Do High Temperatures Kill Bed Bugs?
WouterThere are several different ways to kill bedbugs, but the most common method is pesticides. These have been used by pest control companies for decades and are used by both large and small businesses alike. One alternative to pesticides is heat treatment. However, heat treatment is less common and less widely available than pesticides, and it also requires a large amount of energy.
Researchers have found that high temperatures do not kill bedbugs right away. In fact, they actually increase their chances of survival. In a study by Ashbrook, he exposed a population of bedbugs to 113 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time. The temperature was not sufficient to kill all the bugs, but it was sufficient to kill 75 percent. The surviving bedbugs were bred for another six generations, which means they were able to build up a tolerance to heat.
However, the authors of the study suggest that higher temperatures are necessary to completely eradicate bed bugs. They conducted separate sub-acute and acute temperature trials. They found that adults and eggs could survive at temperatures of 45 degC for seven hours, while eggs were not harmed by this high temperature for 71.5 minutes. However, it is important to note that these studies were conducted on different methods and the results may differ.
A heat treatment is an excellent way to kill bed bugs, but it may not be right for every situation. Bed bugs are incredibly hard to eliminate. If you want to get rid of bed bugs once and for all, you should hire the services of a professional pest control company. These professionals are trained to identify the locations where bed bugs live and will use effective techniques to eliminate the infestation.
