In a single working day, heat treatment can wipe out bed bugs across the affected rooms. Crews use commercial heaters, fans and temperature sensors to push heat deep into mattresses, sofa cushions and the edges of walls. In most Martinez homes the family can sleep in their own beds that night.
Why Heat Is So Effective
Bed bugs and their eggs die when they stay at a high enough temperature for long enough, and no insect can build resistance to that. Crews typically bring even the coolest spots in the room to about 120°F or higher and keep them there, turning mattresses and moving cushions so nothing is left cool inside.
How the Day Runs
- SetupItems that could melt or spoil come out, and heaters, fans and sensors go in.
- Warm upOver the next few hours the rooms are brought up to the kill temperature.
- HoldThe crew watches the readings and shifts belongings so heat reaches every surface.
- Cool downRooms cool, the results are checked and edges may get a residual product.
Heat in Martinez Homes
Families who want no pesticide on their beds often lean toward heat, and so do owners who need a room back in use quickly. Most homes in 94553 were built in the 1960s and 1970s, so a good crew checks the electrical panel and circuits before setting up heaters.
Remove These Before Treatment
- Candles, lipstick, crayons, spray cans, medicine, houseplants and pets.
- Vinyl records, old photos and anything that warps in heat.
- Items the crew lists, such as certain electronics.
- Clothes and bedding usually stay put so the heat treats them too, unless told otherwise.
Questions About Heat Treatment
Will the house smell afterward?
Heat on its own leaves no chemical odor. If the crew adds a residual product along the edges of rooms, they will tell you what to expect.
Can I just turn the heat way up?
No. The EPA warns that a home furnace or space heaters cannot heat a room evenly enough to kill bed bugs, and they can start a fire.
How your call is handled: Bed Bug Control CA is a free referral service. When you call or send the form, you are connected with an independent, licensed pest control company that serves Martinez. That company inspects, quotes and does the work.