There is one thing which bed bugs just cannot withstand and that is extremes in temperature. If it gets too hot or too cold they will simply die off. Why not take advantage of this fact when considering how you are going to kill bed bugs in your home? It is after all, non toxic, safe for animals and humans and if you use heat you can do it yourself without having to spend $1000s on professional pest control companies.

So what is the best way to kill bed bugs with heat? Well, for a start turning up the central heating to full will not work! If you do this the heat will build up gradually and this will merely mobilize the bed bugs who will try to escape to somewhere cooler – probably another room in your house! The last thing you want is further spread of the infestation. The easiest way to get fairly instant heat is by using steam.

Steam is perfect for this job because not only is the heat almost instant but it is hot enough to kill the bed bugs. A minimum temperature of 45oC is required to do this successfully. Another great advantage in using steam is that it can achieve something that most insecticides can\’t – it can kill the bed bugs at every stage of development from eggs through to full grown bugs! Many insecticides cannot penetrate the outer casing of the bed bug eggs.

It has long been the practise to use a combination of steam and insecticides to kill bed bugs. However, as you are no doubt aware insecticides can be extremely harmful to health. With this in mind it is probably not the best idea to spray your mattress and box spring as well as most of the other areas in the room in which you sleep with them. In fact, many professional pest control companies will no longer carry out this practise for fear of lawsuits from customers in the future.

Here are six tips which may help you to kill bed bugs with steam:

1. If you are to prevent the bed bugs from being blown about the flow of steam must be minimal and this will also stop the surface becoming over wet.

2. The steam cleaning machine must be capable of producing steam which has a low vapour flow but a high enough temperature.

3. To kill bed bugs with steam it is essential that a full and thorough inspection of the infected room be carried out before treatment begins. If this is not done successfully eradication will not be achieved.

4. Make sure that the instructions for the steam machine are read properly to ensure that every safety measure is followed.

5. Due to the low vapour output it is essential that the nozzle is placed directly onto the surface of the mattress or whatever is being treated. Any little gap between the end of the nozzle and the surface will allow the temperature to drop quite dramatically and reduce the effectiveness of the steam in killing the bed bugs.

6.It is a fairly long process as the nozzle must be moved over the surface slowly and meticulously – around 30cm every 10-15 seconds is recommended.

Getting started can be a bit daunting. Quite simply the best place to start is with the bed. The mattress should be thoroughly steamed paying special attention to the favourite bed bug hiding places such as along seam lines, around any handles and labels as well as buttons if your mattress has any. Don\’t forget the base of your bed will also need attention. Unfortunately the only way to do this effectively is to remove the outer fabric to allow access to the inside. If you are careful when removing the fabric it is usually possible to staple this back into place once the treatment has been completed.

It is time then to move on to other pieces of furniture in the room for example chairs, sofas and so on. Again it is vital that extra care is taken around areas where the bed bugs are likely to hide such as seams and buttons. Don\’t forget the mattress if you have a sofa bed!

With the large items treated it is time to deal with the other soft furnishings in the room. Methodically steam items such as cushions, pillows, curtains and so on. Bed bugs are very good at climbing so be certain that you check and treat every area of the infected room.

Last of all it is a good safety measure to use the steam machine in any carpets and rugs in the room to be sure that you have eradicated all these horrid bugs. When doing this remember to concentrate round the edges next to skirting boards and furniture where the bed bugs are most likely to hide.

Killing bed bugs using steam as your main weapon can be time consuming. It is however, worth the time and effort because if it is done thoroughly and methodically it can be a very successful treatment for bed bugs.

Author Bio: Does steam kill bed bugs? Learn how you can use steam treatment to eradicate bed bugs from your property.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: bed bugs,steam treatment,kill bed bugs,steam,steam cleaner