Heat treatment can effectively eliminate insect infestations without resorting to toxic chemicals, dehydrating insects through protein coagulation and killing every stage of development from eggs through to adulthood.

However, in order to be fully effective, air temperatures must be evenly distributed throughout a space to reach all cracks and crevices – this requires proper planning of the site.

Efficacy

Heat treatment by Pest Control Plus is safe for both humans and pets, making it the perfect alternative to chemicals when it comes to killing off pests, such as bed bugs, wood-destroying insects, fleas and even roaches. Heat can even be applied more effectively than pesticide sprays without harming the environment in which we reside or do business.

Heat treatments depend on temperature and duration to be successful, with 55degF being sufficient to kill most pests quickly while higher temperatures will likely be necessary over longer periods – for instance a hot air system with temperatures reaching up to 125degF will likely do the trick when treating bed bug infestations as these high temperatures dehydrate their proteins and enzymes, melting their cell membranes and altering their salt balance, eventually killing off their population.

Heat-treating processes are also less time consuming and safer for employees compared to fumigation or freezing, and have an indirect environmental benefit by killing insects in products and materials not exposed to cold. Heat treatment makes an effective alternative to fumigation for food processing plants, hotels, shipping containers, museums – used to safely eliminate invasive pests without harming collections – sanitation programs or product inspection programs, among other applications.

Safety

Heat treatment is an effective solution for eliminating insects that have developed resistance to pesticides, such as cockroaches and ants, that are hard to eradicate with traditional means, including clothes moths and carpet beetles. Heat treatments are frequently combined with other forms of pest control methods in commercial settings to eradicate specific pests, and used on food processing equipment, display containers, silos and warehouses to treat specific problems.

High temperatures render insects incapable of survival; either dehydrating and dying from dehydration or having their internal enzymes destroyed; eggs, nymphs and larvae become inactivated as a result. Heat treatment raises ambient temperatures to levels lethal to all forms of pests from eggs to full grown adults; cracks crevices voids which could harbour them can also be targeted as possible insect harbourage sites.

Maintaining uniform temperatures across an area is vital to its smooth functioning and preventing heat build-up in certain spots that can lead to irreparable damage. Infrared meters or cameras can assist operatives in monitoring this space to identify hotspots and cold zones more effectively, and ensure temperatures do not surpass safe limits set for the material being treated.

Before undertaking any large-scale treatments on plant materials, its sensitivity must first be tested for heat treatment. This is particularly important if the plants in question are rare or of great scientific value. A variety of techniques may be used for testing plants – for instance immersing them in water at 111 degF for 30 minutes at 100% humidity as an example.

Environment

Heat treatment offers several distinct advantages over fumigation: without needing chemicals for application, heat treatments are much safer for applicators as well as people in the building, reducing exposure risks for all involved. They can be administered under controlled conditions in a controlled environment to effectively eliminate pests at every stage in their lifecycle (from eggs to adults), making this method especially suitable when treating delicate materials such as textiles that cannot be sprayed with insecticide.

Environmental benefits aside, this method has proven very effective against insects that have developed resistance to traditional pesticides. It works by raising the temperature in an enclosed space above 55 degrees Celsius – raising this temperature will disrupt proteins within insects’ bodies causing them to dehydrate and die quickly and efficiently killing bed bugs and other pests in short order.

Typically, the space to be treated will be sealed inside an environmental chamber equipped with specially engineered room heaters and circulating fans designed for pest management. You can either purchase or rent this equipment from a specialist; its temperature must be increased gradually to prevent any damages to either buildings or equipment, and any openings used by pests to escape should be taped off and covered with diatomaceous earth to further increase effectiveness.

Cost

Heat treatments offer an effective alternative to pesticides, and are more cost-efficient than other forms of eradication. Their costs will depend on the scope and type of infestation as well as which heat treatment option is used.

Chemical treatments typically cost anywhere from $300 to $900 for small apartments or rooms; for larger houses and severe infestations, however, the costs can significantly rise. Furthermore, heat treatments should be applied periodically in order to prevent an insect recurrence.

Additionally, this method is ideal for commercial settings such as mills, food manufacturing and display equipment warehouses and silos where roaches, ants and plaster beetles are common issues. Furthermore, it can also help treat expensive fabrics infested with textile pests such as moths and carpet beetles by increasing temperature which dehydrates them unable to survive and provides an eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.

John Mali Director of Media Relations

Director of Media Relations at AboutBoulder.com

john@aboutboulder.com