Preface
A common question asked by homeowners dealing with a bed bug infestation is “how long will the treatment take?” Of course, this is a fair question given our busy lives and although, the aim of this article is to answer this simple question, we cannot provide an accurate answer without discussing the different types of treatments available on the market.
One of the most important decisions you will make after finding out you have bed bugs is choosing the treatment for it. Choosing the wrong bed bug treatment can lead to immeasurable psychological stress that comes with a cycle of failed treatments. As is with most things in life, quick is not always better.
The Spray Treatment
This is your quickest and cheapest option. The pest control company offering this treatment will most likely send a technician to your house, where they will apply a chemical diluted in water or an oil-based, ready-to-use spray. This will be a very quick visit, taking around 30 minutes for an apartment or condo and about 60 minutes for a whole house.
This is an incredibly inefficient approach to targeting a bed bug infestation. Firstly, there is currently no spray on the market that can successfully exterminate bed bug eggs. Secondly, bed bugs in North America have evolved to survive chemical treatments. The spray may be able to eradicate much of the visible infestation and provide relief for 2 to 3 weeks, but the surviving population will soon grow, passing on their spray-resistant genetics, and the eggs will hatch, leading to a full-blown infestation again.
Thirdly, it is important to consider the damage that spray treatments can cause to your furniture and other belongings. For example, the spray used can stain windows, TVs, and furniture, depending on their finishes. Lastly, and most importantly, spray treatments can be harmful to people and pets if the directions and limits on the labels are not followed precisely.
The Spray + Steam Treatment
This treatment option combines the use of chemical and steam. The technician or exterminator sprays all visible bed bugs and then uses steam to target the remaining spray-resistant bed bugs and eggs. This is a far better approach and can lead to success if a couple of follow-up treatments are completed after the initial one.
In terms of time, this can take around 2 hours for an apartment or condo and up to 5 hours for a whole house for the initial treatment. However, just as with chemical sprays, it is important to note that steam can also cause damage to your furniture and belongings.
The Heat Treatment
This is one of the most well-known bed bug treatment methods for eliminating infestations. It involves the technician or exterminator setting up equipment in the targeted room to generate heat and raise temperatures to 57–60 °C (135–140 °F). This process takes about 8 hours per room.
If done professionally, this can be a very effective and eco-friendly method. However, damage to heat-sensitive belongings can occur.
The Mechanical Treatment
These treatments involve the exterminator mechanically removing all bed bugs and eggs from each infested area, piece of furniture, and belonging. The exterminator usually disassembles the infested furniture to extract bed bugs and eggs from every crack, crevice, and hiding spot. Once the extraction is complete, the furniture is reassembled.
This is an extremely thorough process and can take up to 8–15 hours per bedroom, but it is equally successful. Our bed bug expert at Pest Solution Services has mastered this process and has treated over 3,000 bed bug infestations across the GTA with a 100% resolution rate using this method. Additionally, this process ensures complete eradication of bed bugs after a single treatment and is the safest option among those mentioned above.
Final Thoughts
Now, going back to the question, the duration of a bed bug treatment can vary significantly depending on the type of treatment. It is important to note that a successful treatment requires effort and thoroughness in addition to knowledge. While a longer treatment may seem frustrating initially, it will ultimately save the homeowner time and prove to be the fastest approach to successfully eliminating a bed bug infestation.
