We here at Cimex K9 are a Phoenix, Arizona based licensed pest control company. We have completed thousands of bed bug inspections since 2009. We do no profit from bed bug treatment in any way. We only profit from the bed bug inspection service and coordinate the Bed Bug Treatment for you from our network of 30+ pest control companies.
There are many different bed bug treatment methods to choose from and we have experience with all of them. Although each bed bug treatment can be effective to some degree there are a few methods that are far superior to others. The methods of bed bug treatment available in this article are located in Phoenix, AZ and the surrounding areas. If you are located outside of Arizona the information below will still be useful and educate you on the best bed bug treatment available in your area.
Bed Bug Inspection:
The first and last step to the bed bug treatment process is the inspection. A thorough inspection must take place to identify the bed bugs and all of the areas that need treated.
Scam alert: There are some companies offering FREE inspections with a handheld Bed Bug Detector or a special type of light for inspections. The majority of these products are marketing scams and they do not work as advertised. Bed Bugs or eggs do not glow or have any special characteristics under different types of lighting such as scorpions under a black light. If a useful handheld scent, vapor or gas detection system was made this easily for bed bugs, then every soldier, policeman and border patrol agent would have one for drugs or explosives and detection dogs would not be used anymore. For more information check out this independent test of a handheld bed bug detector being sold for around $200.00
Visual inspection by a Pest Control Technician:
This is the minimum requirement, but is not the most accurate or thorough type of inspection available. Usually the technician will suggest treating the entire structure or surrounding units with this type of inspection. This option can lead to much higher costs for treatment that may not be necessary with a more thorough inspection.
A bed bug dog inspects an office chair
Bed Bug Dog Inspection:
This is the most thorough inspection available. It can pinpoint the areas where the bed bugs are preventing unnecessary treatment which can save hundreds to thousands of dollars. For more information on these amazing dogs check out our other page “Bed Bug Dogs – How they are trained and used for treatment”.
- Consider using a third-party Bed Bug Dog company. For example, Cimex K9 coordinates the treatment with our network of 30+ pest control providers, but doesn’t profit from the bed bug treatment fees and saves you money with the best service in the long run.
- Bed Bug Detection Dogs are also very useful for post-treatment, when trained to ignore all evidence except live bed bugs and eggs, inspections ensure the bed bug treatment was effective. When a pest control company knows their work is going to be critiqued by a Bed Bug Dog they make sure they are doing the job right.
Bed Bug Treatment:
There are many factors involved in choosing the best treatment such as the customer’s budget, structural limitations and areas sensitive to pesticides. Some pest control companies only have one type of Bed Bug Treatment while others use multiple treatment techniques each time, however if you desire the most effective treatment at the best price you should educate yourself on all of your options.
Bed Bug Heat Treatment:
- Also referred to as a Bed Bug Thermal Treatment is by far the most effective and eco-friendly form of Bed Bug Treatment that uses little to no pesticides. This isn’t just our opinion check out some of the Bed Bug Heat Treatment research done on this topic. Bed Bug Heat Treatments can be used in many cases, however there are structures in which this option is not possible. For example, a large call center or an auditorium has too much cubic footage to use this method of Bed Bug Treatment. There are also different types of heaters used to get the job done. Just to be clear not all type of heat treatments are what they seem the type of heat treatment I am referring to is not steam or spot heat treatment.
Typical Propane Style Heater used for Bed Bug Treatment
Propane Heaters: Excellent for treating one room quickly or an entire home at once.
- Pros: Highest BTU ratings provide faster treatment times and ability to heat larger areas to the proper kill temperature.
- Cons: Heaters must be operated outdoors. Therefore can’t be used usually above the second floor or in many interior rooms of large buildings.
Thermal Heaters used for Bed Bug Extermination
Electric Heaters: Best for treating smaller areas such as one room or multiple rooms with a heater in each room. With enough electric heaters it is possible to treat an entire structure.
- Pros: Smaller, discrete and can be set up inside the room being treated. This is preferred for the hospitality industry.
- Cons: Takes longer to heat and it is more difficult to treat large areas with electric heaters.
Fumigation Bed Bug Treatment:
Fumigation requires tenting the structure
This is a very effective way to treat bed bugs. It involves tenting the entire structure and replacing the normal breathable air with a poison gas that no living things can survive. Once the fumigation is complete all of the gas is vacated from the structure. There is no chemical pesticides left behind. Fumigation is not possible in all cases for example a very large building can’t be fumigated if there isn’t a tent large enough to cover it. Also the entire building has to be vacated during the treatment which takes usually 24 hours or more, so this type of treatment wouldn’t work in a typical multi-family housing unit.
In my opinion, one circumstance where fumigation is the preferred method is a private residence that is filled with a very large number of belongings densely stored in many areas of the house. Sometimes heat can have difficulty penetrating all areas creating a very complex situation for a Bed Bug Thermal Treatment. The fumigation process will replace all of the breathable air providing the best results in these cases.
If you must treat an entire typical house the choice between a Bed Bug Thermal Treatment and Fumigation may not be an easy one. If you are in the Phoenix, Arizona area we suggest that you contact us so we can help choose the best Bed Bug Treatment at the best price for your situation.
Professional Pesticide Bed Bug Treatment:
A Bed Bug Treatment using chemical pesticides
This is the by far the most common form of Bed Bug Treatment more than likely because it is the most affordable. In some cases this may be the only option, for example lets revisit the large call center or auditorium. This would normally be the preferred method in these types of locations.
This treatment usually consists of liquid pesticides being applied to the infested areas, sometimes fogging or pesticide dust is applied as well.
Pesticides can be very effective against bed bugs. The infested area needs to be treated multiple times in order for the treatment to be effective and it’s very likely to see Bed Bugs between the treatments.
On the down side there are many strains of Bed Bugs that have shown to be resistant to Chemical Bed Bug Treatment. Hopefully the pesticide used the first time is one that is effective enough to get the job done, but there may be some trial and error along the way. If you choose this method of Bed Bug Treatment you should be prepared to have some patience on hand.
CO2 sprayed from a nozzle is used with this type of Bed Bug Treatment
Steam and Freeze Bed Bug Treatment:
These methods involve spot treating every crack, crevice and seam in every place a bed bug can fit in every effected room. The reason Bed Bugs are so difficult to treat is because they are so difficult to find which makes this a very long and laborious process. It is often combined with vacuuming and chemical treatment. For more information on the limitations on this type of treatment please visit the University of Kentucky’s Bed Bug Page and look under Vacuuming, Steaming and Freezing.
Multiple types of treatment:
Many pest control companies perform a combination of Bed Bug Treatment methods. For example after a Bed Bug Heat Treatment many companies choose to apply a limited amount of residual chemical pesticide in case there is a re-infestation. This may not be necessary, but can be a good option depending on the circumstances.
Over the counter Pesticides Bed Bug Treatment:
Many of us are do-it-yourself types and would assume that the pest control products for sale at the local hardware store that are labeled for Bed Bugs are going to get the job done. Think again, don’t forget the paragraph above explaining how Bed Bugs are even resistant to commercial pesticides, well these products are even less effective. In my experience I have seen these types of products spread out the infestation creating a bigger problem as the bed bugs are just irritated by the pesticide and not killed by it. One of the most common products I see used is a “bomb” or “fogger” my experiences have been confirmed by this study from the University of Kentucky on “Limitations of Home Insect Foggers (“Bug Bombs”).
If you are in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area contact us for more information on Bed Bug Treatment at no obligation to you. We are happy to speak with you and share our expertise. You can reach us at 888-928-4364
