How Does Steam Treatments For Bed Bugs Work?
Most homeowners who are dealing with a bed bug infestation will turn to over-the-counter insecticides and pesticides. While these products work great in eradicating bed bugs, they will require multiple treatments, which means more money. When you call a local exterminator, they will recommend our eco-friendly treatments, such as steam. High-temperature steam eradicates bed bugs in minutes. And, if administered properly it can also eradicate their eggs.
Commercial Steamers
When it comes to utilizing steam treatment to eradicate bed bug infestations, you will have to decide if you want to administer the treatment or hire a licensed exterminator. As mentioned above, steam can kill bed bugs after a few minutes of exposure, regardless of who does the administering. However, the steamers that most people choose to utilize for this process cannot produce temperatures necessary to kill these insects. Commercial-grade steamers, on the other hand, can produce steam reaching upwards to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, which will eradicate bed bugs on contact.
Does Not Utilize Chemicals
Steam treatment is gaining in popularity at an extremely fast pace. This skyrocketing popularity is due to the fact that no chemicals are involved in the process. In fact, the only thing that is utilized is high temperature steam.
Penetrates Into Hard-To-Reach Areas
Another reason why steam is so effective is because of its ability to penetrate into hard-to-reach places. Bed bugs are very discrete because they want to remain undetected as long as possible. They will hide in mattresses, box springs, bed boards, carpet and fabric upholstery. They will also crawl into the tiniest crevices and cracks, just to keep the homeowner from detecting them. With that said, some bed bugs treatments cannot possibly penetrate into these hard-to-reach areas. But, this cannot be said about steam, since it can penetrate a long list of materials.
The Last Step
The last step of the heat treatment, which is optional, is vacuuming. If the bed bugs are contained in one or every room in your home, vacuuming is a necessity. The steamer will remove the water, while the vacuum removes the dead insect carcasses and eggs. In order for vacuuming to be completely effective, you will need to clean all of your furniture, carpet, and along floorboards.
Other Tips
When utilizing a handheld steamer, keep the nozzle about two inches from the surface. Applying directly to the surface will risk damage. It is also important to steam the entire area, moving at a rate of about one inch per second.