Duraclean Master Cleaners has entered the war on bed bugs with its state-of-the-art thermal heat drying equipment. "It's a natural fit for us," says Jim Miller, owner of the company located at 3615 E. Platte Avenue. "A bed bug dies at 114°F, but we can heat a structure up to 140°F if needed. We make sure that everything in the environment gets up to the thermal death temperature of the bed bug, even the studs and the space between walls."

 "It would not be extreme or hysterical to call this a pandemic," says Tim McCoy, a bedbug research scientist at Virginia Tech University. "We haven't reached the halfway point in bedbug numbers, and they're still on the rise."

 Travel between countries and the ban on DDT are thought to be major contributors to the problem. It's no surprise that highly trafficked cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles have infestation issues, but Terminex ranks Denver as being #6 on its bug-infested cities list. Orkin ranks it #4. The National Pest Management Association reports that in 2000, less than 25 percent of pest management professionals treated bed bugs. Last year, that number jumped to 95 percent.

Duraclean uses the environmentally friendly process of thermal heating to rid a space of bed bugs. "There is no chemical residue left behind, so people and pets that may be sensitive to strong substances aren't affected by the treatment," says Jim. "We can also thoroughly vacuum and clean-up the space once the treatment is complete."

Since 1975, Duraclean Master Cleaners has been the leader in carpet cleaning, water damage clean-up, sewage clean-up, fire and smoke damage clean-up and area rug and fine upholstery cleaning. The Better Business Bureau has given Duraclean an A+ rating for the last 10 years. If you suspect an infestation, get the facts. Call Duraclean Master Cleaners at 719-473-2703.