
We’re sure you’ve been hearing about bed bugs, whether on the news, on Facebook or from your friends. Bed bugs have been a hot topic for the past couple years now and they don’t seem to be going away. In fact, they seem to be getting more prevalent. One reason might be because Oklahoma City was recently found to be one of the cities with the worst bed bug infestations in the country. Another reason bed bugs are such a hot topic is because they are so difficult to get rid of.
Unfortunately, many bed bugs seem to be resistant to traditional insecticides. But for some reason, pest control companies continue to try and use these chemical solutions even though they know full well they won’t work! What really works is a heat treatment, specifically Thermal Remediation®. This cutting-edge technology is specifically designed for use by pest control companies, universities, hotels and more to permanently eliminate all bed bugs in an infected area.
No matter what life stage a bed bug is at, they cannot survive temperatures of over 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Thermal Remediation® applies concentrated hot air from temperatures between 122 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure all bed bugs, whether they are eggs or adults, are exterminated. The machinery is carefully programmed not to exceed 135 degrees Fahrenheit so that it will not damage the bed or other furniture being treated or be damaging to anything else in the vicinity. We want to make sure the heat is intense enough to eradicate every last bed bug, but not so intense that it eradicates your furniture, too!
We also utilize a high powered fan to move all that hot air around and get it into all the cracks and crevices where bed bugs like to hide. The technology is specifically targeted at bed bugs, so it is safe to leave other things like electronics—which might also be infected—in the room while the treatment is in progress. The treatment can be remotely operated by a technician from up to 800 feet away (it’s too hot for them to stay inside the room) and the equipment is specially designed so that it can be easily set up and operated by only one technician! So you don’t have to worry about us taking over your house with an entire squad of techs.
Bed bugs were pretty much unheard of in the United States a few years ago, but have become much more prevalent with the rise of foreign travel. They got their name because they often live in beds and come out to bite and draw blood from their victims at night. However, they can also be found in other furniture like couches and chairs and even in carpeting and other areas you might not expect. Bed bug bites may look similar to mosquito bites, however they can appear anywhere on the body, whereas mosquito bites tend to be clustered around wrists and ankles.
Besides these telltale bites, bed bugs leave other identifying marks. Do a thorough sweep of the room you think might be infected and be especially careful to check the corners of mattresses and the undersides of couch and chair cushions. Bed bugs leave behind distinctive stains as well as skins they have shed. Spotting a bed bug is also a surefire sign that you have an infestation. Bed bugs are a ruddy brown color with small, oval shaped bodies. They may look like ticks or small cockroaches. They don’t fly, but they do scuttle very quickly, so it is rare to see one.
Arrow Exterminators is the only company in Oklahoma using this state of the art Thermal Remediation® technology. So if you’re ready to get serious about eliminating bed bugs once and for all, call the bed bug eradication experts at Arrow Exterminators. You can schedule a free, no obligation evaluation on our website or give us a call. You can also reach out to us on social media for information. We are on Facebook and Google+.