Bed Bug Update: Travel Tips, New Technology & More

June 14, 2018   |   Bed Bugs

Our new Thermal Remediation bed bug control solution uses high heat instead of chemicals to get rid of bed bugs.

Bed bugs are a year-round problem for both business owners and homeowners, but summer infestations are particularly stressful. Vacationers may encounter them while out of town (and bring them home), while commercial establishments may lose business due to an unfortunate infestation.

Whether you’re a traveler or a business owner, however, we have good news: Turner Pest Control now offers a safe, powerful new way to eradicate bed bugs.

We’re currently rolling out this technology to our Orlando customers, but will soon make it available throughout our service area.

Read on for details about this new bed bug control solution, plus what you can do to prevent bed bug problems when you travel.

Thermal Remediation® bed bug control offered by Turner Pest Control.

This new technology is the safest, most environmentally friendly and the most effective alternative to chemical fumigation. Thermal Remediation works by using high heat on bed bugs, which can’t survive extreme temperatures. Because bed bugs are increasingly resistant to pesticides, a chemical treatment may not kill the insects at each of their life stages, so live bugs can still be present after conventional treatments. Thermal Remediation, however, evenly distributes heat throughout the space being treated to kill bed bugs at any life stage.

Here are just some of the benefits of bed bug heat treatments:

• During the treatment process, no chemicals are used, so no toxins are left behind and there’s no impact on the environment. We do, however, also provide an insecticide barrier underneath baseboards to provide long-term control.
• A single treatment effectively kills bed bugs from the egg to adult stages.
• Heat can penetrate even the small cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide and that are difficult to reach with chemicals.
• Adjacent, untreated areas of a home or building can remain in use during this non-toxic treatment.
• Heat treatments won’t damage items in the treated space, with the exception of a few heat-sensitive items.
• Remotely monitored temperature sensors ensure that all areas of the treated space are being heated to the temperatures that kill bed bugs at all life stages.

Advantages to the hospitality industry.

Bed bug problems are at their peak during the summer vacation season when these pests hitchhike on travelers’ luggage. It’s also the time when hotel and motel managers need the fastest, most effective, and least disruptive solution. Turner Pest Control’s Thermal Remediation technology meets all of these requirements, eliminating week-long chemical treatments and allowing rooms to be reoccupied in just a day. Contact our dedicated Commercial Services department to learn more about how we can solve your bed bug problem.

What you can do to prevent bed bug problems while traveling.

According to the National Pest Management Association, you should check both your hotel room and your belongings for bed bugs while you’re traveling, and do it again once you’re home.

Here’s how to check for bed bugs:

• First, inspect the mattress seams and box springs, especially in corners and at the top of the mattress where you lay your head. Look for shed bug skins and pepper-like spots and stains.
• Before you unpack, inspect the entire room. Check sofas and chairs, behind the headboard, inside dressers and drawers, and under lights. A bright flashlight will help.
• Put your suitcases in plastic trash bags for the duration of your trip to keep bed bugs from getting in.
• Don’t put suitcases on any upholstered surfaces. The best place is in the bathroom in the middle of a tile floor or in the tub. You can use a luggage rack if you’ve inspected it thoroughly, but don’t use one that has hollow legs.
• If you don’t find signs of bed bugs after your inspection, you can put away your belongings.

If you suspect bed bugs are in your room:

• Tell management and ask to change rooms immediately.
• Move to a room that is not adjacent to or directly above or below the room with the suspected infestation. Bed bugs can easily move from room to room.

When you get home:

• Don’t bring suitcases inside until you’ve thoroughly inspected them.
• Before storing luggage, vacuum it, and consider using a garment steamer on your luggage. This can kill bed bugs and their eggs.
• Launder all of your clothing on hot cycles, including items you did not wear.
• If you have clothing that needs to go to the dry cleaner, seal it in a plastic bag until it can be transported.

You can learn more about looking for signs of bed bugs on the Environmental Protection Agency’s How to Find Bed Bugs page.

Bugging about bed bugs in your home or business?

Get a free estimate. We know bed bugs and how to get rid of them! Contact us for a free estimate on our bed bug control services.