Bay Area Bed Bug

Bay Area Bed Bug
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Heat Treatment Instructions

The best way to get rid of bed bugs is to make their hiding places accessible for cleaning and treatment. Our trained service technicians, specializing in bed bug control methods, with treat the infested areas. But to achieve control, we require your help by following the instructions listed on this sheet.
Four preparation items required prior to our arrival. If these items are not completed and our technicians need to complete them, a $75 per hour service charge with a (2) hour minimum will apply.
  • 1. Move only the bed frames and couches away from the walls by approximately 1 foot where space permits. Smaller rooms where this is not possible due to the space, please leave the furniture as it is. This space can be necessary as these locations are where bed bugs can hide behind and avoid the heat. We also spray a residual material on all accessible base boards.
  • 2. Deep Linen closets (or densely packed) must be half way emptied, and all removed linens/towels are to be dried on HIGH heat for 30 minutes minimum. Once the linens/towels are dry place them into garbage bags and tie the top of the bag into a knot. These bags can be kept in the garage or outside of the heat treatment area. If no space outside the treatment area, please place the bags in the kitchen or dining area when possible.
  • 3. Any EXCESSIVE clothing (i.e. over packed drawers or filled suitcases) that are NOT hanging in the closet or loose clothing in the room need to be laundered and placed into bags like mentioned in item #2. It is okay to leave drawers and shelves halfway filled up with clothing.
  • 4. Remove all items from under the bed, do NOT remove them from the room however place them on the floor around the bed. Removing the items from the room may spread the bugs into hard- to-reach areas such as the walls.

PREPARATION LIST TO BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO TREATMENT

During the time required to heat your home/business, the potential for damage to the furnishings and fixtures is low. The following precautions are required in order to protect items of a more delicate nature and ensure success of the treatment.
YOU MUST remove the below listed items unless noted otherwise

PEOPLE / PLANTS / PETS

During the time required to heat your home/business, the potential for damage to the furnishings and fixtures is low. The following precautions are required in order to protect items of a more delicate nature and ensure success of the treatment.

OIL PAINTINGS, ARTWORK, LOOSE OR FLEXIBLE ITEMS HUNG ON WALLS, & VINYL BLINDS

Paintings and artwork are potential harborage areas for bed bugs. Prior to removing these from your home, please allow one of our technicians to inspect them the morning of the treatment.
To allow for proper air movement we will have high powered fans inside your home. Remove all pictures and loose items that are hanging on the wall as they may fall and be damaged from the air movement. These items may be placed on a table/countertop inside of the treatment area. Vinyl/Wood Faux/plastic blinds and shutters will be damaged from the heat if left installed, please retract and remove them from the window and leave them on the ground in front of the window. If the blinds are left in the “down” position they will be damaged. After the treatment, wait to install the vinyl blinds until they cool down as they may be malleable. Metal, cloth, and solid wood blinds/shutters/curtains may remain installed

CANDLES, CRAYONS, LIPSTICK, COSMETICS, LOTIONS, TOILETRIES, GLUE IN CONTAINERS OR STICKS, AND DECORATIVE WAX ITEMS

All the above items can melt and cause damage to furniture, flooring, clothing etc. The most looked over items are candles and crayons. Places that are overlooked for these items are junk drawers, under couch cushions, China cabinets, and kids clothing/play areas.

AEROSOL CANS, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, COMBUSTIBLE OR PRESSURIZED ITEMS

These are the items that can go BOOM. We do not want them in the home as they can cause damage to the structure and more importantly harm the technicians who are performing the treatment. Please place them into the garage or a designated area outside of the heat treatment area.

CHOCOLATES, BEVERAGES, WINE, LIQUOR, MEDICATIONS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PERISHABLE FOODS IN SQUEEZABLE PLASTIC CONTAINERS OR BOTTLES

