Hot fog from bedbugs in an apartment - the effectiveness of the method

Over many centuries, humanity has invented many ways to combat bedbugs: freezing, exposure to hot air and water, hot bedbug mist, repellents and traps.

With the development of the chemical industry, various insecticides are increasingly used. The way we use pesticides is also improving.

What is hot fog?

Hot fog is a modern way of treating a room from insects using special equipment. The generator heats the pesticides and sprays them in a vapor state throughout the apartment.

Due to condensation, insecticides fall onto the surface of the floor and furniture in the form of small droplets. The deposition process is slow due to the small weight of the particles.

What is the difference between hot fog and cold fog?

Cold and hot fog use the same principle to treat a room for bedbugs: spray a poisonous cloud under pressure using a generator. The difference is as follows:

At the temperature of the chemicals being sprayed. Cold fog at room temperature. The use of professional steam equipment allows you to heat the mixture up to + 900C.
In the settling rate of insecticidal particles. When using hot fog, their concentration in the air remains for up to 8 hours. Cold spray for only 1-2 hours.
By pesticide size. A cloud of hot steam contains droplets many times smaller than cold ones, which allows them to penetrate into the smallest cracks.

Killing bedbugs with a hot fog is more effective, although it takes more time, than controlling pests with a cold fog.

Where can hot fog be used?

Any room where these pests breed can be treated with warm fog against bedbugs. As a rule, it is used when the degree of contamination of the object is quite high, which is associated with the high cost of this service.

We must not forget about preparing the apartment for such an event, as well as the subsequent cleaning of the premises.

The greatest demand for pest control carried out in this way is used in hostels, hotels or when treating several apartments in one building at the same time.

Hot fog generator

The hot fog device operates on the principle of aerosol generators. The insecticidal solution is injected into a moving gas stream and turns into steam under high pressure and temperature.

A cloud of small pesticide particles forms in the air.

Attention! A hot fog generator for treating a room against bedbugs is classified as professional equipment and requires special skills when handling it.

Average prices for the country

The price will be slightly higher than if you treated the room yourself using a purchased anti-bedbug aerosol. But this is explained by the quality of the service provided. The average price in Russia depends on the number of rooms being treated:

One-room apartment. The average price tag is 1,700 rubles;
Two-roomed flat. The average price tag is 2100 rubles;
Three bedroom apartment. The average price tag is 2300 rubles;
Four-room apartment. The average price tag is 2500 rubles.

The cost of treatment also includes spraying the chemical in the kitchen and bathroom. node, corridors and other rooms. Processing of non-standard premises is discussed directly with the company providing the service. Average price tag:

Up to 70 m2 - 2000 rubles;
Up to 170 m2 - 4000 rubles;
Up to 300 m2 - 6000 rubles;
Up to 500 m2 - 8000 rubles;
Up to 1000 m2 - 30 rubles per m2;
Up to 2000 m2 - 25 rubles per m2;
Up to 5000 m2 - 20 rubles per m2;
Up to 10,000 m2 - 18 rubles per m2;
Over 10,000 m2 - 15 rubles per m2.

Thus, we can conclude that treating a room with hot fog is a very effective remedy in the fight against bedbugs . Therefore, if you notice that there are insects in your home, you should immediately contact a pest control service. Specialists will solve your problem within an hour and you can live peacefully without pests in your apartment.

How does hot fog affect bedbugs?

When using this equipment, insects are attacked in two ways: heat and pesticides.

Pests do not tolerate heated steam, which helps eliminate bedbugs in hard-to-reach places using other pest control methods.

As the cloud cools, the insecticide comes into action, small particles of which, settling, fall into crevices where insects can hide.

The suspension remains in the air for up to 8 hours, which allows it to have a long-lasting effect on parasites. As it settles on the surface, the poison continues to infect people who come into contact with it.

How to prepare for disinfestation

Before processing an apartment or house, a number of preparatory measures should be carried out:

Carry out wet and dry cleaning of the apartment.
Move furniture away from the walls so that exterminators have access to all corners.
If possible, remove the mattress and disassemble the frame of the bed or sofa.
Treat toys with a steam generator and pack them in bags.
Hide food.
During processing, ensure the absence of household members and animals. If you have an aquarium, take it to another room, or turn off the compressor and cover it.

