Rentokil turns up the heat on insect pests

30 March, 2010

Rentokil has launched a new chemical-free pest control process - Entotherm which can eliminate insects, mould and pathogens through the application of dry heat. The chemical-free treatment is quick, efficient to apply and reaches all areas of infestation. Developed with it's partner The Revival Company, the heat treatment will revolutionise the way that Rentokil can treat Bed Bugs and Cockroaches.

Entotherm kills all lifecycle stages of an insect, from eggs and larvae to fully grown insects in one treatment, making it more efficient to treat infestations. As Entotherm only requires a single application, it causes minimal operational disruption. It also reduces the expense of disposing of items that cannot be chemically treated e.g. mattresses and furnishings.

The alternative chemical spray treatment may have to be repeated several times to be effective, leading to greater business disruption and there is still a chance that insects living in wall cavities or crevices will be missed by the spray. Also an infested area treated with chemical spray cannot be used straight away and will often require deep cleaning to remove traces of the chemical.

Savvas Othon, Technical Director of Rentokil Pest Control UK, comments: "Rentokil is the only company offering this treatment nationwide. We believe that the development of Entotherm is a great advancement in the treatment and eradication of insect pests. Not only is it highly effective requiring one swift treatment, it causes minimal disruption which is crucial for commercial food or high occupancy premises."

The process works by heating up an infested area, premise or object to a precise temperature. Once the correct temperature has been reached all life stages of the insect will die within an hour. The heat kills the insects in two ways: denaturing the proteins within the bodies and disrupting the waxy outside layers of the insect, causing dehydration.

Entotherm is a mobile system that delivers dry transferable heat to any contained area, large or small, infested with insect pests. The treatment works by heating a liquid syrup and delivering it through insulated pipes to heat exchangers which are placed within the infested area. The heat exchangers convert heat into hot dry air which is then discharged at a pre-determined temperature. Strategically placed heat probes monitor and record the core temperature. The process is monitored remotely, producing a computer generated graph as proof of heat exposure. The treatment area is heated to eradicate pests, but not enough to cause structural damage. Rentokil can run reports using the heat probes and thermal imaging technology to confirm that all target pests have been eradicated effectively.

Entotherm can be used to treat insects such as bed bugs and cockroaches, fungus, mould and to sanitise equipment. It is an effective ISPM15 (International Standard of Phytosanitary Management 15) wood treatment and has been used to replace Methyl Bromide chemical treatments due to environmental issues.

For further information on Entotherm heat treatment or to arrange a free business survey call our national sales team on
0800 917 1989.