Most of these items can be placed in the refrigerator as it can stay plugged in during the treatment. If you do not have room for them in the refrigerator place them into a safe place outside of the heat treatment area.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Musical instruments can become de-tuned during a heat treatment. Please remove the instrument however leave the case inside the heat treatment area. If you have pianos and other large instruments that cannot be removed from the home, please inform us prior to treatment so we can be sure to bring blankets to protect them from the heat.
*Some items above can be placed in a refrigerator for safe keeping.
In preparation, wash and dry in high heat one set of clothes to be worn the day of the treatment. Bag and isolate those items until immediately vacating the home/unit. The morning of the treatment change into those previously isolated clothes while leaving the clothes previously worn in the unit. Many items required for infant care (E.G. strollers, car seats, etc.) that must be taken with you are inspected by the Bay Area Bed Bug professional before the treatment is conducted. Make arrangements to leave purses, backpacks, briefcases, laptop bags, laptops, suitcases, and any other bags used to carry daily belongings to be treated with the unit.
Due to the excessive heat involved in the process, some glues or adhesives may be affected, or items held together by glues or adhesives may separate.
It is the owner’s or owner’s agent’s responsibility to notify our company of the presence of the following items in any unit: fire sprinklers and heat sensors, laminate or vinyl furniture/countertops/floors/thermofoil cabinets, or any other items that may be damaged by heat. Please remove all smoke detectors, and power down and unplug all electronic devices except the refrigerator and stove. If you have an alarm system call your service provider and have your system placed into “test mode” from 7am-7pm the day of your treatment. Secure a parking location for the heat equipment vehicle to be as close to the entrance of the building where treatment will occur.
DO NOT TURN ON ELECTRONICS UNTIL THE ROOM AND ITEMS HAVE RETURNED TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS

