February 1, 2010 (Topeka, KS) – Schendel Pest Services today announced the creation of a Bed Bug Heat Treatment Division, designed to assist Midwestern property owners affected by the rising incidence of bed bug infestations throughout Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.  Schendel is the first pest control company in its markets to offer Heat Treatment to customers.

Schendel’s new division will employ technicians armed with the latest in heat treatment units that safely raise the temperature of a room to 120 degrees, the temperature which scientists say kills the small, blood-sucking insects.  The heat units are equipped with multiple wireless temperature sensors that communicate with a remote computer station to assure target temperatures are achieved even in difficult to heat areas, such as inside mattresses.  

Schendel’s new heat units are powerful enough to penetrate upholstered furniture, closets full of clothing and boxes of household goods, without damaging household electronics, wall coverings or other personal items.

“Heat treatment is the latest and most successful method to treat a bed bug infestation,” said Schendel President Brent Boles. “Bed bugs are back with a vengeance and as anyone who has tried to rid their property of these pests can attest, they are extremely difficult to eradicate.”

Bed bugs feed on the blood of human beings but can suck blood from other animals as well. Bed bugs most often feed at night time, when people are asleep. When they feed, they inject a salivary secretion into the wound to prevent coagulation. The fluid can cause a person’s skin to itch and even become swollen. Scratching can cause sores which often become infected.

An adult bed bug is about 1/5-inch long, oval in shape and flat. They’re generally brown except after sucking blood. Their body then becomes swollen and the color changes to a dark red.

Bed bugs like to hide in the cracks and electrical outlets in walls, behind wallpaper, base boards and picture frames, between beds and around the creases of mattresses and in bedding materials. Bed bugs are often carried into houses by clothes, luggage, furniture, and bedding.

Bed bugs seek harborage in cracks and crevices. Common harborages in hotel rooms and bedrooms include: folds & creases in bed linens, seams, tufts & under buttons on mattresses, in drapery pleats & hems, beneath loose wallpaper, in headboards, desks, entertainment centers and nightstands, behind base molding, or in wall-mounted artwork.

If you suspect bed bugs have invaded your home or place of business, contact the experts at Schendel’s Bed Bug and Heat Treatment Division or by phone.

About Schendel

Schendel Pest Services has provided complete pest management services to commercial, industrial, and residential clients since 1947.  Schendel’s corporate office is located in Topeka, Kansas and Schendel provides services to customers in five states – Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.  Additionally, Schendel Pest Services is a partner with Copesan Services, which enables the company to sell and service commercial accounts on a national basis.