Best Bed Bug Treatment Method?
Broadly speaking there are three ways to treat a bed bug issue:
Heat Treatment
Heat treatment kills bed bugs and bed bug eggs directly by raising the body temperature of bed bugs to at least 55 C (130 F) causing instant death.
Advantage: Heat Treatment is the only bed bug treatment method that is 100% pesticide free. Heat is also the only method that kills bed bug eggs as well as adult bed bugs. Heat Treatment provides instant results and can eliminate a bed bug issue in a single treatment. Unlike pesticide, Heat Treatment can be applied safely to high contact surfaces like your mattress, carpet, and couches.
Disadvantage: Heat Treatment is an instant kill method. It does not provide residual effect.
Aprehend Bio-Pesticide
Aprehend is a bio-pesticide that deposits fungal spores in bed bug colony areas to kill bed bugs.
Advantage: The fungal spores in Aprehend can spread from one bed bug to another. This self replicating effect gives it an advantage over conventional pesticide in many situations.
Disadvantage: Does not kill bed bug eggs. Minimal residual effect on surfaces and not useful for treating large exposed areas. No instant results. Elimination will take many weeks and/or multiple treatments. Aprehend is a new technology and long term effects on humans and animals are not as well known.
Conventional Pesticide
This category describes a wide range of pesticides applied by spray application that are designed to kill bed bugs. When bed bugs contact the pesticide it is absorbed over time. If the bed bug absorbs enough pesticide it will die.
Advantage: The low cost per unit of pesticide means it can be applied over a large area at a low price. Works well for treating baseboard areas and void spaces.
Disadvantage: Does not kill bed bug eggs. Bed bugs are highly resistant to pesticide so you need to use a lot of pesticide, over multiple treatments, to get results. Due to safety regulations most furniture items cannot be sprayed. You will need to dispose of infested furniture items to get a good result from this method. If a bed bug issue is serious you will not get good results from this method.
What is the best bed bug treatment method?
Individually speaking the answer is clear: Heat Treatment is the most effective method. Heat kills bed bug eggs, provides instant results, and does not require pesticide use.
However, in a practical sense the most effective bed bug treatment method is to use all three treatment methods in combination. Bed bugs are the toughest pest to eliminate. You want to use every tool at your disposal.