Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have bed bugs?
There are several indicators of a bed bug infestation, but you may not observe all of them. Indications of a bed bug infestation include:
- Bed bug bites
- Casings or skin shed from bed bugs
- Live bed bugs and eggs
- Bed bug fecal matter
If you see any of these indications, call us and we’ll perform an inspection ourselves or arrange an independent third-party canine inspection team. If we perform the initial inspection and you decide to utilize us for the treatment, the inspection fee will be applied towards the final treatment price.
Do I have to discard any furniture?
No! Regardless of how many nooks and crannies your house and furniture have, heat will reach them all, eliminating bed bugs wherever they hide. Heat can also be applied to places too sensitive for insecticides. Other methods can lead you to discard and replace much of your furniture, which is often more expensive than a heat treatment would be.
How long will the treatment last?
The length of the whole process ranges from 6 to 14 hours, depending on the area being treated. Most jobs are completed within 8 hours.
I think I may have bed bugs, but I’m not sure. Should I wait and see if the problem goes away?
No. The sooner you deal with bed bugs, the faster and cheaper the elimination process will be. Waiting gives them time to breed and become more entrenched or spread to other rooms. If you think you may have a problem, we highly recommend that you contact us as soon as possible to schedule an inspection.
Will my belongings be damaged?
For the most part, no. Heat-sensitive items such as candles, food, plants, pressurized aerosols, and of course pets will have to be removed from the areas to be treated. Anything that you wouldn’t want to leave in your car on a hot summer day. Electronics are safe when unplugged and powered down. We will provide you with a comprehensive preparation checklist detailing sensitive items that should be removed.
What prep work is required?
Using heat allows us to minimize the prep work required for bed bug elimination. In most cases, there will be no need to launder all of your belongings. All items being moved to a cool location (the things you wouldn’t keep in a car on a hot summer day) must be thoroughly inspected and treated using non-heat methods. Your participation is important in identifying the heat-sensitive items, but it’s best to let our pest control technicians handle moving them. By minimizing the preparation required, we also reduce the opportunity for bed bugs to scatter or eggs to drop while moving things around.
Why use heat to kill bed bugs?
Heat treatment offers a one-and-done experience, compared to other treatments that require several visits spaced 10 to 14 days apart, each of which would include extensive prep work, like laundering all of your belongings and disassembling furniture so pesticides can be thoroughly applied. A heat treatment requires much less prep work and allows you to get right back into your home, making the entire process much shorter and simpler. We can perform insecticide-free treatments in the majority of cases. Another huge advantage of heat is that it is extremely thorough, accessing locations that cannot be reached by any other method and killing bed bugs at all stages of life, plus their eggs.
Will the treatment provide lasting protection?
A heat treatment will annihilate the bed bugs and eggs infesting your building, but will not protect you against reintroduction should someone bring them in anew. If you wish, we can put down insecticides that provide lasting residual protection. We use only EPA-approved products, always sparingly and in targeted crack and crevice or spot applications. This is far less insecticide than a regular bed bug spray treatment uses, since the goal is not to eliminate an infestation (that’s what the heat’s for!), but simply to prevent a new one.
How do I know that my problem is solved?
We will perform a follow-up inspection and hire an independent third-party canine inspector to provide an unbiased clearance of your property, letting you sleep safe and sound in the knowledge that your house is pest-free.
