Bed bugs are an increasingly common in America. They’re found in all 50 states and are present in any living condition, even clean ones. But although home and business owners hate these pests, they sometimes won’t hire a professional pest control service to eliminate them and will choose a less-surefire DIY method to deal with the situation. Sometimes, people will even go as far as trying to attempt DIY bed bug fumigation.

For many reasons, this is a bad idea.

Fumigation is the process of filling an encapsulated (tented, enclosed, sealed) area with gases, which suffocate or otherwise kill pests. Yes Pest Pros specifically uses Vikane ® gas to kill off bed bugs and bed bug eggs.

Fumigation evidently seems simple enough for do-it-yourselfers to attempt, as a number of Google searches shows. People attempt DIY fumigation for various reasons, which boil down to price and convenience. Homeowners and small-business owners can drive to the store anytime and purchase cheap products in an attempt to eradicate their pests. While this may seem like a great idea, the benefit is only short-lived.

The first issue is the effectiveness of the products these DIY fumigators use. For fumes to effectively kill bed bugs and their eggs, the pests need exposed to the fumes for several hours. DIY fumigators are unlikely to achieve the length of time and concentration of gas required to completely eliminate bed bugs because they cannot seal off their home or business the way a professional pest control company can. The fumes, therefore, are able to dissipate before they fill in the nooks and crannies where bedbugs hide and before the gasses reach a concentration that will absolutely kill the bed bugs.

If DIY fumigation doesn’t eliminate bed bugs, do-it-yourselfers will have to return to the store and repeat the process — and expense — if they don’t want to hire a professional the second time.

The second issue has to do with safety. Fumigating involves chemicals that can potentially harm or kill your family, pets, and animals if used incorrectly or without proper training. And depending on the type of fumigant, its danger may not simply disappear after the fumes have dissipated. Items exposed to the fumes may need disposed in a certain way.

Therefore, if you do decide to DIY fumigate — which we do not recommend — you must decide whether the risk is worth the dollars you’ll save and make sure you carefully read all the safety warnings and requirements on the fumigant of your choice and follow instructions to the letter.

It may seem appealing to attempt to fumigate bed bugs on your own in order to save money, hiring a professional is well worth the investment in the long-run. Hiring a professional guarantees that the right chemicals are used in your house and that the bed bugs are ultimately destroyed.

Professionals are good choices, too, because they have encountered many problems that commonly come up during fumigation. Plus they have the training and licensing that helps them complete their jobs competently. Professionals familiarize themselves with the products they use to severely limit the risk for building occupants.

In our opinion, the risks far out way the rewards when it comes to DIY fumigation. Hiring a reliable company takes away the risks, however, and with certainty can get your life back to normal. Take advantage of the experience and up-to-date training a professional staff offers.

The post Thinking about DIY Fumigation for Bed Bugs? Stop. appeared first on Yes Pest Control.