What You Need to Know About Heat Thermal Pest Control

Did you know that pest control methods don’t always involve chemicals? Heat Thermal Pest Control is a way to keep the pests at bay by manipulating temperatures to deadly levels for pests. It is an earth-friendly alternative, and can be used in different spaces, from homes, to offices, to other sensitive environments like nursing facilities, medical labs, and hospitals.  There is no need for occupants to move out, or for food and medicine to be bagged. No harm will be caused to your pets either.

Interested? Here is what you need to know about heat thermal pest control:

What is Hot Thermal Pest Control?
Thermal pest control refers to treating pest infestations with either extremely hot or cold temperatures. True to its name, hot thermal pest control is a heat treatment that eliminates common pests. The entire house or area that needs to be cleared is heated to a temperature of 120 – 140 degrees for four to six hours, making it a deadly environment for any unwelcome pest.

Prior to the heat treatment, any equipment or objects that can be damaged by prolonged heat exposure are either removed or covered with specially designed thermal blankets. Then, tarpaulins are placed at the targeted treatment areas. Special machines then deliver hot air to these areas, while a thermal probe measures the temperature of the air to make sure an optimum level of heat is achieved.

What Can Be Killed with Heat?
Heat treatment is often used for pests like bed bugs, cockroaches, drywood termites, scorpions, dust mites, powderpost beetles, rodents, and other wood destroying insects.

Bedbugs and their eggs are eliminated, without any damage to the fabric it is found on. Dust mites that lurk within mattresses, pillows, and sheets can also be dealt with, helping to improve air quality and allowing you to breathe better. Drywood termites and wood boring beetles, which are very damaging to wood structures, can be wiped out as well.

Cockroaches are a common pest found around food sources, which also causes contamination, while rodents often carry diseases. Both of these pests can be controlled through this method.
A little less common is the scorpion, which is dangerous and can cause a nuisance when found in your home. As nocturnal creatures, they are active while you are sleeping. Heat thermal pest control can combat these critters as well.

Drawbacks
However, there are some drawbacks. Hot thermal pest control is not always effective. It is often difficult to heat the building at a high enough heat for an adequate amount of time to kill all the pests, such as bed bugs that hide in mattresses and skirting boards.

On top of that, it can also prove to be an inefficient use of energy, especially if a large area needs to be heated. The equipment used needs to be very precise to avoid overheating the house. In practice, the entire heat treatment process may be more complicated to execute, as it needs to be carried out efficiently and the premises have to be managed well afterwards.

This is especially important because overheating a house can cause structural damage, especially for buildings that are older and more fragile. Wood paneling can buckle, candles can melt, and other objects can be damaged. In general, houses are not made to withstand this kind of intense heat.

Fischer Can Help
At Fischer, we conduct inspections and do direct treatment instead. Don’t know the difference? Contact us today with your questions about the differences and we’ll be happy to set your mind at ease!