Bed bugs, often hidden in bedding, bite human sleepers to feed on their blood. We recognize their presence by the red spots of the skin due to the bites, by the small black spots on the sheets, corresponding to the dejections associated with streaks of blood they ate.
You may have at home a kerosene heater and you may also have detected the presence of bed bugs in your home. What you could then ask yourself is : Can you use a kerosene Heater to kill bed bugs ?
What are Kerosene Heaters ?
Kerosene, sometimes called paraffin oil, is a combustible liquid obtained by distillation of petroleum at high temperatures.
The main uses of kerosene are heating and refueling vehicles. Until the invention of electricity, it was the main source of lighting, as it was widely used in household lanterns.
Kerosene heaters are popular in outdoor supply stores, where people buy them as an alternative fuel for camping stoves.
Why choose Kerosene as a Heater?
Kerosene heating is a good way to help out when your main system is failing. It is also a simple and beneficial way to have a warm source in cold rooms. As is the case with all appliances, it is important to know the best practices for using this type of heating.
Although kerosene radiators are very efficient at burning fuel to produce heat. Low levels of certain pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide will emit from it. Exposure to low levels of these pollutants can be harmful, especially for people with chronic respiratory or circulatory conditions.
Can you use a Kerosene Heater to kill Bed bugs ?
We do not recommend you use kerosene heaters to get rid of bed bugs. First because it will be very difficult to warm a room at more than 120°F with a kerosene radiator. Which is bed bugs’ lethal temperature point. For your information at a temperature of 113°F (45°C), the bed bug will die after 1.5 hours of exposure. At 118°F (48°C), they will not survive more than 20 minutes.
Also using kerosene radiators to raise the temperature of a room can be dangerous. With potential risk of fire and carbon monoxide poison happening, among others.
If you want to kill bed bugs with high temperatures you should either call a professional exterminator or buy a device that is specifically designed for bed bugs. If you want to know more about the best bed bug Heaters available in the market, you could check our Best Bed Bugs Heaters Buying Guide.
How to kill Bed bugs with a Kerosene Heater ?
The only way to use a kerosene heater for bed bugs in a high temperature treatment would be to use it to preheat the room before using a radiator designed for bed bugs.
When using Kerosene radiator you should be very cautious and rely on the instructions from the manufacturer in order to minimize the risk of fire and health from the potential effects of indoor air pollution.
Conclusion
In this article we answered the question : Can you use a Kerosene Heater to kill bed bugs ? And the answer is No.
There are other effective DIY methods such as Steaming, Vacuuming, Washing your bedding in high temperature mode and encasing your bed. You can learn about all those DIY effective methods to get rid of bed bugs throughout our website. If you are interested in Heat to get rid of bed bugs, you could have a look at our article on Heat Gun and Bed bugs.