How to choose the right commercial bed bug heater

If you are in the multi-housing industry, then you know the problem bed bugs can cause. Once one apartment or townhouse becomes infested with bed bugs, then you know it's only a matter of time before more units are affected. Nothing hurts the reputation of the complex than to have word get around that bed bugs love to reside in your multi-housing community. This ultimately is bad news for your position as a property manager. Being a property manager means you must ensure that all of your housing units are in top condition. Eliminating those annoying bed bugs from the complexes is dire to the reputation of the community.

The sooner you take care of the bed bug problem, the better your community and position will be. According to the Department of Etymology at Virginia Tech, pesticides have NOT been effective at eliminating bed bugs. Actually, not only are they not that effective but using chemicals would be a real problem in the multi-housing community due to the safety issues. Their research indicates that heat treatment is the only way to manage the problem of bed bug infestation in the multi-housing community. There are different heat methods one can use, but not all are as effective as others are. So, which heating method or equipment is best to use?

Propane Heating Method

This method works by pumping in heating into the room. To kill the bed bugs, the temperature in the room needs to rise to 113 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. However, the bed bug eggs need a slightly higher temperature for the same amount of time. As heated air pushes into the room, air must go out of the room as well. This results in substantial heat loss. Another issue with using propane heat is technicians will need adequate training before operating the system, which can be pricey.

Electric Heating Method

Using an electric heater is somewhat more efficient than the propane method. This method recycles air instead of pumping air into the room. It does this by running electric wires into the building and connecting to three electric heaters. The high voltage electric cable is a cause for fear for many due to the safety hazards. In addition, it produces just half of the amount of energy for the price you pay than other systems available (see next method).

Heat Assault Method

This heating method effectively heats the room by recycling the air until it reaches the kill temperature and then maintains that temperature for the duration. It's safe and doesn't use high voltage wires. The Heat Assault bed bug system produces two times the amount of energy than the electric heater does and costs the same, which means you save money in the end. There are several other benefits property managers gain by using the Heat Assault:

Another issue that property managers often worry about is ongoing problems with the flow of tenants. With the Heat Assault system, you can keep up with maintenance for approximately $130 a year. This is a low price to pay to keep a stellar reputation.

Heat Assault provides equipment to get to the root of the problem. Elimination of bed bugs and bed bug eggs is the only way to handle this annoying issue. Save your reputation and provide permanent bed bug control with Heat Assault by your side. Contact us today for more information!​