Pressurized Carbon Dioxide Snow

Some pest management companies are testing the application of super-cold CO2. Technologies such as Cryonite™ feature a pressurized cylinder that blows a super cold -108°F mist throughout the property. The pressurized CO2 freezes bed bug shells, causing instant death. CO2 isn’t particularly dangerous when applied correctly, but the property must be vacated for a period while the process takes place. Treatments will eliminate a majority of bed bugs and their eggs, but in many cases, the temperatures aren’t cold enough to permeate throughout furniture and mattresses, leaving some bedbugs behind. Because of this reason, pressurized CO2 treatments are typically applied in conjunction with another treatment.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a super fine powder made of ground up microorganisms called diatoms. It works by piercing the bed bug’s exoskeleton and causing them to dry out and die after several days. As long as food grade diatomaceous earth is used, it poses no immediate danger to inhabitants so that it may be left in affected areas without fear of poisoning humans or pets. Diatomaceous earth kills bed bugs, but only if they walk through it. Several unscientific studies have shown bed bugs will walk around the diatomaceous earth if given the option, potentially reducing the efficacy of this solution. Diatomaceous earth also does not instantaneously kill bed bugs; it takes some days after their initial exposure for the bed bug to die. Also, diatomaceous earth does not eliminate bed bug eggs, so it must be used in conjunction with another treatment option, such as heat, super-cold or steam to eliminate a property’s bedbug infestation fully.

Heating Systems

Bed bugs have a thermal death point of 115°F, and their eggs die at 122°F. Companies have recently started using an assortment of electric, propane, and diesel-fueled heaters to raise an infested property’s temperature to 135°F to kill bed bugs. This is done through a collection of ducts run throughout the premises and constant monitoring of the property with temperature probes. A typical treatment requires vacating the property for at least 8 hours because of the high temperatures needed to eliminate bed bugs. 135°F is hot enough to damage or destroy some electronic devices, so a walkthrough must be done before treatment to ensure susceptible devices are removed from the property before treatment begins. Also to be considered is the type of heaters being used. Most heaters require the use of propane fuel or noisy external generators for their high power consumption. Consult with your landlord or homeowners association to ensure that the heaters being used are within noise regulations. Safety is a moderate issue any time a combustible gas is used, so care should be taken. Residences have caught fire from improper operation of devices. Heat treating is possibly the most effective method of eliminating bed bugs, but cost and time are significant factors. Of all methods, heat is the most expensive, with the initial capital costs for heaters typically in the $15,000 range, with the top of the line systems approaching $100,000. Also to consider is the time it takes to apply the treatment, with setup, teardown and treatment times approaching 8 hours. These costs lead to a higher per treatment cost, typically around $1000 for most properties.