How Does Bed Bug Heat Treatment Work?

Bed bug on a mattress. How does bed bug heat treatment work?

Did you know that four Michigan cities (Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Flint) ranked among the worst for bed bugs in 2019? It’s safe to say that Michiganders are looking for any type of relief from the potential burden of bed bugs. Traditional bed bug techniques are great, but they don’t work for every situation. That’s where bed bug heat treatments come in. 

Bed bug heat treatment is the most effective modern means of treating bed bug infestations of all sizes. It’s fast-acting, all-encompassing, and (most importantly) permanent. This is how bed bug heat treatments work, why they work, and why they’re the best way to solve bed bug infestations today.

What is bed bug heat treatment?

Bed bug heat treatments utilize special equipment to safely heat each target area to a temperature bed bugs can’t withstand. These treatments are commonly done room by room. Bed bugs and their eggs can’t withstand temperatures above 122 degrees Fahrenheit. An average heat treatment raises air temperatures in a room to levels between 135 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The pest management professional conducting the treatment will monitor room temps with help from remote thermostats. This type of treatment can take between six and ten hours depending on a number of factors. These factors include the severity of the infestation, the number of rooms treated, and the layout of the area.

How does bed bug heat treatment work?

There are a few main ways bed bug heat treatments are conducted. The most common way is for a pest management professional to bring in large electric heaters into your home. The heaters turn on and run until they reach 135 and 145 fahrenheit. Experts may also blow hot air into rooms via ductwork or apply localized steam heat. 

We use devices to create a sustained high heat environment that bed bugs can’t live in. This method is especially helpful compared to others because it leaves bed bugs with no place to hide. A bed bug heat treatment treats entire rooms, not just portions of it.

Why does bed bug heat treatment work?

The presence of the heat dries out the bodies of the bugs. Sapped of the moisture they need, they quickly expire. Sustaining the heat over the entire area means bed bugs can’t escape it when they attempt to hide. 

We’ll set up the heaters and use remote monitors to make sure we reach the bed-bug killing temperature in every area. After achieving the temperature, we’ll sustain it for at least another hour to guarantee effectiveness. 

Why is it more effective than other methods?

Bed bug heat treatments are more effective than other stand alone methods because there is room for error. Insecticides can’t cover every inch of a home. K-9 units are trained and effective, but they’re still living creatures, so there’s always room for error. Your best option is to use as many varied treatment options as possible to guarantee your success.

 

One of the most important things to know about bed bug infestations is that they spread fast. Once they’re established in your home and lay eggs, those eggs start hatching within days. Not long after that they’re reproducing again, turning small infestations big in a matter of weeks. 

If you even remotely suspect a bed bug issue in your home or business, contact the team at Griffin Pest Solutions immediately. Our heat treatments can wipe out infestations quickly, completely, and permanently.

How Bed Bugs Get Into Your Home [Video]

Bed Bug close-up

Bed bugs re-emerged as a serious pest problem in Michigan and the rest of the US relatively recently. After they suddenly reappeared, the bloodsuckers started spreading like they were making up for lost time! Today, bed bugs are considered one of the worst pest problems facing Michigan’s cities.

One reason why bed bugs were able to spread so quickly is that people don’t understand how they spread. No matter how far they spread, however, it’s not too late for you to keep them away! That’s why we put together this video on how the annoying pests spread, and how you can stop them:

Obviously, there’s a reason why these bugs spread so successfully. They’re very good at sneaking into traveler’s bags and making themselves at home. Whether you brought them inside or a visitor did, it’s all-too-easy to end up with a bed bug infestation, despite your best efforts.

If you’re worried you have an infestation, don’t hesitate to call Griffin Pest Solutions right away. Our experts have the tools, experience, and knowhow to wipe out your pests quickly and effectively. If you’re having troubling sleeping tight, just get in touch right away. We’ll make sure the bed bugs don’t bite.

Bed Bugs in Michigan This Summer

Bed Bug close-up

This January, we updated you on the situation concerning bed bugs in Michigan. We predicted back then that the problem wouldn’t go away anytime soon, and unfortunately, we were right. In fact, it’s only become worse. This summer has been a banner season for bed bugs all over the US. We’ve answered the calls to prove it.

