Bed Bug Exterminators
Chemical Treatment
Chemical bed bug treatment has been in existence for decades, and it’s a popular treatment used by exterminators. Over the years, exterminators have used several types of chemicals to treat bed bugs effectively, but these pests keep adapting to the chemical compounds. One of the prominent and effective chemical treatments used by exterminators is DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) which can eliminate bedbugs at various growth stages. When DDT treatment is used, it keeps tackling new batches of bed bug infestation over a period. As effective as DDT treatment is, bed bugs have reinforced their biochemical, morphological, and behavioral mechanisms to adapt to DDT. Due to the adaptive mechanism of bed bugs, multiple applications of chemical treatment are required to eradicate these pests effectively.
Cold Treatment
Cold treatment involves the use of frozen carbon dioxide to kill both eggs and matured bed bugs. The process involves the use of a special device to deliver carbon dioxide on infested surfaces. This treatment option has proven highly effective because bed bugs cannot survive temperatures below 0°F. In addition, cold treatment is safer because it doesn’t involve toxic chemicals, nor does it leave any residual particles. However, this treatment option can be time-consuming and require special training.
Heat Treatment
Presently, heat treatment seems to be the most effective bed bug treatment used by exterminators. This involves the use of special equipment to raise the treatment of the room. Ideally, the entire treatment area will be exposed to temperatures ranging from 135°F to 145°F and closely monitored with a thermometer. Heat treatment works best at 118°F to eliminate different stages of bed bugs. The treatment should last for 90 minutes, and some bed bugs could die 30 minutes into the treatment. When this happens, the heat treatment must continue until the standard time is reached to ensure that the adult bed bugs, as well as the eggs, die out completely.
How To Prepare For Professional Bed Bug Treatment
Declutter Your Home
Bed bugs love to hide in dark places so that they can enjoy their meals unnoticed. This makes cluttered plastic bags, cardboard boxes, papers, old shoes, and more the perfect breeding ground for bed bugs. Hence, make a conscious effort to remove irrelevant clutters laying around your home before the bed bug exterminators arrive.
Prepare Your Bedding
Remove your bedspreads, pillowcases, duvet, and other beddings. Wash and dry all the bedding with hot water to kill the bed bugs hiding in them. When you’re done with the laundry, put all the bedding into a plastic bag and seal it. You could lift your mattress and box spring before the procedure begins.
Clear the walls
Wall cracks are also great hiding spots for bed bugs, so be sure to get them ready for a professional inspection. Start by removing all items hanging on the wall. Also, you could note the prominent cracks and crevices so you can inform the bed bug expert.
Store Excess Items
Additionally, you should remove all items from your bedroom’s nightstands, dressers, drawers, and bookshelves. Pack them up to open up all hidden areas.
Whichever treatment method your exterminator decides to use to eliminate bed bugs in your home, make sure to properly prepare your home before the treatment begins. Adequate preparation contributes significantly to the success of your bed bugs treatment process.