When you think of pest control ( Alliance-enviro.com/Bed-Bug-Removal ), you picture apartment buildings covered in heavy sheeting being gassed by people in hazmat suits. You picture everyone having to move out or vacate their residences for days and potential chemical damage to things you leave in the space. It's a big deal. There are other treatment options! There are very effective heat-based treatments available!
Steam Treatments
Steam works wonders on most fabrics. Steam vapors heat their environment to around 230 degrees Fahrenheit. If you suspect pillowcases, sheets, clothing, or rugs have been infested with pests, localized steam treatments can work extremely well to eliminate some of these little nuisance creatures.
Steam treatments have limitations, however. A study from the University of Minnesota found that steam treatments have a limit of less than 2.5 inches. If your infestation is in a mattress, couch cushion, floorboard/insulation, or something similar, a steam treatment will likely not be enough to penetrate further to fully eliminate the pests.
Hot Boxes
Creating localized areas of dry heat can also work to destroy pest infestations. For most laundry-type materials, a run through the dryer should be enough, or else you can run a wash cycle with warm, soapy water.
For larger items, such as chairs, cushions, or rugs, a professional-grade heat chamber can be utilized. These chambers vary in size and utility, but they generally are meant to reach heat above the lethal range for most pests (about 122 degrees Fahrenheit). The containment of these chambers allow the heat to permeate throughout the space and deep into the every crevice. If there's nowhere for the heat to escape, there's nowhere for the bugs to escape, either.
Heated-Solution Spot Treatments
The newest treatment on the market is a chemical-free heat solution that's applied to localized surfaces. Localized treatments ( https://info.alliance-enviro.com/blog ) like this generally take less than 8 hours and can be applied to multi-unit dwellings and shared walls. While confined and limited treatment might be the most effective, heated spot treatments have the incredibly valuable characteristic of not needing significant isolation. If you're experiencing problems in a room or two, or even an entire building, the problem can be quickly assessed, treated, and made safe for access by your entire household immediately afterwards.
Heat treatment solutions are incredibly versatile, fast-acting, and free of chemicals that might be harmful to you or your family. Whatever your situation is, whether you are in a single-family home or if you're the landlord of an entire complex, heat treatments are a customizable and non-damaging method of pest control. Consulting your local exterminators or environmental controls contractor would be a great first step to taking advantage of the options that heat treatments can offer and avoiding the incredibly disruptive (and potentially dangerous) applications of strong chemical treatments.