Bed bugs are a very troublesome pest. It normally takes calling an expert to successfully get rid of bed bugs. There are really only three types of bed bug treatment, and each has positives and negatives, but in our opinion, there is a clear winner.
Fumigation
The first method is through fumigation. This is where the entire structure that needs to be treated is filled with an inert gas called Vikane. It will kill all bugs, and is used in extreme cases, especially for termites. It is effective and will kill all the bugs. That said, there are some definite drawbacks. First, it is dangerous. Several people have died after their house was fumigated, and they went back in too early, before the gas was fully gone. It is a serious business to use the gas to kill bugs, and you don’t take it lightly. Secondly, Vikane is a greenhouse gas many times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and the only way of releasing it after treatment is straight into the air. Every treatment is releasing more and more into the environment. Thirdly, it’s expensive. It’s the most expensive method of treatment, and it takes a fair amount of setup and take down, as well as a whole day of waiting, so it’s not any faster than our next method, heat.
This is our favorite way to kill bed bugs. Heating the area to kill bed bugs is 100% effective, it does not pollute the environment, and it is cheaper than Vikane. Once temperatures of 122 degrees are reached, bed bugs and their eggs die within one minute. The area that has bed bugs is heated, either with propane heaters or electric heaters, to around 160 degrees with propane, or 130 degrees with electric, and then held for several hours, and up to a day, depending on how large the structure is and how quickly it heats up. The heat is non-toxic, doesn’t pollute, and is very effective. In one day, your house will be bed bug-free—and you won’t even have to throw away your mattress and box springs!
Chemical Treatment
Another method is chemical treatment. Bed bugs are resistant to many kinds of pesticides, and thus it is hard to kill them this way. To be effective, an area must be treated a minimum of two times, and three times is better. It usually takes several weeks for the bugs to be killed, and you are spraying toxic chemicals everywhere in your house. It is the cheapest method, and if it’s the treatment you can afford, then you should do it. It’s better than living with bed bugs forever. However, because it takes longer, is not as effective, and is toxic, it is not really the best way of killing bed bugs.
Buying Chemicals From Amazon or a Store
A fourth option is really not a way of getting rid of bed bugs at all. And that is to run to your nearest store and buy whatever bed bug chemical you can find. These are not effective products, and will do almost nothing to the bugs. Sure, if you spray them directly on a bug, you can kill them, but a shoe or a flyswatter is just as effective. The chemicals don’t have residuals, they use ingredients the bugs are resistant to, and most likely they will not help you get rid of the bed bugs. And don’t even try bed bug foggers. They do nothing, as the bugs are hiding in cracks and never even get the chemical on them, and they do not have an effective residual to kill them. These are a TOTAL waste of money, as many studies have shown, and they don’t kill cockroaches or almost any other bug either. Also, they cover every inch of your house with toxic chemicals. Don’t use them!
What Should I do?
Call an expert. Pest control companies can advise you on the best method. If you have bed bugs, don’t wait, act quickly. It will save you a ton of money. Treating one room versus treating an entire house will be hundreds of dollars cheaper. At Rock Pest Control, we not only provide the service to kill the bugs ourselves, we also rent the equipment. If you want to save money, and don’t mind doing the work, or if it’s a small job, renting our heaters is the way to go. If you want us to do it, or if it’s a big job, and needs an expert, we are there for you. Don’t suffer another night, call The Rock and we’ll make it right.
