Will a steam generator help get rid of bedbugs and how to use it correctly?

Bedbugs in the house are a nightmare that many people have to deal with in real life.

To remove parasites, it is not necessary to resort to caustic chemicals. A steam generator will help solve the problem, but only if it is used correctly.

About whether it will help steam generator from bedbugs in an apartment, how to treat a room from insects, which device is better to choose, our article will tell you.

Does steam kill insects?

Bedbugs require certain conditions to reproduce. They actively increase their numbers at temperatures of +20-25 degrees. Insects feel comfortable in dry, shaded and warm places. Therefore, in city apartments they multiply very quickly.

They can be found:

• in upholstered furniture;
• under mattresses;
• between baseboards;
• in picture frames;
• in the joints between wallpaper;
• in the crevices of beds and more.

To stop the reproduction process of bedbugs, you need to take them out of their comfort zone. A steam generator is great for this.

Insects do not tolerate high temperatures well, and the device is capable of heating the affected area to +90-150 degrees. Bedbugs die within 15 seconds of continuous exposure to a jet of steam.

This is enough for the protein component of insect cells to boil and curl. This is how their death occurs.The eggs laid by parasites will not survive under the influence of steam. Under the influence of high temperatures, their shell melts, which leads to the death of the embryo.

Pros and cons of the fighting method

Pros of destruction bedbugs using a steam generator:

1. No chance of survival. If a stream of steam hits an insect, it will die with 100% probability.
2. Inability of bedbugs to adapt. Pests are able to develop immunity to some chemicals, but they are powerless against high temperatures.
3. No harm to human health.
4. Disinfection of surfaces. In addition to bedbugs, fungi and bacteria will be destroyed in furniture treated with a steam generator.
5. Highly effective in combating adults and their larvae.
6. No unpleasant odor.
7. Possibility of processing hard-to-reach places without harm to the product itself.
8. Ease of transportation. The steam generator can be easily brought to the dacha or to another place where parasites have appeared.
9. There is no need to move to another home during treatment. Children and animals may remain in the house.

To achieve uniform dispersion of steam, it is recommended to stretch a cloth over the nozzle. This will allow you to destroy the eggs rather than blow them away.

The choice of steam generators is wide, so in a household appliance store you can find an inexpensive and practical device that will not take up much space in the apartment.

Disadvantages of use steam generator to combat bedbugs:

1. The need to purchase a device with a narrow nozzle included. If you use only a wide sprayer, you will not be able to reach hard-to-reach areas.
2. Strict adherence to processing technology. If you bring the device too close to the surface of the furniture, you can simply knock the eggs into another place. They will not lose their viability.
3. Compliance with processing time for each section. Prolonged exposure to furniture or wallpaper may cause stains.
4. Be careful when using the device. High temperatures are required to kill insects. If safety precautions are not followed, there is a risk of getting burned.
5. Inability to process some electrical appliances and sockets.

Instructions for exterminating parasites in your apartment

What you need to fight with bedbugs:

• steam generator with a narrow nozzle;
• extension;
• insecticide in the form of a spray.

To remove bedbugs, you need to follow the instructions for destroying them:

1. Move the furniture away from the walls, turn it over so that nothing interferes with the upcoming processing.
2. Set the temperature on the device to at least 70 degrees.
3. Direct the steam jet towards the treatment area. The distance should be about 25 cm.
4. Take a ferry ride through hard-to-reach places. The maximum accumulation of parasites is observed in the folds and crevices of furniture, as well as from the bottom of sofas and beds. They lay eggs behind bedside tables, in dark and secluded corners of the apartment.
5. Treat cracks in laminate, linoleum or parquet. There bedbugs hide during the daytime.
6. Walk through the curtains. If possible, it is recommended to wash them or boil them at high temperatures. Be sure to steam curtains, carpets and all textiles in the house.
7. Treat clothes and bedding.

After steam treatment is completed, no additional drying is required. If there is high humidity in the apartment, you can get rid of it with short ventilation.

Which device should you choose?

Which device is guaranteed to kill an insect? It is recommended to choose a steam generator with a power of at least 1500 W. Small devices may not be up to the task.

The most popular brands:

• Karcher.
• Phillips.
• Kitfort.

They are sold in hardware stores.

When deciding on the type of device, you need to opt for a steam generator designed for cleaning. Devices for steaming clothes will not cope with the task of killing insects.

Devices with a boiler can produce the maximum steam temperature. This is an additional guarantee that all bedbugs will be destroyed.

Feedback on use

Reviews about the use of a steam generator to combat bedbugs are mostly positive. Although it is not always possible to remove insects using a device alone.

People who have tried to remove bedbugs with a steam generator indicate that they actually die under the influence of high temperatures. However, you need to steam all furniture and textiles without missing a single centimeter.

For some users, two treatments were enough to completely get rid of insects. Other people could not cope with parasites on their own. Therefore, they had to seek help from specialized services.

Important Tips

To ensure that the fight against bedbugs is successful and without harm to health, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. To avoid getting burned, do not direct the steam stream at the skin.
2. It is recommended to work with gloves.
3. After treatment, you should not do wet cleaning for 5 days. This rule is relevant when chemicals were used in addition to steam.
4. Clothing used for treatment must be washed at high temperatures.
5. When bedbugs reappear, the algorithm for their destruction is repeated again.

Conclusion

Bedbugs are tenacious insects. They have excellent adaptation mechanisms that allow them to exist in extreme conditions.

However Parasites and their larvae cannot withstand treatment with scalding steam. Therefore, in order to get rid of blood-sucking neighbors forever, you can use this method, which is safe for human health.