Bed bug steam treatments have become an accepted non-chemical alternative method used by pest control companies around the world in the treatment of bed bugs.

Steam cleaning for bed bugs may sound like something that just anyone can do, doing it successfully is not so easy as it sounds. Pest control professionals handle bed bugs daily and are trained to understand the behaviors and hiding places of bed bugs. Any treatment you try to do on your own that does not work could make the situation far worse. Understand that bed bugs multiply and transfer rapidly. So if you were to self-treat without 100% success, you may be providing the bed bugs with opportunities to multiply exponentially and infest you neighbors, friends, co-workers and strangers with whom you come into casual contact.

Assorted Bed Bug Steamers

Steam cleaning will not necessarily remove all bed bugs and bed bug eggs from the deepest cracks and crevices where bed bugs hide. Steamers do a very good job of destroying bed bug eggs if they can be found and accessed. It is likely that some form of long-lasting pesticide will be required to support long-term control and elimination of any bed bugs that have not been picked up by the vacuum.

The primary advantages of steaming bed bugs are that:

1. it is a poison-free method
2. the equipment is not cost prohibitive
3. the material used is cost effective (water)
4. it readily kills bed bugs during all life cycle phases
5. it cleans and sanitizes as it kills the parasite (you will need to judge for yourself whether or not steamers will remove all traces of bed bugs without residues or discoloration).

The primary disadvantages of steam treating bed bugs are that:

1. it is steam. Temperatures are very high and very dangerous to anyone in the treatment area, including the worker, him or herself
2. Temperatures dissipate rapidly such that direct or near direct contact is needed

In the past it was required to use a strong cocktail of pesticides to treat bed bugs. Steaming is an excellent way to reduce pesticide usage when treating bed bugs and reduce the time that is required before residents or occupants can re-enter the premises. This goes a long way toward reducing the trauma, expense and liability associated with bed bug treatments.

Steaming of bed bugs supports efforts to combat the development of bed bug resistance to pesticides and avoids the issue of bed bug resistance during treatment.

Please be advised that it will still be necessary to properly prepare for the bed bug treatment and plans will need to be made to ensure that the residents do not re-infest the structure once they return after the treatment.