How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in St. Louis
If you’re dealing with bed bugs, fast and effective removal is key. These pests multiply quickly and can spread throughout your home in no time. The most reliable way to eliminate an infestation is by hiring a professional exterminator who knows how to target the problem at its source.
To fully get rid of bed bugs, professionals rely on tested treatments that wipe out the entire infestation. These effective solutions often involve:
- Heat treatment
- Steam treatment
- Insecticides
- Fumigation
Is Bed Bug Steam Treatment & Fumigation Safe?
For a chemical-free solution, heat and steam treatments are excellent choices for bed bug removal, whereas fumigation requires you to leave your home until the process is over. Steam treatment is especially useful for targeting bed bugs in deep or hidden areas, delivering deadly heat directly into the spaces where they nest.
Heat treatment, often referred to as thermal remediation, stands out as one of the most reliable bed bug solutions. It’s a non-toxic, chemical-free option that carries minimal risk. Plus, it effectively kills bed bugs without the need to discard your furniture or personal items. Some of the benefits of heat treatment include:
- Furniture Safe: Even heavily infested mattresses and furniture can be used again after a successful heat treatment.
- Complete Elimination: Temperatures above 120ºF are proven to kill every stage of the bed bug life cycle, including eggs and adults.
- One-Time Treatment: The process typically takes up to three hours and is designed to be fully effective without the need for repeat sessions.
Unlike heat treatments, fumigation uses potent chemicals to wipe out bed bug infestations. It involves enclosing your entire property in a tarp and releasing gas that penetrates every space. Although the results are thorough, the process demands that you leave your home for days. Due to its invasive nature, it’s typically only used when other treatments fail.
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Bed Bug Insecticide Use
Conventional insecticides remain a go-to solution for bed bug control. These treatments, which come in liquid or dust form, are especially effective for spot treatments. Once high-activity areas are addressed, technicians can treat other common hiding spots, including cracks in floors and walls, baseboards, and behind electrical outlets and switch plates.
The goal is to target every potential hiding spot to completely eliminate the bed bug population. While effective, this method is more invasive than heat treatment and may require additional follow-up visits.
Do Bed Bugs Eat Food?
Bed bugs feed exclusively on blood, so you don’t need to worry about them invading your pantry or spoiling your food. They are attracted only to warm-blooded hosts, making kitchens and food storage areas unlikely areas for infestation. When properly treated by a professional, you rarely have to discard belongings.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live Without Feeding?
It’s important to understand that bed bugs can survive without blood for up to a year. Their ability to live this long depends on factors like temperature and humidity, with some lasting between 20 and 400 days. This means they could remain in your home for over a year, but they never feed on anything other than blood.
Do I Have to Throw Out Food After a Bed Bug Infestation?
You can safely keep your food and pantry items during a bed bug infestation since these pests have no interest in eating them. Many misunderstandings surround what must be discarded after an infestation, and this is one of the most common myths. Being informed prevents needless disposal.
Do I Have to Throw Out My Bed Bug Infested Mattress?
While getting rid of your mattress or box spring might seem like the best solution, it won’t fully eliminate a bed bug infestation. These pests usually hide in many areas around your home, not just your bed. If you replace your mattress without treating the whole property, the new bed could become infested as well. Treating your entire home is essential to stop the spread.
Do You Need to Throw Away Bedding or Other Furniture?
Typically, there’s no need to discard any belongings during or after a bed bug infestation. With effective treatment, most items can be saved. Rather than throwing out clothes and bedding, washing them in hot water is advised since the high temperature kills bed bugs and their eggs.
Most other furniture can be treated effectively. If you’ve been considering replacing old pieces, a bed bug infestation might be the reason to do so. Just be sure to treat any infested furniture before removing it.
What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs can hide in surprising places like the cracks of wood furniture or tiny crevices around your home. While a bed bug problem is concerning, it doesn’t mean you should panic and get rid of all your possessions.
Getting professional bed bug treatment from Bug Out promptly is the best way to avoid having to discard food, bedding, and other belongings.