How Thermal Bed Bug Treatments Work

by Kevin Smith Author

Bed bugs are notorious for being difficult to kill, so an infestation in a home is concerning enough, let alone an infestation in a hotel or apartment building. Chemical treatments don't always take care of an entire infestation because bed bugs can easily be transported to other rooms on towels, sheets, clothing, and other means. Thermal bed bug treatment is becoming a popular treatment option for treating hotels and even homes. Here's how hotel bed bug heat systems work.

Killing Bed Bugs

One reason infestations are so difficult to eradicate is that bed bugs can thrive in almost any environment, clean or dirty. Washing the bedding isn't enough to kill the bugs because they're very resilient. Chemical treatments are effective at killing bed bugs and their eggs; however, the chemicals only kill the bed bugs they can reach. Bed bugs are notorious for hiding and making a comeback after the treatments. Fortunately, there's only so much heat a bed bug can take, so thermal treatments are a great option.

Thermal Treatments

The way to kill bed bugs and their eggs is by drying them out. This is done at temperatures of 114-115 degrees Fahrenheit. But, the effectiveness of heat treatments lies in the fact that the entire room is heated to this temperature to kill every bed bug around. Heat treatments maintain this high temperature for an hour or more to effectively kill all the bed bugs and their eggs, no matter where they may be hiding. In fact, heat treatments may include the use of temperature sensors in different nooks and crannies to ensure all bed bug hiding places are affected.

Benefits of Heat Treatments

Of course, the biggest benefit of heat treatments for bed bugs is that the infestation will be effectively destroyed. But, there are other benefits to think about as well. Thermal treatments use no chemicals, so you won't have to worry about people or pets being exposed to dangerous substances. In addition, you won't be displacing people for days on end. A typical heat treatment can be done in a day. An added benefit of heat treatments is that all other undesirable organisms, including some bacteria and germs will be killed along with the bed bugs. Finally, hotel bed bug heat systems can be purchased to use in homes, apartment building, hotels, and other infested buildings, so that bed bug treatments can be done as needed.