While using heat treatment has proved to be an effective way of bed bug elimination, it comes with a number of disadvantages. Such disadvantages include large equipment, time-consuming, expensive, requires professionals, logistical complications, not a long-lasting solution and not entirely effective
To effectively carry out an effective heat treatment exercise, large equipment is required. This may prove to be a problem when there are a lot of things in the home and the homeowner had not done adequate preparations for the large equipment. Working in such conditions can lead to damage to items in the home.
The process of setting up the equipment, applying heat and cooling down of the areas sprayed can take a long time. In this, a structure or room under heat treatment can take six hours or more before it is ready for use again.
The operation of heat treatment equipment requires experts. This is to ensure that the bed bugs are eliminated and no damage has been done to the items around or the equipment used.
The use of bed bug heaters is more expensive compared to other methods. While the use of heat treatment is effective and safe, it comes at a high cost. The large equipment and experts who operate the bed bug heaters offer their services at a high cost. When operating on a limited budget, heat treatment is not an option for you. The prices are mostly determined by the size of your home and the company.
The heat used in the treatment can be harmful to some of the items in your home. Plants, pets, electronics, delicate art, and perishable foods should be removed from the rooms where the treatment is taking place. The removal of these items may be hectic, especially when the items are fragile or heavy.
While heat treatment is effective in eliminating bed bugs, it does not offer a long-lasting solution. Once the heat treatment exercise is over and room temperature is regained, bed bugs can move from other places to your home. Similarly, when heat treatment is carried out by an inexperienced exterminator, they may miss some cold areas in your home. The bed bugs hiding in such places will survive and continue breeding.
Heat treatment is a better option compared to traditional chemical methods. However, it is not applicable to some of the home items and places. There are areas where you will have to take the chemical option, such areas include behind door frames, structural and aesthetic parts of the home.
Another reason that hinders effective heat treatment is that pregnant bed bugs tend to move away from the normal sites to avoid harassment by their male counterparts. This makes it much harder to entirely eliminate the bed bugs in your home as these female bed bugs lay their eggs in areas that are difficult to find and treat.
Even though heat treatment is expensive it is a more effective technique of bed bug elimination compared to the use of chemicals. With the high heat degrees used no bed bug stands a chance to survive. However, you should always have an open mind when considering the best way to deal with bed bugs at your home.