Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a list of most frequently asked questions concerning bed bugs, heat treatment and also how our products and services work. If you don’t find answers to all your questions here, please contact us for assistance.- Bed bug eggs are white and pear-shaped. When they first hatch, bed bugs are clear, and lighter in color. As they get older, they become browner.
- Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown, flat, and oval. If you look closely, you can see short, golden-colored hairs. Bed bugs do not have wings. They give off a musty, sweetish odor. After they eat, they become swollen and dark red.
Chilling to a temperature of 0°C (32°F) or lower and maintaining this temperature for several days will also kill bed bugs.
Because it kills every life stage of bed bugs from egg to adult without the use of toxic fumes, or leaving any residue. Unlike chemicals, bed bugs are attracted to heat. They won’t simply move to re-infest another day. Infested items will not need to be thrown away. The process can be completed in one day and in a discrete manner. Heat Treatment is a proven non-chemical method of killing bed bugs. All life stages (adult, larva, and eggs) die during the treatment process. Bed Bug electric heaters can also be powered by a trailer mounted diesel generator. Heat Treatment introduces temperatures greater than 50°C (lethal temperature) and less than 60°C (content damaging temperature). Temperature is monitored in real time with wireless sensors placed in treated areas to ensure the lethal temperature is reached throughout the area and its contents. High-temperature blowers are positioned to move the heated air throughout the space, through mattresses, baseboards, cracks, and crevices. Depending on room furnishings, floor surfaces, clutter and square footage the treatment will take between 4 to 24 hours (the longer the heater is on, the more effective the treatment is).
These insects, like most living organisms, have a thermal death point. In fact, a temperature of 55°C for three hours will kill all stages of any insect (Mallis, Handbook of Pest Control, 7th ed., p.371). However, their behavior during the heat treatment process will vary. Bed bugs are the main focus of heat treatment process.
The length of the treatment depends on many factors such as the size, and construction of the structure, the level of infestation, the materials inside, etc. We recommend the average time of 8 hours (The longer the heater is on, the more effective the treatment is) to treat a typical apartment plus the time for the set-up and tear down.
Either electric heaters or propane generated heat. The principles behind these two methods are essentially the same. Both systems heat the air inside the room to a temperature of 60°C (this temperature will not typically damage electronic equipment).The heat is blown into the room for several hours. The temperatures in cracks, crevices, and hard-to-reach places are monitored remotely from numerous sensors placed throughout the room. Once the bed bug thermal death point is reached (usually 5-8 hours to get to 60°C) at all of the sensors, the heating process is continued for a minimum of an additional 6 hours to kill all of the bedbugs and their eggs. The advantages of these heat systems are that the resident does not have to remove or bag their belongings, and most infestations can be cured in a single treatment.
Electric heat is safer. The temperatures rise slowly and are easily controlled by automatic thermostat. If you want your max temp to be 60 degrees you just change the set-point for that particular temp. No flammable gas, no hassles, no fires. Make sure the equipment is designed for use in controlling pests, not to keep a construction site warm. Look for equipment that is approved for safety by a third-party (UL, ETL, CSA, QPS).
Heat has been found to be the most effective bed bug treatment available because it uses their biology and behavior against them. When bed bugs are looking for a blood meal, they search for a human host by detecting body heat and carbon dioxide emitted from breath. During a heat treatment, the bed bugs sense the rising temperatures and actually leave their hiding places to move towards the source of the heat (portable heaters). As the temperatures rise into the “Kill Zone”, (above 50 degrees Celsius) the bed bugs are left susceptible to the rising heat as it is distributed evenly throughout the treatment area with high-powered fans.
This depends on the bed bug heater model you choose. Some bed bug heaters require a 240V outlet with a 50A circuit breaker. An electric oven will often satisfy that requirement. Others are designed with 240V 16A input circuits that used for Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) units. The PTAC outlets are commonly found in many hotel & motel rooms. There are also models that use multiple 120 volt inputs. For them, every input must be powered by separate circuit breakers. Refer to the How To Choose The Right Equipment Package for more information.
