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How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Memphis TN Metro Area
Removing bed bugs as quickly as possible is important as they are known to get out of control. While there are numerous DIY methods, your best bet at success is hiring a professional exterminator. Bed bug exterminators can precisely apply a treatment proven to remove an entire bed bug population from your premises. These treatments usually include:
- Heat treatment
- Steam treatment
- Insecticides
- Fumigation
Is Bed Bug Steam Treatment & Fumigation Safe?
Both steam and heat treatments are safe as they are chemical-free. Fumigation is not safe until after the entire process has been completed in your home.
Heat treatment is also known as thermal remediation and is regarded as the most effective treatment for removing bed bugs. Even better, it is non-toxic, chemical-free, low-risk, and limits the disruption to your everyday lifestyle. You do not have to be away from your home as long and there is no need to remove and replace items.
Steam treatments resemble many of the same benefits of heat treatments. Steam remediation will reach the inaccessible areas of your home where bed bugs often hide. A lethal temperature will be delivered to these deep recesses with the intended result of killing the bed bugs.
Heat treatment benefits include:
- Temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit will kill all stages of the bed bug life cycle.
- Continued use of mattresses and furniture after the heat treatment is completed.
- These treatments are around three hours long and should be effective after a single treatment.
Fumigation is a way to eradicate bed bugs with toxic chemicals. Every inch of the structure will come into contact with these chemicals and require taping off the property and evacuation from the premises for several days. This approach is highly effective and commonly used as a final option if all others have failed.
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Bed Bug Insecticide Use
Insecticides are a more targeted approach to applying chemicals to bed bugs. Rather than fumigating the entire property, insecticides are applied to hotspot areas as a spot treatment for bed bugs. Common areas for these applications include floors, wall junctions, baseboards, behind electrical switches and outlets, cracks in the floors and walls, and more.
The goal of insecticides is to treat the potential hiding places of bed bugs to eliminate all the insects. This treatment is more invasive than heat treatments and may require multiple applications.
Do Bed Bugs Eat Food?
The only thing that bed bugs consume is blood. While this means that your pantry and kitchen area are of no interest for foraging bed bugs, it does mean that all people in the household are subject to bed bug bites as a means of food. When there is an active infestation, it is rare for food to be ruined and discarded.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live Without Feeding?
A shocking fact about bed bugs is that they can survive an entire year without a blood meal. The range of a bed bug’s lifespan without feeding is between 20 to 400 days depending on surroundings and humidity. Bed bugs can easily live in your home for more than a year and you may experience little to no biting. Even when blood meals are not available, bed bugs will not turn to something else to satisfy their hunger.
Do I Have to Throw Out My Bed Bug Infested Mattress?
Disposing of a bed bug infested mattress is not required but is ideal. Simply removing your box spring and bed from your property will not eliminate the infestation as they are likely hiding in other places and will infest your new mattress. If you do plan on removing an infested mattress and getting a new one, make sure that you tackle the infestation first and have a home free of bed bugs before bringing in clean furniture.
Do You Need to Throw Away Bedding or Other Furniture?
For the most part, you should not have to throw out any of your items during an infestation or after. A proper application treatment should make it so your furniture is salvageable. Rather than throwing out clothing or other items, it is encouraged that these items be washed in hot water in a washing machine. Hot water is sufficient for killing bed bugs and their eggs. If you plan on removing furniture, do so after it has been treated.
What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are difficult to eliminate as they hide in areas you may not consider. While it may be alarming to initially find out you have bed bugs, there is no need to panic or dispose of everything inside your home. Having a professional bed bug treatment as soon as possible can help you in the long run from throwing out furniture, bedding, and more.
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