Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of, but that doesn't mean it's an impossible job for an exterminator. Pesticides don't work well on the bugs since they've built up a tolerance to many chemical products, but using extreme temperatures is often very effective. There are methods of bed bug treatment that involve high heat and freezing cold. Here's a look at how they work.

Baking And Steaming Bed Bugs

Bed bugs can be baked with high heat or killed instantly with a blast of hot steam. Hot steam can be applied around a room with a wand much like a steam cleaner. This works on bugs that can be found since the steam has to come in contact with the bugs to kill them. Some pest control companies offer the baking solution where huge heaters are brought into your home to raise the temperature in the house or in a single room high enough to kill the bugs.

This works well because all the bugs are killed, even ones that are hidden in cracks. Other options include taking your belongings to a heating chamber located at the pest control company, but this doesn't get the bugs hiding between walls and other hidden areas, so additional treatments are needed to get rid of the bugs in your house. For that reason, heating your home is usually the best option for baking.

Freezing The Bugs

Freezing the bugs with dry ice is very effective too. However, just like with steam, the dry ice has to come into direct contact with the bugs to kill them. The dry ice vapor is emitted from a wand and it can be directed into crevices and other tight areas to reach the bugs. Dry ice is so cold that it kills bed bugs instantly. The big advantage to using dry ice is that it doesn't damage anything. You don't have to worry about lingering chemicals or high heat destroying fragile items. Freezing is a popular method for fighting bed bugs for these reasons. The freezing vapor disappears in a few seconds and no dampness or damage is left behind.

Neither of these methods are well-suited for DIY application. While you can kill some bugs with a home steamer and DIY dry ice, you can also drive bed bugs further into hiding and make them harder for an exterminator to kill. If the bugs are biting you and making your life miserable, you should let an exterminator handle them to make sure they are killed quickly and effectively so you get relief from their bites as soon as you can.