According to the 2010 Comprehensive Global Bed Bug Study conducted by the NPMA with the University of Kentucky bed bug calls have increased 81 percent since 2000
In a recent list compiled by Terminix, Minneapolis Minnesota was ranked the country’s 15th most bed bug infested city. Major cities and even smaller communities in Minnesota, Nebraska and throughout the country are being infested at an alarming rate. Bed bugs are being detected in residential dwellings, multi-unit housing complexes, hotels and hospitals. These nighttime pests are shutting down retail stores, office buildings and other commercial operations and are hitching rides on public modes of transportation.
Before the ban of DDT, the chemical was successful in the near-eradication of the pest in the 1940s and 1950s. Nowadays there are several treatment options available and while they are all reported to be effective in getting rid of bed bugs, some options are a better choice for complete elimination in one treatment than others. If you are a property owner experiencing a bed bug infestation you may be overwhelmed by the different treatment options available to you. To help you make a better, more informed decision about bed bug control please review the bed bug treatment comparison chart below or contact us today.
Bed Bug Treatment Comparison
Method
Description
Pros
Cons
Chemical
Application of liquid or dust pesticides and/ or fumigation methods
More budget friendly
Residual Effectiveness
Several EPA labeled pesticides available for bed bugs
Growing bed bug resistance to pesticides is well documented
May increase bed bug migration
Some belongings may have to be discarded
Not 100% effective
Freezing
Process in which bed bugs are eradicated by rapid freezing
Chemical free
Kills all bed bug upon direct contact
Does not penetrate certain materials
No residual effect
Clutter may hamper effectiveness
Some belongings may have to be discarded
Steam
Direct steam application to bed bug infected area
Chemical free
Kills all bed bugs upon direct contact
Does not penetrate certain materials
Moisture left behind may cause damage
No residual effect
Clutter may hamper effectiveness
Not 100% effective
Heat
Use of heating units and fans for circulation to raise and maintain the temperature in an infested area to a lethal degree for several hours
Chemical free
Kills all bed bug life cycles
Penetrates materials
Belongings do not have to be discarded
While it may be the more expensive option it is the more cost effective Is the most effective option
100% effective in eradicating bed bugs in the first treatment 98% of the time
Involves detailed pre-treatment space prep by the occupant.
Treatment may last several hours
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