A bed bug heater has to be combined with one or more High-Temperature fan(s) to create the convection heating atmosphere desired for a successful heat treatment. The increased movement of heated air during a treatment helps to achieve the lethal temperature for bed bugs of 60°C. HeatZone bedbug packages include high-efficiency fans that produce up to 1,720 CFM's, and are designed to operate in high-temperature environments. Common household fans should never be used for this purpose. They are generally not as powerful and may fail and cause a fire when exposed to the high-temperature environment of a heat treatment.
There shouldn’t be any problem, as long as they are turned off and unplugged. The storage temperature of common household electronics is usually around 65°C. This is way above the maximum allowable set point for bed bug heaters. In other words, our heaters never allow room temperature be above set-point at any time during the process. Therefore. the majority of household or office items can be left in place during the treatment except of course for items sensitive to heat such as plants, food, medicines, cosmetics, wax-based items, anything pressurized (spray cans, oxygen bottles, etc.) and flammables (alcohol, solvents, etc.).
Sprinkler heads have diverse degrees of sensitivity and regulations. Fire suppression systems should always be taken seriously. Not taking proper precautions prior to and during a heat treatment can result in activations of sprinkler systems or alarms. We strongly suggest consulting with your local authorities or fire department officials on how to handle your particular system when considering heat treatments. While sprinkler head covers are available in the marketplace, they may not be sufficient or may violate local fire codes.
No, heat treatments require the structure and all of its contents, including wall voids, to get to 60°C. Simply heating ambient air to the lethal temperatures will not result in a successful treatment.
The size of bed bug heater required for heating your structure to above 55 degrees Celsius depends on a number of factors. These factors include building materials, the climate of your region, whether or not the treatment area is above/below ground level, and more. Generally speaking, 9-12 Btu's per Cubic Feet per Hour works as a good rule of thumb.
Example for 300 square feet room with 8 foot ceiling:
(cubic feet) = (square feet) × (height in feet)
cubic feet = 300 x 8 = 2,400
BTU/hr = 2,400 x 12 = 28,800
This depends on the size of the area. You can expect a 300 sqft room with carpet, drywall, 8ft ceilings to reach a temperature of 60ºC in 1-3 hours. Ultimately, the larger the space you are heating, the more time it takes. 8-24 hours is a standard rule of thumb for hotel room treatments. Building materials such as Concrete, Plaster, and Block are going to take more time, as those types of materials are more conductive of energy than drywall. 50% more power is a good general rule for rooms constructed of these hard to heat materials.
Once you get to the Bed Bugs lethal temperature, we recommend a minimum of an additional 6 hours for the actual heat treatment. Again, depending on the size of the area and the level of infestation, you may need to extend times to ensure 100% success.
Because it affects all life cycles of bedbugs, including their eggs. Bedbugs are scientifically proven to die when exposed to temperatures exceeding 50ºC for 1 hour or less. They die within minutes or seconds when exposed to temperatures of 60ºC. No eggs or adult bedbugs can survive when the heat gets into every crack and crevice of their nesting area.
Unplug all electronics and be sure to remove any soft vinyl, waxy, and other items capable of melting. It is also important to remove all aerosol cans or other combustible items from the infected room. Refer to the Tutorials under heat treatment preparation.
There are two keys to a successful Heat Treatment. The bed bugs need to be exposed to the “lethal temperature” and their exposure needs to be maintained for several minutes to guarantee complete elimination. Holding the heat treatment at your property for several hours allows the heat to be distributed to every nook and cranny in the treatment area, to target all of the possible hiding areas for bed bug eggs, nymphs and adults throughout the treatment area.
We deliver and pickup free of charge. We will also provide set-up and take down services for one room, we also show you how to operate the equipment. Delivery includes one on one instruction on how to use the system and we show the customer best practices to be successful.
Unfortunately, we do not deliver beyond the Metro Vancouver city limits.
The rental agreement must be signed by the registered owner or eligible occupant of the home for which the equipment is being rented. Please be prepared to provide two forms of I.D. one of which must be a passport or driver’s license and also two documents with your current address; one of which must be a current utility bill.