You may have heard online or from friends that heat treatment can very effectively kill bed bugs. So you may be wondering how you can emulate that process for yourself, in case you ever come across a bed bug infestation of your own. Can a blow dryer or other heat producing appliances kill bed bugs?
Bed Bug Identification
Before you find out what can kill bed bugs, you’ll first need to know what they look like and how to find them. Bed bugs are very good at hiding, so you’ll have to be extra thorough when you search for them, otherwise you may never know if you have a bed bug infestation.
What They Look Like
Bed bugs are very small in size, so they can hide in many different spots very easily. Bed bugs are about the size of an appleseed and have a red-brown color. Their bodies are flat, making it very easy for them to slide between cracks and into crevices. Bed bugs will not be any bigger than your fingernail, so you can imagine how easy it is for them to hide. It can be difficult to persuade bed bugs out of hiding, so it may be easier to keep an eye out for other indicators of a bed bug infestation.
Other Indicators
There are different symptoms you can look for if you think you may have a bed bug infestation. Noticing a sweet or musty smell can be an indication of bed bugs nearby. If you wake up with red bumps or bites in clusters or a zigzag pattern, these could be from bed bugs as well. In addition, finding any blood spots on your sheets can further indicate that bed bugs are feeding on you at night.
Heat Treatment
One of the best ways to kill bed bugs is using heat treatment. Heat treatment uses heaters around a home or area to raise the temperature past 118°F. This high temperature is more than bed bugs can handle, and they begin to die from the heat within minutes. Bed bug exterminators are utilizing heat treatments more frequently than alternative treatments. Because of its safety and effectiveness, heat treatment is quickly becoming the most popular and most effective way to eradicate bed bugs entirely.
Blower Dryer Heat
Depending on your exact type of hair dryer, the heat it produces can technically be enough to cause a bed bug to die. Since most blow dryer temperatures range from 80 up to 130°F, the heat from your blow dryer could be sufficient to kill a bed bug; however, it isn’t very practical. To kill even just one bed bug with a blow dryer, you’ll need to focus the heat from the blow dryer directly on the bug for up to 30 seconds before it dies. If you are looking to remove all of the bed bugs or an entire bed bug infestation, a blow dryer will not be sufficient, as you will likely be unable to reach every bed bug. Nymphs and eggs are smaller than adults, making them harder to notice with just the human eye. Unless you are prepared to sit with a blow dryer in one spot for a long time, this method is not practical.
A blow dryer can be helpful in finding bed bug infestations, however. If you find a crevice or crack you can’t see right into and wonder if there are bed bugs there, point your blow dryer there to see if any bugs come scurrying out.
Heat Treatment from Bed Bug Barbeque
Bed Bug Barbeque offers heat treatment from our experienced bed bug heat eradicator exterminators. We utilize heat treatments for our exterminations and also offer heat treatment rental kits for a DIY option. Visit our website or call (216) 221-1227 today!
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