Insecticide vapors pose serious harm to humans, so the observer is provided with a protective suit and respirator.

Review
After new tenants moved into the neighboring apartment, I discovered a bug crawling along the wall in the bedroom. I didn’t want to do anything on my own, and I’d never had to deal with bedbugs in my life, so I turned to the sanitary service. The main criteria for choosing a method for me were efficiency and safety. After inspecting the apartment, the exterminators advised us to treat the apartment with a cold fog. There wasn't enough hot stuff in my house to use. I agreed, it’s even better for me - pest control will cost less. At the same time, I advised my neighbors to treat the apartment, and they agreed. As a result, we received a discount, our homes were treated in one day and now we don’t even think about bedbugs.
Elena Petrovna, Sumy

You may have already tried quite a few methods in the fight against bedbugs. Nothing helps and these insects continue to live in your apartment, annoying residents with their bites. This article will talk about the most effective method of fighting bedbugs, hot fog.

How to prepare the room?

Preparing your home for pest control with steam is the key to reliably killing bed bugs.

It requires:

Place all food in airtight containers.
Place dishes in drawers and wrap with cling film.
Remove all family members, animals and plants from the premises for one day.
After checking for insects, place all clothing in hot fog-proof packaging.
Rugs and textiles that are sensitive to chemicals can be taken out to the balcony or carefully packed.
Clean the premises. Particular attention should be paid to hard-to-reach places where dust accumulates. It absorbs insecticide droplets and prevents pests from capturing them.
Move the furniture to the center of the room, remove the mattress from the bed and place it with the slanted side towards the wall.
Empty all drawers, especially furniture near the bed.
Wash bedding and items with traces of insects in high-temperature water.

Preparation for processing

To effectively destroy bedbugs, it is necessary to prepare the premises for treatment, namely:

Take out or seal the dishes, etc.;
Take out or seal all products;
Move furniture away from the walls;
Remove dust from the floor, baseboards, and other surfaces;
It is recommended to remove decorations, paintings, and carpets from the walls;
Remove people, pets, birds from the premises, take out the aquarium;
The treatment of premises is carried out in special clothing and a respirator, and after finishing the work, clothes must be removed, washed hands and face, and taken a shower.

Security measures

Treating a room with hot steam against bedbugs using a generator involves the use of insecticides harmful to humans and pets. Therefore, strict adherence to safety measures is required.

When treating a room with hot mists, you should not eat, drink water or smoke.
You must wear clothing that completely covers your skin. Pants, long sleeves, closed shoes, gloves. The headdress must cover the hair and neck. It is best to use clothing designed for this purpose.
Wear eye protection to prevent the cloud of pesticides from getting into your eyes. The nose and mouth are covered with a respirator, which cannot be replaced with a medical mask, since it is breathable and there is a risk of poisoning by insecticides.
When the noise level of the hot fog machine is high, it is recommended to wear headphones.

At the first signs of poisoning, you must leave the treated room; if dizziness and nausea do not go away within a short time, you must contact a medical facility.

If the mist gets on your skin, immediately wash the affected area with running water and soap or a baking soda solution.

Clothing used for disinfestation must be washed at high temperature upon completion of work. If this is not possible, you will have to throw everything away. Wash your shoes with soap and water. Lye destroys most insecticides.

Reviews

Edward.

My wife and I lived in a rented apartment for quite a long time. Then I began to often wake up from painful bites, which always began in the morning, as if someone had become active. The wife did not notice anything and said that everything was fine. But still, I decided to dig around on the Internet and realized that they were bedbugs. I immediately decided to carefully examine our mattress, and I found a whole nest of these parasites. I didn’t know what I could do in this situation on my own, so I immediately contacted a sanitation company. The staff treated us with hot smoke and after a week we began to live in peace.

Olga

As students, many lived in dorms, and it will be no secret that bedbugs often infested there. I’m generally very squeamish and I can’t stand it every time someone crawls on me at night. At first I convinced myself that it was just mosquitoes or that I had developed an allergy, which is why I was itching all over. But after arriving home, my mother said that parasites were biting me. As a result, my roommates and I decided to chip in to treat the room with hot fog. It was during the holidays, so at the beginning of the new semester we were already sleeping peacefully.

