After finding bed bugs in a room in your home, it is normal to feel alarmed and upset. However, the sooner you act, the better. Bed bugs can reproduce very quickly, so you don’t want the infestation to continue to grow, nor do you want the bed bugs to spread to other areas of the house.
This means that at the first sign of the evidence of bed bugs, you should contact an experienced bed bug exterminator. You may be wondering, how much does a bed bug exterminator cost? The price depends on a number of factors. On average, exterminating bed bugs in one small room costs around $300, while dealing with a major bed bug infestation in a large house can cost as much as $5,000. The best extermination options for bed bugs include:
Insecticide Treatments
The use of insecticides may be recommended by a pest control professional, depending on the severity of the infestation, the size of the room that has bed bugs, and whether or not bed bugs have spread to other areas of the home.
While insecticides used to treat a bed bug infestation can be effective when administered by an exterminator, they rarely eliminate an infestation right away. Here are a few types of common insecticides and how they work:
- Pyrethroids/Pyrethrins: Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides, while pyrethroids are synthetic. When these compounds are introduced to an infested area, they typically cause bed bugs to come out of hiding, and the insecticides eventually kill them. It is important to note that some bed bugs have become resistant to pyrethroids/pyrethrins.
- Pyrroles: This type of chemical works by changing the way that the cells of bed bugs function. When bed bugs are exposed to pyrroles, the bugs’ biological function begins to fail, and they die.
- Desiccants: When desiccants are used to control bed bugs, exposure to the compounds destroys the waxy outer shell that protects the bugs. After the outer shell is destroyed, the bed bugs will dehydrate and eventually die. Common desiccants include boric acid and diatomaceous earth.
- Cold Pressed Neem Oil: This is the only biochemical insecticide that has been registered and found to be effective in controlling bed bug infestations. It is made with the seeds of the neem tree. Studies have found that cold pressed neem oil is effective at killing adult bed bugs, as well as nymphs and bed bug eggs.
- Growth Regulators: There are chemical growth regulators that can change the way that insects, including bed bugs, grow and mature. Some growth regulators stop bed bugs from growing and developing, while others accelerate their development, causing them to die faster.
Heat Treatment
Bed bugs can’t survive at high temperatures, which is why heat treatment to exterminate bed bugs is highly recommended and popular. In the majority of cases, only one heat treatment is needed to take care of a bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs can only live a short amount of time when the temperature reaches 118 degrees Fahrenheit, and they die immediately at temperatures of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. During a heat treatment, a room infested with bed bugs is heated to a very high temperature in order to kill all bed bugs, as well as any eggs that have been laid.
A bed bug exterminator like the bed bug exterminator nyc uses specialized equipment to heat a room to the appropriate temperature, and several thermometers will be monitored to ensure that the infested area reaches the appropriate level of heat for the necessary amount of time.
Hiring a bed bug exterminator for heat treatment is recommended when you want to get rid of the bed bugs in your home as quickly as possible. Many people also like the fact that a heat treatment eliminates bed bugs and their eggs in just one session.
A heat treatment can be especially useful in a home where bed bugs have spread to other areas of the house. After the treatment is completed by a bed bug exterminator, you can have the peace of mind of knowing that all of the bed bugs are dead. Following a heat treatment, it is recommended to take precautionary measures, such as using covers for box springs and mattresses, to help prevent a future bed bug infestation.
Whichever extermination method you choose, a bed bug exterminator can help you regain a bug-free home.