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Two methods professional bed bug exterminators use are the application of heat and using freezing temperatures. Both of these treatments are effective at killing bed bugs since they die off at temperatures above 113 degrees and below 0 degrees. These options are all natural and eliminate the need for spraying pesticides around your bedroom and sleeping area since that's where the bugs hide. Here is a quick look at how these treatments work.

Freezing Temperatures

While bed bugs die at temperatures below 0 degrees, they have to stay in that temperature range for four days. That can be hard to achieve, which is why DIY freezing isn't nearly as effective as hiring an exterminator. An exterminator uses frozen carbon dioxide, also known as dry ice. It's sprayed from a tank, and as soon as it's released, it forms freezing fog and snow that covers your room and furniture.

Dry ice has a temperature of -109.3, which is cold enough to kill bed bugs on contact. The frozen particles work their way into small cracks and seams along your bed, walls, and other furniture. It then converts to a gas and disappears, so there is no residue left behind. Since frozen carbon dioxide doesn't pass through the liquid stage when it goes from solid snow to a gas, you don't have to worry about your upholstery, carpet, and belongings getting damp or wet.

Heat Treatments

There are various forms of heat treatments an exterminator may use. One is a steam cleaner that blows hot steam into cracks and crevices. When this method is combined with steam cleaning your carpet, a small infestation can be brought under control. If you have a lot of bed bugs, you may need a room or whole-house heat treatment. To do this, the exterminator brings in heaters and fans to drive up the temperature inside your home. You'll need to leave the house during the treatment since the temperature will be above 113 degrees.

Another type of heat treatment is the hot box. This is a heated container or room located at the exterminator's facilities. Your household belongings are packed up and moved into the hot box for the treatment and returned to your home when the bugs have been killed.

One thing to keep in mind is that frozen CO2 and steam can't penetrate walls and other deep hiding places, so it's possible some bugs will survive. You may need multiple treatments or a combination of treatments to get your infestation under control. In addition to getting professional help, you'll probably need to clear out your clutter, clean your bedroom, enclose your mattress, and bag your clothes to reduce hiding places for the bugs. Contact a company like Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control for more information.