Q. How does thermal pest control work?
A. Thermal pest control utilizes clean, dry, odorless heat instead of chemicals to kill Drywood termites, bacteria, and other unwanted pests and to improve the indoor air quality of a structure. The treatment area is wrapped with thermal tarps and hot air is directed into the structure raising wood-core or ambient air temperatures as high as 130°F. The temperatures are monitored and recorded using digital thermometers. Temperatures are held for 60 minutes or more, ensuring an effective treatment.
Q. How does the effectiveness of Heat compare to that of traditional chemical treatments?
A. What started as an alternative to chemical fumigation is now recognized by the pest control industry as the only non-chemical Drywood termite control method that is as effective as chemical fumigation for treating entire structures.
Q. What is the typical “down time” for an affected business or home?
A. When we treat a hotel room for bedbugs, the room can typically be reoccupied within 8 hours. The same timeframe applies to homes and small business treatments. Large industrial facilities will typically require less than 36 hours.
Q. How does the cost of Heat compare to that of traditional chemical treatments?
A. The cost is generally comparable to chemicals, especially when you consider the “hidden costs” of moving out during a chemical treatment.
Q. How high are temperatures raised?
A. With the thermal treatment process, we raise the temperature of the affected area to at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, heat is proven to kill all life cycles of insects (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults).
Q. Can Heat be used to treat part of a building instead of tenting the entire structure?
A. Yes. The ability to treat partial structures is something that makes heat a great alternative to traditional fumigation.
Q. How do you treat hotel bedbugs?
A. Items that might be impacted by 130 degrees of heat also are removed. Dresser drawers are kept open and the mattress and box spring are positioned in a tent-like manner to expose as much surface as possible. Temperatures are safely raised and monitored in the affected room and heat is applied long enough to ensure the bedbugs are killed.
Q. Why should a hotel owner choose Heat over chemicals?
A. With chemical pest control, because of the toxicity of the chemicals used, a block of rooms or even an entire hotel may have to be closed for up to two weeks. Potential revenue is lost, it takes time for chemical residue to dissipate and guests may later complain or even sue if they have a reaction to the pesticides. With heat, rooms can be reoccupied within 8 hours with no mattress replacement, no chemicals, and with the added benefits of improved indoor air quality.
Q. What are borates?
A. Borates are low-toxicity minerals with insecticidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties. They do not evaporate or volatilize into the air like synthetic pesticides, nor do they pose the considerable health concerns associated with synthetic pesticides. As a testament to their low toxicity levels, borates have been given a “Least Toxic” rating by the National Coalition against the Misuse of Pesticides.
Q. How do borates and Heat work together to kill wood destroying organisms?
A. A Borate solution is injected into the galleys where wood destroying organisms exist. The targeted area or structure is then safely heated to temperatures that are lethal to these pests. As the pests feel the heat coming on, they tend to want to move about the structure looking for cool air. As that movement occurs, pests will have no choice but to face the borates that we have injected into the galleys of the wood. So it’s either stay put and get killed by the heat or start moving and run into the borates. No matter which way you put it, the targeted pest doesn’t stand a chance against the borates and heat. What’s more is borates offer residual benefits as the solution remains in the wood for years to come.
Q. How can people learn more about AZEX Thermal Solutions?
A. Visit www.azexthermalsolutions.com or call (877)-445-2847
