Can You Kill Bed Bugs With Heat?

​Most of the time, heat treatments are used to get rid of bed bug outbreaks. It's important to know that bed bugs can't be killed by heat treatments that aren't done right.

What bed bugs do during the summer?

Even though it can be hard to get rid of bed bugs, it is not impossible. Bed bugs can be killed by high temperatures if they are used often and for a long time. Bed bugs can only be killed at 113 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least 90 minutes. Bed bugs can die faster at higher temperatures, but only a trained professional should try to do this.

Can heat be used to get rid of bed bugs at home?

It makes sense to find a cure for bed bugs as soon as possible, and many people do this by first looking for do-it-yourself solutions. A popular way to try to get rid of bed bugs is to use portable electric heaters, hair dryers, and space heaters. But how well will these methods that you can do yourself work?

If you decide to kill bed bugs yourself with heat, keep the following in mind:

• Bed bugs are hard to kill with pesticides, chemical sprays, or even heat. Bed bugs are so small that they can hide in almost any crack or opening. They can get into your house through cracks in the walls, seams, or the box spring. If you don't lock all the doors and windows and keep an eye on them, they can get out and come back.

• It might be hard to figure out the exact temperature of your heat source. When using a standard space heater, it might be hard to tell if the temperature is too high. If your phone gets too hot, your house could catch fire or other things that can't handle high heat could be ruined.

 

• Sheets and other items that have bed bugs can be made bug-free by drying them in a dryer. Any gadget that works should be able to reach high enough temperatures to kill bed bugs. Normal dryers can only dry so much clothes at once. But you can reduce the chance of getting bed bugs into your home if, as soon as you get home from a trip, you put everything that can be dried in a dryer in the dryer. This is a great way to keep bed bugs from getting into your furniture, but it won't help if you already have an issue.

More Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Fumigation

Fumigating your home or business means spraying it with a lot of highly concentrated chemicals to kill any bed bugs that might still be there. Only licensed pros should do fumigations, and not all exterminators offer this service. We are lucky to have experts who know how to get rid of bed bugs using a number of methods, such as tape-and-seal fumigations, covered fumigations, and more.

Chemicals

Some liquid solutions for bed bugs can be helpful. Most of the time, though, this approach is combined with other treatments. A trained pest inspector can tell you if this method should be part of your plan to get rid of bed bugs or not.