If you have any questions about these instructions or Bay Area Bed Bug Heat Treatment, please contact us at
1-833-33-THERM toll free at or locally at (925) 222-3172 office@thermalsolutionspc.com
Additionally, please check out our YouTube channel by searching “Bay Area Bed Bug” to check out videos regarding the preparation and what to expect the day of the heat treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend a heat treatment ONLY if you have seen live bed bugs. If you are only getting insect bites but have not seen any live bed bugs, we recommend against a heat treatment as it is not designed to kill all insects that can bite.
Electronics are safe to stay inside of the heat treatment areas long as they are powered down and unplugged. The refrigerator and stove are the only electronic device that can stay plugged in during the treatment. Once the treatment is completed wait until the room has cooled down to room temperature before plugging in and powering up electronics.
During our treatment people, plants, and pets must remain out of the heat treatment area. This includes fish (including aquariums), dogs, cats, reptiles etc. If your home has a fenced backyard or a secure place outside of the treatment area your pets may stay there during the treatment.
Any food that is sensitive to heat such as chocolate, bread, fruits, and vegetables we recommend placing in the fridge or out of the heat treatment area. Dry foods like rice, grains, beans, and most canned foods are okay to be left in the heat treatment areas. If you are unsure of certain foods, it would be best to remove them.
Wines and beers are sensitive to heat as well as sodas including Gatorade, juices, and carbonated drinks. Please place them in the refrigerator or outside of the heat treatment area.
Remove all pictures and loose items that are hanging on the wall as they may fall and be damaged from the air movement. These items may be placed on a table/countertop inside of the treatment area.
Between 4pm-5pm most homes are at a reasonable temperature inside. A typical treatment will be completed between 1:30pm-2:30 pm depending on the size of the home. Once completed, you will want to give your home time to cool down to a bearable temperature.
Thermofoil cabinets are made with an adhesive that is heat sensitive and will come unglued during a heat treatment. If you have Thermofoil cabinets remove the drawers and the cabinet doors to prevent damage. if possible, close off the kitchen from the heat i.e. closing doors or small opening that we cover with our thermal insulation material. This may be a better option. Bed bugs are not typically found in kitchens however we will apply a liquid residual on the interior of the kitchen as a precaution during the treatment.
We have treated hundreds of homes with vinyl floors with no issues, however some vinyl floors have a very low heat tolerance (100 degrees or so) and can be damaged during a heat treatment. We advise contacting the flooring manufacture to confirm temperature ratings to be sure it can withstand 130-140 degrees temps. On ALL vinyl floors we do our best to protect it with our thermal insulation along areas our duct work runs.
Family heirlooms, irreplaceable items, and jewelry should be inspected the morning of the treatment if they are suspected to have bed bugs, and determination made as to whether they should be treated or removed from the treatment area.
Due to the high temperatures in the home during and immediately after a heat treatment we do not vacuum. We recommend hiring a cleaning company to come out after the home has cooled down to performing any vacuuming or cleaning.
You may clean the carpet and hardwood floors immediately after the treatment except for areas within 3 inches of the baseboards. During the treatment a liquid residual is sprayed along the baseboards where accessible and other bed bug harborage locations to prevent a potential reinfestation. This residual remains effective for 30 day. After the 30 days is up you may clean these areas as you normally would.
In short no, however you must request this prior to the treatment. It may affect your warranty if we do or do not spray chemical as heat does not always penetrate insulated walls and hard to reach areas.
Inform us prior to the treatment so we can bring protective blankets to cover the piano.
The only items in the garage to be worried about would be those that have been in the house within the past few months. If you have luggage, clothing, furniture, or any other items that are planned to be inside the home within the next year please bring them back inside the home to be heat treated. If you are going to be throwing out items that were infested and they are still in your garage or side yard let us know the morning of the treatment. We will make a decision to treat the item with heat or applying a liquid residual to it.
If you have excessive clothing in closets or drawers, please remove about half of the clothing and launder them on high heat for 30 minutes and place into trash bags. Tie the trash bags into a knot and leave them outside of the treatment area. (if not possible to leave them outside of the treatment area please place them into the kitchen or dining area).
If they have already been laundered, please keep them outside of the infested area until the heat treatment has been completed. This allows for a more accessible space for our heat to penetrate. If not possible to leave outside the heated area, please place them in the kitchen or dining area.
Unfortunately, it is unknown where the source of the infestation came from. Bed bugs are natures best hitchhiker and can be found in local coffee shops, libraries, public transportation, schools, workplace etc. Please read the info the EPA has on their website about protecting your home from bed bugs https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/protecting-your-home-bed-bugs
If the luggage has been inside the home within the past few months, please bring it into the home to be heat treated.
Any excessive items in the closet can make for bed bug harborage. Remove the items from the floor of the closet and place them into an area on the floor where the heat can penetrate. (lightly filled closets with a couple suitcases, shoes or small miscellaneous item are okay to be left in the closet). Clothing on hangers can stay in the closet as we will have fans blowing heat inside to treat them. Most of our customers treat our heat treatment as great times to perform a “spring cleaning”. The less clutter you have in your home increases the success rate of our treatment in one visit.
It is okay to donate treated items afterwards. Unfortunately, if the items you are going to donate will make for excessive clutter in your home please dispose of it prior to a heat treatment.
Launder a majority of the clothing and place the clothing into a sealed bag (a standard trash bag is fine, however tie the top into a knot so bugs can not get inside) these bags may be kept inside the home (kitchen or dining area) or left in the garage during the treatment. (do not place laundered clothing bags in the bedrooms or on the beds).
Make arrangements to leave purses, backpacks, briefcases, laptop bags, laptops, suitcases, and any other bags used to carry daily belongings to be treated with the unit. Most people will place their credit cards, cash, key etc. into a zip lock freezer bag.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, it can take up to 14 days for a bite to appear. Some people may not notice bites at all, while others may see signs of a bite within hours. We recommend monitoring the bites and if they persist after the 2-week time frame please contact us.
Yes, please inform us of the items you would like to have disposed of prior to the scheduled treatment day for pricing.
All our whole home heat treatments come with a Base 6-month warranty. You have an option to extend that up to a lifetime for an additional cost that you can cancel at any time with no additional fees.
If you have frequent visitors and guests that you suspect may be bringing in the bugs or travel often, we recommend the extended warranty. However, if you rarely have visitors or travel this may not be necessary.
Please let us know the day of the treatment or before so It may be added to your invoice/receipt.
In the event you experience a bed bug reinfestation within our 6-month warranty period or our lifetime* warranty, Bay Area Bed Bug will come back to your home or business and perform a second treatment at no additional cost. The warranty treatment may include one or more of the following: applying chemical to the infested areas, heat treatment of individual rooms, or a complete full home heat treatment. This decision will be made at the discretion of a licensed Bay Area Bed Bug professional.
In short, no, you can cancel at any time with no obligation. Most customer that choose the lifetime option will keep it for 9-12 months to be sure no bed bugs reinfest. If you are a frequent traveler or work in an environment inducive to bed bugs keep the warranty as long as you desire.
If a question was not answered in our FAQ, please feel free to text our main line at (925) 222-3172 prior to the scheduled treatment.