Treating a room against bedbugs with hot fog

Before treating your apartment with hot fog, you need to choose a toxic chemical that will be sprayed into your home. It is necessary to consider whether pest control has previously been carried out in this premises and what type of insecticide was used. Insects may develop immunity to the drug.

What solution is used to treat bedbugs?

The choice of preparations for treating bedbugs with hot fog is quite large. They are divided into:

contact;
intestines;
intestinal contact.

Use liquid products or dissolve powders. To increase efficiency, a solution is prepared from a mixture of different types of substances.

When treating an apartment with hot steam against bedbugs with the help of hired specialists, it is better to leave the decision on choosing a product to them.

independently, preference should be given to newer agents to which the parasites have not yet developed immunity.

How long does it take for bedbugs to die after treatment?

The effectiveness of hot mist in killing bedbugs depends on several factors. Death may occur:

Immediately. When a large dose of insecticide comes into contact with a person. This is achieved by pointing the generator nozzle directly into the outlet.
Within 6–8 hours. A suspension of a toxic substance settles on the parasites and causes damage to the nervous system.
For 10 days. The dose of the chemical was too small for the insect to die quickly.

In case of severe infection, the possibility of survival of several individuals cannot be ruled out, for which a low dose of insecticide serves as a kind of vaccination against the active poison.

A specialized organization usually gives a guarantee for its work, and if the bugs persist, they will process it again. This will require a different medicine.

Disadvantages of the method

Treatment for bedbugs using this method has disadvantages:

The work time is somewhat extended. The cloud with the substance must remain in the air for a certain time. After settling, you need to wait a few more hours. Killing parasites this way can take a whole day.
It is problematic to purchase a generator that produces fog on your own. It is expensive, it is irrational to buy it for one treatment, it is better to call a special company.

The drug penetrates into all cracks and can easily end up in a neighboring apartment and cause irreparable damage

Important! The destruction of bedbugs using the presented means is sometimes dangerous for those doing the work. This means that you must strictly follow the instructions, wear protective clothing, and observe safety precautions. Compared to aerosols, the method is unsafe.

What to do after disinfestation?

After treating your apartment against bedbugs with a warm mist, it is imperative to keep it closed for a sufficient period of time.

After this, ventilate the room by creating a draft for 1–2 hours in winter, and 3–4 in summer.

Next, you need to remove the remaining insects with a vacuum cleaner or sweep. Treat items that families touch most often with a solution of baking soda and soap.

Attention! General cleaning should be delayed for 7-10 days so that insects that do not die immediately have enough poison deposited on all surfaces.

If you need to wash the floor, it is better to do it in places where families often visit. It is not recommended to touch baseboards and corners, especially near beds.

Advantages and disadvantages of the product

There is no perfect method for killing bed bugs, including hot fog. Its positive qualities include:

The ability to kill bedbugs even in hard-to-reach places by directing steam with poison through the generator nozzle.
If all pest control rules are followed, re-treatment is not required, since not only adults die, but also larvae and eggs.
Possibility to treat large rooms with insect repellent.
Furniture safety. The fog does not leave visible marks on the surface of objects.
Along with the insects, other insects and mold are also destroyed.

The disadvantages include the high cost of the service compared to other methods, the toxicity of the cloud before it settles on the surface, and the need to resort to the help of specialists.

The high price of the equipment and the risks of using it by non-professionals make such processing on your own almost impossible.

Cost of the procedure

How much it costs to treat a living space with hot fog is a question that worries people who are faced with the problem of parasitic infestations. This is understandable, since the procedure is effective in destroying bloodsuckers, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews.

The advantage of the method is that it is possible to completely destroy numerous colonies at one time. Such a service is not cheap, but acceptable. So, in Moscow, where the price tag is inflated, a hot fog disinfection service is estimated at 4.5 thousand rubles. It should be noted that after this treatment, other insects living in the house also die.

The cost of cold fog is 2 times lower, which is why people are more often inclined to this option.