If you’re worried about bed bugs this summer, we can’t say we blame you. The best way to assuage those worries is to make your home bed bug-proof as best you can. The best way to do that is to understand how bed bugs work and how to counteract them. Here’s everything you need to know about this summer’s bed bug infestation, so you can do just that.

The Situation

It’s not just us–half the pest control companies in the US report that summer is their busiest bed bug season. The National Pest Management Association declared June 3rd to June 9th “National Bed Bug Awareness Week,” largely to get the word out. For our part, we’ve continued to take calls about bed bug infestations all over Michigan throughout summer. These calls from all kinds of places and people. Bed bug infestations can happen to anyone.

Why Summer?

Bed bugs often hide in luggage and other commonly-transported articlesThe big question: why are bed bugs more active in summer than other times of year, any way? There are two main reasons:

1. Heat

Bed bugs love heat. The hotter their environment, the more active they are, and the longer they remain active. That’s actually part of why bed bugs hunker down in mattress and sheets. When they move around more, they spread more. They can access more hiding places, including hiding places they might not otherwise find. The more diverse their hiding places, the greater the chance someone will accidentally transport them into a new home.

Heat also dehydrates bed bugs (just like it does to everything else). When bed bugs get thirsty, they’re more motivated to get moisture. Unfortunately, for them, moisture often means you. As if all that isn’t bad enough, heat also helps the bugs molt and grow faster. When they grow faster, they feed, reproduce, and spread faster, too. Heat weather accelerates bed bugs’ entire life cycle, which means they spread out more and infest more homes.

2. Travel

Overall, summer is easily the busiest travel time of year. Even the holiday seasons don’t come close, because they don’t last for months. You’re probably already tired of learning this, but bed bugs are consummate travelers. In fact, hitchhiking along with unsuspecting travelers is their primary means of spreading. They tag along inside your bag, luggage, sheets, or whatever else you’re transporting. Then, when you get unpacked, you’ve helped them move in without even noticing!

Unfortunately, we’re not exclusively referring to out-of-town travel, either. It doesn’t matter if your bed bugs came from a hotel 300 miles away or your neighbor’s house 5 miles away. Obviously, people move in and out of your home far more often during summer than other times of year. Often, they’re also carrying something in or out, too. Bed bugs are uncannily good at seizing on opportunities just like those to find a new place to live.

What Can You Do?

Carefully inspect your bed and the room around it for bed bugs whenever you're worried about infestationsFirst and foremost, figure out if you already have bed bugs. Strip your bed as bare as possible and check each component thoroughly. Don’t forget about the zippers, folds, and underside. Check around the bed too, in places like the headboard, frame, nightstand, and siding. If you find signs of an infestation, give us a call right away. Repeat the process with every bed in your home. Bed bugs are very small and flat, so we recommend using a flashlight to look for them.

After you’ve made sure you don’t have bed bugs, you just have to keep it that way. The best way to do that is to pay close attention to what’s coming into and out of your home. Bed bugs enter homes by hiding inside transported items. Whenever you bring in a piece of luggage from outside, inspect it thoroughly. Consider throwing anything you can into the dryer for 20 minutes after you bring it in. It sounds like a hassle, but it’s the best way to prevent bed bug infestations.

 

We expect to continue to receive all kinds of bed bug calls for the rest of summer, and beyond. Unfortunately, the upsetting insect is as tenacious as it is distressing. Bed bugs can come from just about anywhere and they can happen to just about anyone.

If you have a bed bug infestation, feel free to give Griffin a call. Like we said, we’ve fielded plenty of bed bug calls in the past. We’ve got all the tools, know-how, and experience we need to wipe yours out for good. Don’t let the bed bugs bite out of embarrassment; just give us a call and reclaim your summer!

