There are dozens of decisions that need to be made when having pests removed from your London home. One of the most important of these is choosing between fumigation and heat treatment. These two methods of pest control are very different. Each type has various pros and cons that we will tell you more about in this post. Whether you need heat treatment for bed bugs in London or have an infestation of moths to control, find out more about your options below.

Which is better: fumigation vs heat treatment

When it comes to heat treatments, it’s been scientifically proven that moths and bed bugs cannot survive above certain temperatures. Every insect has a certain temperature point at which they die, and heat treatments take advantage of this scientific fact. Basically, the area is sealed off and heated to a high temperature. This heat takes the form of a dry vapor which spreads throughout the area, killing all bed bugs and moths in the environment. There are absolutely no chemicals involved. 

This method can kill any type of insect. It’s known to be particularly effective for controlling bed bugs, and is the preferred technique these days for moths too. Heat also kills insects at all life stages. It destroys the insects themselves, as well as their eggs and larvae, making it vastly more effective than fumigation. 

What exactly is fumigation in comparison?

Insect fumigation is essentially when an area, such as your house, is filled with pesticide fumes. The idea is that the insecticide gas will kill all pests in the area. The process is as follows. First, the affected area will be completely sealed. This may be a room or the entire house. Once this is done, the chemicals are pumped in. This is left for a period of time so that it can move through the entire area. 

The space is then ventilated so the gas can escape, and the area becomes safe for humans again. Fumigation kills adult insects, but cannot exterminate their eggs. This is makes heat treatment for moths, or indeed treating an infestation of bed bugs in your London home, a much more long term solution.

Other differences between these treatments

The most significant difference is the use of pesticides. The biggest issue with fumigation is that your entire house is bathed in chemicals. This includes every object and surface. While the pesticides we use are 100% safe, there are many people who would like to avoid exposure to them. Heat treatments are also safer for your family and pets.

Another disadvantage of fumigation vs heat treatment, is that with fumigation you cannot immediately reenter the house. You will have to wait hours or sometimes days for the gas to fully dissipate. By using heat treatment for moths or bed bugs, you will also avoid having to clean your house of chemicals. 

Something else you should note, is that fumigation is not always effective. Many pests have built up an immunity to the most common pesticides. On the other hand, heat treatments kill everything. It’s simply impossible for bed bugs or moths to survive at certain temperatures. This means that pests are unable to build up an immunity to heat treatments. 

For all of these reasons, heat is more often preferred. In fact, when it comes to fumigation vs. heat treatments for any kind of property in London, there really is no contest.