Oven to bake bed bugs?

My termite/bug man always wants me to make some crazy one of a kind things. This time he wants to make an oven on wheels. The only way he can get rid of bed bugs is to heat the house to about 145-150. EPA won't allow him to use chemicals. Bed bugs is becoming a big deal at some universities, like the engineering school Bubba is attending. He claims the foreign exchange students are responsible for the problem.

Anyone ever heard of an oven for bed bugs? Anyone have plans for one?

I been thinking this oven has to be air tight or the bugs will crawl out. That only leaves the option of electric heat. He wants to put things like large screen TV's, microwaves, in the oven, so temp control is critical. He has an idea of putting this oven on his small trailer, insulate it and leave oven outside. What is the best way to insulate, materials to make it out of, and make it air tight. Is there something like a very large gun safe I could use. Keep in mind my bug man knows I will consult Bubba to find the cheapest way to build it.
George

Nothing to do with foreigners, bed bugs a problem all over the US now. Usually you heat the whole room up rather than putting items in an oven. Us in the sprinkler industry are running into problems due to this and the sprinkler heads in the rooms.

Something easy like a steel box lined with fire brick, build it any size you want and have a bolt down hinged lid instead of a door to make it easy to get large items in and out. You can buy a rod oven heating element and blower from several different sites on the internet.

George,

I know the bug guy here at work does some of that for hotels, and he has mentioned the "oven" for the mattresses, but uses a chemical in the room itself. Room has to be closed up for the day, but is ready to use 24 hours after this treatment. He might want to look into that before sticking a TV in an oven. I think he said his is propane heated. He will be here next tuesday, Ill ask him.

The opposite of heat works just as well and it doesn't have to be freezing. 35 degrres F will kill but eggs remain viable so after warming to allow eggs to hatch room must be cooled again.

Firebrick? For a 150 degree oven? Stick with fiberglass insulation.

Check out thermapure....I use them at work. I believe they hold a patent on there design. But its like a huge torpedo heater. The key is circulating the heat and making sure everything in the room gets to the needed temp. And no it is not a foreigners issue. It is a rapidly growing problem.

Semi truck trailers have heaters/chillers to maintain temperature.

Isnt there a chemical that will kill these things? Just spray carpet, bedding, exterior foundation and they just injest the chemical and die.

My bug man tells me the EPA ban the use of chemicals they once used. My guy does things by the book.

Yes, motels and dorms in the US now have a problem they never had. Some say they were imported by travelers from third world countries. Perhaps we can export them and make some money.

I have no idea why he wants something special for the TV's, but I'm sure he has a good reason.


Yes, he uses many propane space heaters to warm the places.

He told me he had a lady that has thrown the contents of her house out on 3 different occasions to get rid of her problem.

I'm still waiting for plans for an air tight oven to cook the critters without them excaping.

Been thinking of an enclosed trailer, spray foam on the inside, cover foam and use electric heaters. This would be large enough for beds and sofas too. Electric because using a flame will soon burn all the oxygen and then what? I think it needs to be air tight.

George

I did search on the web for a bug killer for this things and there is one, Pyrithrin or something, my spelling is wrong for sure.
But, with all the advanced chemicals for killing bugs and other unwanted pests you just have to buy it and put it in an applicator.

It will cost a fortune to run electric heaters stay with propane..but the trailer idea seems pretty good.

The guy i have seen has a big woodburner on a tandem trailer that has a blower and a bunch of large flexible pipes. They have to heat the unit to 165 and hold the temp there for so many hours to get a good kill. They then apply a barrier treatment to that apartment and go to the next one. Each unit takes about 10 hours. It can cost upwards of 2000 per unit. He also has a bedbug sniffing beagle that is always correct.

Found where there is a bed bug oven for around $500. Kinda of small. Think my guy has something larger in mind. Uses electricity as a heat source.
B B oven

If you are opening and closing the lid real often firebrick will hold the heat.

You can buy foggers for bed bugs at Lowes. People claim they work well. I have not needed to try them.

Thank you,
My bug man knows it takes heat to kill the buggers.

Everyone seems to be missing my question, which is how to make an oven on wheels to put things in like large screen TV's.

I think I may try to find a jobsite tool box, insulate it well, and go with an electric heater.

If you think about it, a well insulated refrigerator only requires a small compressor, uses about 200 watts, to keep the freezer section about 100 degrees colder than room temp.

I'm concerned if I over heating a TV it will be damaged. I can use high temp overload switches to control electricity better than gas.

George

Speaking from experience.

HEAT is the only way to get rid of them.

An oven is a great idea. I would build a trailer with a propane fired forced air furnace. Mount the furnace outside with duct work into the heated space. Run a cord to the blower or mount a generator if it needs to be self contained.

However you would need to heat the building to kill them all. If your going to heat the room you might as well leave the stuff in place. If you don't heat the building your going to re infest the belongings.

I was involved in a 12 unit apartment building built in the 70's. NEVER had a bed bug problem until the demographics changed. Next thing you know tenants are all bit up, bitching, and threatening to sue.

SOOO we try multiple chemicals. No good. Upon advice of about the 3rd "professional" we stripped all the carpet out and tiled. Encased beds in plastic cases. Tented the building. Heated up the entire building to 150 degrees for 24 hours.

Made the tenants to sign lawyer generated document that they are responsible for future problems as they are bringing them in.

Got the building certified as bug free by an independent inspector . Got the tenants a copy of this and called it a day.

No complaints for about 6 months. Then back with a vengeance. Seems they make trips south of the border, have company from down south visiting and bring them back in.

Dean, you seem to be on the same page as my bug man. I think it's critical not to over heat a TV or microwave, that's why I'm going to start out using a very well insulated chest type Jobox and use 1500 watt electric heater with a fan. If I can't insulate it good enough, then I have an old gas range I could install a burner under the Jobox and heat the bottom, keeping all fumes outside away from TV. You can't keep a candle burning in a closed container, so I see an issue trying to have a burner inside. You would have to have an air intake and exhaust, giving the buggers a place to escape.
George