Bed Bug Extermination

Bed Bug extermination can be achieved in a number of different ways. Pesticides can be used in most situations are chemicals these days are quite low in toxicity and usually only affect cold blooded organisms. However, due to their low toxicity they usually have a short life span and therefore longterm bed bug prevention can be difficult to achieve.

Heat is also an option. Super heating a room to 45°C for approximately 2 hours can exterminate bed bugs and achieve a good result. Bed Bugs cannot withstand long periods of time exposed to extreme temperatures. Tests have shown that the thermal death point for bedbugs is approximately 45°C and all stages of the bed bug lifecycle are killed by just 7 minutes of exposure to 46°C.

Similarly to extreme heat, extreme cold temperatures can also achieve the a good result. Bed Bugs can survive for at least 5 days at -10°C but will be killed after just 15 minutes of exposure of -32°C. Whilst it is difficult to super cool a room for a period long enough to achieve a good bed bug kill, handheld machines are available but required patience in the application and attention to detail.

Whilst not a form of elimination, bed bug mattress protectors prevent bedbugs from infesting the crevices of a mattress making elimination far easier. The use of mattress protectors are a positive, pro-active approach to bed bug prevention.

Likewise, other proactive measures can include monitoring traps for bed bugs. These traps are usually a glueboard and sometimes can include a heat pad designed to attract the bed bugs to the glueboard. Regular monitoring of the glueboards can determine if the is bed bug activity within the environment.