Bed Bugs in Michigan: a Report

Michigan Bed Bug Report

Up until relatively recently, Michigan and most of the rest of the US were almost entirely bed bug-free. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. All of a sudden, the beauty sleep-wreckers re-emerged, hardier–and hungrier!–than ever. In just a few short years, bed bugs proliferated all over the US and reclaimed their status as major pests.

Unfortunately, Michigan was not spared from the bed bug’s resurgence. In fact, we got hit worse than most of the rest of the US! If we’re going to combat the new bed bug menace infiltrating our state, we have to get organized. That’s why Griffin put together this bed bug situation report for residents of Michigan and the rest of the Midwest. This is everything you need to know about why bed bugs are back and why they’re a problem.

How Bad It Is

Michigan and the rest of the midwest have a serious bed bug problemAs of 2015, 99.6% of all pest control companies in the US reported treating bed bug infestations. 95% of the pest professionals who treated for bed bugs reported infestations in apartments and condos. According to the same report, 1 in 5 Americans have either encountered bed bugs themselves or know someone who has. In 2013, Americans spent around $446 million treating bed bug infestations.

Michigan’s bed bug problem is particularly severe. As of 2017, 605 bed bug infestations have been reported in commercial properties in Michigan on The Bedbug Registry. Detroit ranked #3 on a 2017 list of the top 50 worst cities for bed bugs in the US. In a different 2015 report, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Detroit all ranked in the top 20. Griffin gets calls about residential and commercial bed bug infestations almost every single day.

Why They’re Back

Bed bugs have recently become a major problem againThere are a couple theories about why bed bugs are back with a vengeance after their prolonged absence. Most disturbingly, recent studies show that bed bugs have developed resistances to the pesticides commonly used to control them. Resisting these common chemicals means bed bugs survive in much greater numbers, even in controlled environments. The more bed bugs survive, the more they grow, reproduce, and spread out.

Unfortunately, this rapid expansion is facilitated by our commuter and travel-based society. Bed bugs are consummate hitchhikers. Travelers inadvertently transport them from place to place on bags, luggage, clothing, and other commonly transported items. Finally, because they hadn’t been a problem for so long, the public doesn’t quite know how to handle them. Most of the thousands of bed bed infestations that occur every year could have been prevented relatively easily. When it comes to fighting the bed bug menace, knowing is more than half the battle!

Where They Came From

Bed bugs spread by traveling with unwitting commuters and touristsAlright, we’re not going to try to pass the blame onto someone else. The fact of the matter is, bed bugs are everyone’s responsibility. Buuuut… Ok, remember how Detroit was #3 on the list of worst cities for bed bugs? Well, Ohio cities Cleveland and Cincinnati ranked at #1 and #2, respectively. As major urban centers, thousands of people travel between each of these three cities every single day. They bring all their cargo and luggage with them–and often, their bed bugs, too!

Like we said above, the number one way bed bugs spread is by hitchhiking with travelers. Bed bugs smuggle themselves from place-to-place on cargo and luggage. When they reach a new destination, they spread out in search of food and hiding places. If they find either of these in a home or business, they’ll stick around to hunt and reproduce. When the next generation is born, they’ll spread out to find new homes, and the process begins again.

Who’s At Risk

Travelers are at increased risk of bed bug infestationBed bugs spread with travelers, so anywhere that sees lots of traffic is going to see more bed bugs. That means places like hotels are more likely to contend with bed bugs. They’re not the only ones, however. Any frequent traveler should be particularly careful about bed bugs, especially if they frequent hotels or travel with bags. This counts for people expecting company, too.

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home or bad hygiene. Any traveller can carry them, and they can end up anywhere. Bed bugs can hitchhike on virtually any transported item, including furniture, suitcases, bags, laundry, and (of course) bedding. The more opportunities they have to enter a structure, the more likely it is that they will. That means recent movers are at high risk of bed bug infestation.

The situation we’ve painted here looks dire, but remember: you’re not fighting this battle alone. Griffin is here to help. We’ve taught you how to identify bed bugs. We’ve helped you protect yourself when traveling or commuting. All the info on bed bugs you need, we have.

And if you ever need more than info, all you have to do is call. Our treatments will guarantee that the bed bugs don’t bite ever again.

