over-application of pesticides, which can be harmful. And, bedbugs are far too clever and resil-ient to respond to general cleaning measures such as vacuuming floors and surfaces. If You Can’t Take The Heat Heat remediation is proving to be the only environmentally friendly approach to getting rid of bedbugs. It provides a safe, chemical-free atmo-sphere and is a convenient and quiet solu-tion that won’t disrupt current building ten-ants and guests. Bedbugs die when exposed to tempera-tures in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat remediation requires a system that raises the temperature within a room for a sustained period of time, usually greater than 15 minutes. When used properly, it is 100 percent effective in killing bedbugs in all stages of development — egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Electric portable heaters are the cleanest and most convenient type of heat treatment available today. They don’t produce any toxic combustion byproducts nor do they require fuel to be stored on-site. There is no chance of fluid leakage and they are safe to operate in unattended, enclosed areas. Heated air is circulated throughout a treat-ment area, raising temperatures on walls, ceilings, furnishings and floors, as well as within wall cavities and other openings. Before starting a treatment, the pest man-agement company would need to take nec-essary precautions to ensure electronics are disconnected from their power source C and anything that may be damaged by the M temperatures is removed. Y Power to lights is turned off and sprinkler CM systems must be addressed. The best approach is to temporarily MY change the sprinkler heads to those with a CY high temperature rating. CMY Once temperatures that are lethal to bed-K bugs are maintained in all target areas for a sufficient period of time, equipment is turned off. The room is then slowly and evenly cooled to prevent damage without the use of air conditioners. After surface temperatures of the heat-er coils have dropped below 105 degrees Fahrenheit, the heater, fans and monitoring equipment can be removed. As the cleaning and maintenance commu-nity continues to combat this pest, effective solutions are needed to assure your clients that the issue is handled. If one of the buildings you service is ever faced with a bedbug infestation, heat treat-ment is a safe, simple and effective solution that can eliminate problems before bedbugs destroy anyone’s reputation. CM Rob Coburn is the product manager for process and comfort air heating at Chromalox Inc., the company responsible for the ThermEx line of heat remediation equipment. For more information on Chromalox’s pest control solutions, visit www.Chromalox.com. Circle Product Information no. 218 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com Because bedbugs are robust insects, prolonged heat — or an extreme lack thereof — is the preferred, non-chemical solution to eliminating them and their eggs. 45
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