$75 Off Web Special*

Pesticides effectively kill bed bug populations in 2 to 3 treatments. However, this solution is not always ideal because bed bugs have developed a resistance to a number of widely-known pesticides and the harsh chemicals can carry health risks for people and pets.

The most common and effective solution for bed bug infestations, heat treatments bring the infested area or items up to around 120° F to eradicate bugs and eggs. The bed bug exterminator may steam clean certain objects, place objects in a hot box, or heat the entire room to ensure the best results.

Though bed bugs have developed some tolerance for cold, freezing is another method used by bed bug exterminators. Affected items are placed in a freezer for up to a week.

No, furniture does not have to be disposed of because of bed bugs with our process. Our heat treatment process will deliver heated air to penetrate all cushions, wood frames, and other structural components of the furniture to ensure eradication of all stages of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are difficult to detect at low levels of infestation due to their ability to hide in inaccessible places, and in inconspicuous places. Typical harborage areas include: folds and seams of mattresses, box springs, framework of wood furniture, screw patterns in furniture, baseboards, picture frames, and corrugated boxes just to name a few.

We use heat treatments to eliminate bed bugs. We have chosen heat as our primary method due to its effectiveness, and ability to eliminate an infestation in a single day in a safe, non-toxic manner. Bed bugs have developed resistance to chemicals, and typically require multiple treatments over several weeks with a higher failure rate. Heat treatments allow you to leave in the morning, and come home in the evening to a residence free from bed bugs.

Yes. We utilize techniques that allow us to heat walls to lethal temperatures, and are able to take readings of temperatures inside of your walls with highly accurate monitoring devices.

Preparation is not as involved as other forms of treatments. We ask that you place items such as medications, chocolates, candles, corked bottles and pressurized cylinders (aerosol cans, tanks) out of the treated area. Most items can be placed in the refrigerator during treatment. Blinds will need to be drawn, removed, and placed on the floor, and electronics unplugged.

On average, our heat treatment takes approximately 7-10 hours from setup to teardown. Factors that affect the length of time that a heat treatment takes are clutter, size of space, building envelope, and weather conditions.

We wish the heat treatment was this easy, but unfortunately, it is not. We introduce high-velocity, high-temperature air-movers to circulate the heat. We move furniture, stand beds, move clothing, all for the purpose of making sure heat gets to every crack and crevice of your residence. We also monitor temperatures throughout to protect your structure from being damaged, while achieving lethal temperatures to kill bed bugs.

If you have bed bugs, you're probably counting down the seconds until a bed bug exterminator in St Louis, MO can treat your home or office and eradicate them. Your professional exterminator will walk you through the steps you need to take to prepare for the heat remediation process. Those steps will include things like washing and drying all of your clothing; placing your clean clothes in clear, sealed plastic bags; removing all linens from bedrooms; and removing the covers from all light switches and electrical outlets. Your bed bug professional might recommend throwing away some items, such as alarm clocks, makeup or books, that you keep near your bed, and he or she will mostly likely recommend you move all of your furniture to the center of the room.

The good news is that heat remediation is one of the most technological advances in bed bug extermination, and afterward, you can take comfort knowing the process allows you to salvage almost all your furniture and clothing. The whole process takes several hours, but once technicians have provided a lethal dose of heat to your interior, your home or office will be bed bug-free.

That said, the final steps in the eradication process require some small efforts on the part of the home or building owner. Here are a few things you'll need to do to ensure the extermination was total and complete.

START WASHING
Thermal heat should kill all bed bugs and any eggs in your walls and in any nooks and crannies in your home or office, but you'll still want to wash all linens and clothing in the building after the process is complete. Wash items in as hot as water as possible and dry on as hot a setting as possible.

REPLACE OUTLET COVERS
Next, you'll put your house back together, moving furniture back where it belongs and replacing those light and electrical outlet covers you removed to prepare. Many pest control experts also recommend vacuuming out empty drawers and closets.

VACUUM
Heat treatments kill bed bugs and their eggs, and that can leave behind microscopic evidence that they were in your home and office. While the eggs aren't visible to the naked eye, the bugs themselves are big enough to detect. Vacuuming, coupled with re-laundering sheets and clothing, is the most effective way to eliminate dead bed bugs and their eggs. Be sure to run the vacuum over crevices and along baseboards. It's also a savvy move to run the vacuum over sofas and chairs and other upholstered items in your home.

OTHER SURFACES
Your bed frame, night stands, floorboards, and furniture that isn't upholstered will benefit from a good wipe down, too. After thermal heat treatment, the bed bugs should all be gone, but a thorough cleaning eliminates what's left behind.

MONITORING
Thermal heat treatments are typically successful on the first attempt at bed bug extermination. Still, for the first three weeks after the extermination, you should carefully check for bites or live bugs. This is precautionary, but wise. Most experts recommend the installation of encasements on your mattresses and box springs. Encasements will make it difficult for bed bugs to infest other parts of the house, in the unusual event that you see a second infestation. Some professionals may also suggest adding interceptor traps on the legs of your bed, chairs or other furniture. Interceptors can make it easier to tell if you have bed bugs. They can also trap some bed bugs, making it difficult for them to access their food source: you.

If you have bed bugs, you should hire a bed bug exterminator company to eliminate them. Contact Gateway Thermal Solutions today to see how they can help you.