How Can I Keep Bed Bugs Away While I’m Traveling?

Bed bugs travel on fabric

The primary way bed bugs spread is by hitching rides with travelers. They do that by sneaking into these travelers’ boxes, bags, and belongings while they aren’t looking. Keep a careful eye on your luggage while traveling to avoid bringing any unwanted hitchhikers on your trip with you.

Bed bugs love travelers. For these bloodsucking stowaways, every in-law in your guest room is an opportunity to see the world. Unfortunately, they won’t just leave after they’ve made themselves at home, either. The bed bugs you bring back from your travels tend to stick around. That’s why it’s so important you keep bed bugs from following you on your travels in the first place. We want to help you do that. Here are the five best ways you can avoid picking up bed bugs while you’re traveling this holiday season:

1. Keep your belongings off of the floor

Bed bugs spend most of their time looking for warm, dark, secluded places to hide. Unfortunately, those warm, dark, secluded hiding places are often luggage! If your bags are on the floor, they’ll be all-too-easy for bed bugs to get into.

Whenever you’re unpacking for the night, be sure to keep all of your traveling bags in elevated areas. Never leave anything unattended on the floor. The less accessible your bags, the harder it’ll be for bed bugs to come on your trip with you.

Do some research on where you're staying

2. Do some research on where you’re staying

Take the time to research the bed bug history of any lodging you’re planning on using. If that hotel or motel has a history of bed bug problems, chances are someone’s documented those problems online. There are even websites like the Bed Bug Registry to help ensure you find a place to stay that’s bed bug-free.

Obviously, if you’re staying at a relative’s home, this is trickier. After all, you may feel a little awkward asking them about their history with bed bugs! In these cases, we recommend you play it safe rather than sorry. Bring your own bed sheets and pillows. Make sure you store them in elevated places!

3. Choose your luggage carefully

Bed bugs love fabric. They love eating it, living in it, and burrowing into it. They’ll try to get at any fabric piece of clothing, accessory, or luggage you have. You can dissuade them from getting into your things by using a hard shell suitcase.

Hard shell suitcases are far harder to infiltrate than their soft counterparts. Just make sure you keep it shut tight when you’re not using it. Oh, and–say it with us–ELEVATE IT!

Inspect your sleeping area carefully before settling in

4. Thoroughly inspect your sleeping area before you settle in

After you arrive where you’re staying and before you unpack, follow the following steps. First, pull the comforter back on the sheets. Look for any telltale red or brown spots on sheets. Then, systematically check all the tucked-away places where bed bugs like to hide. Look under the mattress, between the mattress and box spring, behind any furniture, underneath cushions, and even in corners.

If you find bloody smears, dark brown splattering, or dried skin in likely spots, bed bugs are probably nearby. If you can, you should find another place to sleep. If you can’t leave, then you should thoroughly wash the sheets on the hottest possible setting. Do not unpack your bags or leave them on the floor.

5. Check your bags before you get back home

You should thoroughly inspect your bags after you get home and before you head back inside. Check your luggage and all its contents for any signs of bed bug infestations. Look for brown or red marks on clothing, smears in cracks and crevices, or dried shed skin.

As soon as you get back inside, throw all the fabrics you brought on your trip into your dryer. Run them through once on the highest heat setting. If you can, you should consider drying your bags and other belongings this way, too. High heat will kill any bed bugs you couldn’t see. Don’t unpack your belongings until you’re sure they’re bed bug-free!

 

Next time you’re vacationing, road tripping, or visiting relatives, don’t stress about the possibility of bed bugs. Instead, simply follow these tips diligently when they’re relevant and focus on having a good time. As long as you keep up with these prevention rules, you’ll shouldn’t have to worry about unwanted stowaways ever again.

Even if your trip takes a turn and you do find bed bugs, however, don’t panic! The team at Griffin Pest Solutions can find and wipe out your bed bug problem quickly, effectively, and permanently. They may have come home with you, but we’ll make sure they don’t make themselves at home. Have a safe and happy trip!