Bed bugs present what is probably the single biggest challenge to pest control the world over. As Canadian provinces report more and more confirmed cases, the need for quality pest control services in Oakville has grown exponentially. What makes this species of an insect so hard to get rid of is the hiding mechanisms they display, which allow the bugs to penetrate deep into the structures of a home to avoid detection. Additionally, the bugs can live over a year without feeding on human blood and an oversaturation of pyrethroid-based insecticides has also seen many bed bug strains developing rapid resistance to these formulations. Exterminators across Canada have generally found that bed bug exterminations should comprise an equal role that sees powerful, innovative bed bug insecticides meeting in the middle with hot steam, which is a bed bug extermination method that the bugs cannot develop a resistance to.
Pest control professionals will typically fight against bed bugs with high-powered steam treatment with bed bug steamers that are for professionals use only. By using the steam method first, this can target the majority of the bed bug population, while also killing large swaths of a colony in a single treatment. The steaming temperature is very hot and will require all occupants and pets to leave the home during the process. Hot steam kills bed bugs instantly, yet they’re still may be cases where the bugs escape the steam, which is where powerful, residual insecticides come into play.
The insecticides frequently used by pest control professionals are only available to licensed exterminators, meaning there are no ways to purchase these chemicals over the counter. Most formulations are incredibly potent and will possess a residual compound that sees the poison stick to surfaces where bed bugs have no choice but to crawl through the poison over time. Once the bed bugs who have possibly survived the steam treatment begin to wander out again in search of human blood, they will cross through the poison (which can last upwards of four weeks for most formulations) and subsequently die within 24 hours depending on the particular poison. The steam will work to knock down large parts of the active population within the home, and the residual insecticides will address the stragglers left behind, who were likely able to survive because they hid deep into the walls where steam has a hard time penetrating.
Exterminators kill bed bugs in much the same way, with a combination of hot steam and powerful, residual insecticides that kill any leftover bugs over time. It should be stressed that no matter the pest control professional you choose to hire when it comes to bed bugs, there are certain prep procedures you alone must follow to have a successful treatment. Your exterminator will usually give you a checklist and this should be followed precisely and accurately before extermination day. Bed bugs are hard to get rid of, but not impossible and a dual-treatment approach is always best.