Stop Home Bed Bug Attacks with Heat Treatment

Bed bugs are one of the worst household pest offenders. While not causing disease, bed bugs cause an irritating infestation that is best and most safely eliminated by steam cleaning. Using a chemical free, bed bug heat treatment is one of the most effective ways to eliminate an infestation.

These tiny critters live in mattresses, box springs and headboards, and are known as a public health pest by the EPA, CDC and USDA. One in five Americans has had a bed bug infestation or knows someone who has encountered them, according to the National Pest Management Association’s Bed Bugs in America survey.

Like mosquitos, bed bugs feed on human blood, causing what may look like mosquito or spider bites, rashes or hives. However, unlike mosquitos, they cannot spread disease. The best way to diagnose a bed bug infestation is to look for these signs:

• Small dark spots (bed bug excrement)
• Eggs and egg shells (about 1 mm in size and white)
• Discarded skins
• Live bed bugs (flat, reddish brown insects that are the size of an apple seed)
• Red, rust-colored stains on sheets and mattresses

Infestations are not caused by unsanitary conditions; bed bugs only need a warm spot to flourish. Bedbugs must be dealt with immediately so the infestation doesn’t worsen or spread. Using websites such as BedBugRegistry.com helps identify current bed bug infestations around the United States.

Steam cleaning is incredibly effective in stopping infestations. It is a safe alternative to pesticides because it is a chemical-free bed bug heat treatment. Other methods like shampooing and dry-cleaning are more effective on actual bed linens rather than mattresses. However, using steam with insecticides may be doubly effective in ridding a home of a bed bug infestation. The combination can kill these pests immediately, while also providing long-term prevention.