Customer Cooperation

Customer cooperation is key to the success of the treatment for bed bugs. It is the responsibility of the customer to maintain the unit free from factors contributing to infestation including but not limited to the introduction of items that may have bed bugs and not notifying the proper people or entities if bed bug activity is suspected. The introduction of new occupants, either new or temporary, may lead to the re-introduction of bed bugs and care must be taken in this matter.
Due to the nature and biology of bed bugs, inspection and treatment of this pest can be invasive. This may involve going through closets, dressers, desks, etc. and handling any items that are contained in these locations.
Failure to find visible evidence of bed bugs during an inspection does not ensure that the area inspected is free of bugs. Bed bugs can easily escape visual detection, particularly when low level infestations are present and during the early stages of an infestation.
It is recommended in ALL cases that units sharing common walls, floors, and ceilings be inspected if bed bug activity is suspected.
“Clutter” or excessive amounts of items in the treated space may affect the results of the treatment and is a common cause for not being able to attain control of the bed bug infestation. Bay Area Bed Bug may make recommendations to reduce or handle the clutter. If it is not addressed or if the clutter is too excessive to handle, Bay Area Bed Bug reserves the right to end the service agreement with the customer at any time.
As part of the inspection and/or treatment process, dust covers may be removed or damaged from the underside of furniture or box springs.
Disclosure of all bed bug remediation activities, including any self-treating, to Bay Area Bed Bug is required.
Follow up service visits may be a part of the treatment process. The timing of these service visits are treatment dependent, as listed above in the description of each treatment. These visits may consist of interviewing the customer, visual or canine inspections of the unit/home and or monitoring device, and possible treatments if necessary. Any non-compliance with the “customer cooperation” portion of this agreement by the introduction of items and furniture, post treatment may be noted by the Bay Area Bed Bug professional, and these items may be treated. Subsequent follow-up visits may be required dependent upon the findings of previous visits or customer observations of bed bug activity. Access to the treated unit/ home is required for each follow-up service visit. If access is not granted or the customer is not cooperative in scheduling the follow up service visit within the allotted time as described above, the customer forfeits the use of these service visits as part of the bed bug treatment.

Bed Bug Heat Treatment Warranty

In the event you experience a bed bug reinfestation within our 6-month warranty period, Bay Area Bed Bug will come back to your home or business and perform additional treatment(s) at no additional cost. You may qualify to purchase up-to a Lifetime Guarantee for an additional cost. (The Lifetime Guarantee can be canceled at any time by emailing us at office@thermalsolutionspc.com) The Lifetime Guarantee treatment may include one or more of the following: applying chemical to the infested areas, heat treatment of individual rooms, or a complete full home heat treatment. This decision will be made at the discretion of a licensed Bay Area Bed Bug professional.

Aprehend Bed Bug Spray Warranty

During the 6-months that follow an aprehend bed bug treatment if a third spray or more is required, they will be discounted to $249.95. The reason behind this is we cannot force the bug to cross the chemical barrier or that the homes preparation and after care instructions will be performed as outlined in the agreement. Typically, 2 sprays is all that is needed when using Aprehend bio insecticide and if the home preparation and after care instructions are followed.
Additional Terms: If the customer or other occupants of the structure(s) believe they are or may be sensitive to pesticides or their odors, Customer must notify Bay Area Bed Bug in writing prior to treatment, including information on whether Customer or other occupants have consulted with a medical doctor or other healthcare provider regarding such sensitivity. Bay Area Bed Bug reserves the right, upon receipt of such notification, to deny or terminate service. Failure to provide notification represents Customer’s assumption of risk and waive of claims against Bay Area Bed Bug in connection with such sensitivity.
Binding Arbitration: The customer and Bay Area Bed Bug agree that any controversy or claim between them arising out of or relating to the interpretation, performance, or breach of this contract or to the treatment of or rendering of services to the identified property in any way, whether by virtue of contract, tort or otherwise, shall be settled exclusively by arbitration. The arbitrator shall be a licensed legal representative, independent, mutually agreed upon, and to the greatest extent possible, be knowledgeable in pest control and building construction matters by education, experience, licensing, and training to deal with the issues and claims presented. The arbitrator shall give effect to any and all waivers, releases, disclaimer, limitations and other terms and conditions of this Contract. Neither party shall sue the other party with respect to any matter in dispute between the parties other than for enforcement of this arbitration provision or of the arbitrator’s decision and a party violating this provision shall pay the other party’s costs, including but not limited to, attorney’s fees, with respect to such suit and the arbitration award shall so provide.
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