Thermal treatment facts

• Heat kills all stages of bed bugs; this is egg, nymph and adult.
• Bed bugs start to expire at 113 degrees.
• Typically a thermal treatment will take 6-8 hours. Expect to be out of your home for at least 10-12 hours for most treatments. Larger residences or those that have a lot of clutter increase cook time.
• Electronics, furniture, fabrics, upholstered and other tough to treat items are easily and safely treated with heat. Leather couches will need to be conditioned after treatment.
• All items subject to heat damage through melting, expansion or explosion must be removed from the site.
• Reduction of clutter is helpful in reducing time on site and provides better results.
• Clothing must be placed on hangers prior to the treatment. We can heat all clothing left in drawers or boxes but this will add time and/or expense to the procedure.
• Pest Patrol Vermont is performing a green pesticide-free treatment. We will use diatomaceous earth to treat inside outlet covers and around baseboard cracks.
• No personal affects should be brought with you on the day of treatment. This includes clothing. A fresh outfit should be prepared (including shoes) by running items through a dryer for 30 minutes and place in sealed plastic bag.
• Personal vehicles should be inspected. It is not uncommon to find bed bugs in vehicles.
• Consider infestation possibilities outside of your home. These would include friends, parents, work etc. These should be systematically eliminated to prevent re-infestation at a later date.
• Prepare to vacate the treated area until cool enough to return. This may take several hours depending on the substrate.
• Thermal treatment will eliminate bed bugs in one treatment whereas chemical treatments usually require three.