Okay, so you’ve discovered you have a bed bug infestation and you’re feeling panicky – after all, you know where there’s one, there’s likely hundreds more. Yikes! So, How long will it take to control the outbreak? Hours, days, weeks?
Bed bugs have been around for thousands of years and seem to be up there with cockroaches as far as resilience is concerned. If anything, the bed bug problem seems to be growing, and while control methods have become more sophisticated there continue to be outbreaks all over. This is largely down to cheap and easy global travel.
It is so easy to bring home a few hitchhikers in your luggage and if there’s one thing these insects are good at, it’s breeding. No one wants these visitors sharing their home but the timescale for eradication depends on the method chosen.
How long does it take to control bed bugs?
There are basically two techniques used to kill bed bugs – insecticides and heat treatment. We need to examine what is involved in the processes to understand the time involved.
Insecticide
This is the traditional method used to control bed bugs. Chemical treatment is not a one-and-done solution. Most chemicals in use today do not kill the eggs so retreatment is needed two to three weeks after the initial application. This second treatment aims to kill the nymphs that have hatched out of the eggs left untouched by the insecticide before they become adults and lay more eggs. Get the timing wrong and reinfestation is assured.
Choice of insecticide is important. Many products are based on pyrethroids. These chemicals have low toxicity to mammals and birds – that’s you and your pets – but some strains of bed bugs have developed a resistance and will be largely unaffected by its use.
On the plus side, chemicals can leave a residual which provides a limited continued protection for a short period – but that’s not exactly something you want on your bed. So you are looking at between four and six weeks from initial treatment before you know your home is bed bug-free, whether you go the DIY route or hire the professionals.
Heat Treatment
If you want the fastest solution to the bed bug problem then heat treatment is the only choice. By heating a room to between 135℉ and 145℉ for several hours not only are the adults and nymphs killed but so are the eggs – no matter where they are. An experienced pest control company will eradicate all the bed bugs from your living space in a single visit. Generally, this will only take a day (no more than 8 hours) and you can return to your home at the end of the day to find it just as you left it – except there won’t be bed bugs to nibble on you in the night.
Heat treatments are best done by experienced professionals, but there are DIY options available if you’d rather do it yourself.
If you’ve spotted bed bugs or suspect you have an infestation in your Arizona home, we’re here to help. We’ll complete a fast and easy heat treatment that will leave your home ready to inhabit again that same night. We also provide a follow-up K-9 inspection to guarantee the results and ensure no further treatments are needed.
While both chemicals and heat can eliminate bed bugs, there is no doubt that heat treatment is by far the faster of the two techniques. Heat won’t leave residue in your home and will kill all traces, no matter what nook and cranny they’re hiding in. To book your free inspection, click here.