A bed bug infestation can become a nightmare and generate stress and anxiety. A bed bug heater can solve this issue very quickly. It is also a chemical-free option that is not harmful to you and the environment. In this buying guide we will help you pick the best Heaters for bed bugs for your needs to end this nightmare quickly.
What to Look for to pick the best Heaters for bed bugs
First of all, you should know that you cannot use regular heaters to kill bed bugs. Because those ones usually aren’t strong enough and won’t kill bed bugs by reaching the desired temperature.
What you should figure out first is the size of the room you want to heat. From this you can pick the right heaters that suit your needs and situation.
There are several features you should focus on when picking a heater. The main one being size of the heater, maximal temperature reachable and attachments. If you have a large room, you should indeed pick a more powerful heater that is suited to larger areas. You should also ensure the electrical outlets of the affected room can handle such a heater: You cannot plug a 60 Amp heater to a 20 Amp. But you can plug a 40 Amp Heater to a 70 Amp outlet.
You also need to pick the heater that comes with the right attachments.
Some heaters come with a heating chamber to allow for better heat penetration.
Portable heaters come usually with fans which enable the air to circulate to heat the room. If you have a larger room, you should be equipped with the right number of fans, if you pick a portable heater.
Here are the key features to consider when picking the best heaters for bed bugs:
Temperature
Bed bug heaters should be able to reach above the lethal temperature of 120-degree Fahrenheit (49 °C) in order to kill at all stages of life. If a heater is specified for bed bugs, then the heated room should attain this temperature for an extended period of time to ensure total extermination.
Type
There are two types of heaters for bed bugs: Portable heater and heater that comes with an enclosed chamber (Also called hot box). We advise you to pick the enclosed chamber heater as they are less expensive and also, they ensure better heat penetration within the enclosed room which is essential to kill every bug.
Size
Bed bug heaters come in a variety of sizes so it may complicate your selection. To find the right heater you should define your needs. Do you want to heat your entire luggage when coming back from a trip, to ensure that you did not bring bed bugs? Do you need a heater to get rid of bed bugs in a large room? Usually, the size of a heater correlates with its power. So, if you want a heater to treat a large room or furniture, you should pick a heater that’s larger in size.
Power Consumption
The power of a heater is an essential feature when making your choice. Firstly, you do not want a heater that’s too powerful for electric outlets in your home, nor do you want a heater that consumes too much energy to function since your bills may increase if used too often. However, as we previously mentioned, to get rid of them you need a heater that can heat up to 120-degree Fahrenheit (49 °C) at least, which requires a certain degree of power.
Circuit needed
Each room and its electrical outlets have one circuit. So, you will have for example one circuit for the living room and a separate one for the bedroom. As heaters are energy demanding machines, they sometimes need 2 circuits to function. Most heaters come with one circuit and have one plug. When the heaters require two circuits then they will come with two plugs, if that is the case do not plug both into a one circuit room as they might blow the circuit.
Best is to pick a one circuit heater (meaning a heater with one plug) to simplify the process.
Advantages Of Heat Treatment
- Kill the bed bugs who became resistant to insecticides
- They like to hide in cracks and crevices. Unlike other methods heat will penetrate those hard-to-reach areas to kill them
- Chemical free method, which is preferable to using harsh chemical close to your sleeping area
- You do not need to throw away any items with heat treatment
FAQ
How much time is necessary for a heater to kill bed bugs?
Bed bugs at all stages of life (From adults to eggs) will die when exposed to 120°F (48°C) for 90 minutes or more.
However, you want to heat the room for a longer period of time to ensure that the heat has penetrated all surfaces and furniture in the room. The larger the room the longer your heater has to function.
In a small room (under 200 square feet) 2 to 4 hours should do the job.
For a larger room you can add 4 or 6 hours depending on the size of the room also you should ensure the air from the heater moves in a circular pattern to speed the rise of temperature.
How to prepare a Room for a Bed Bug Heat Treatment?
Even though you would possess the best heaters for bed bugs, you need to place and use them correctly to definitively get rid of bed bugs. This is what we will focus on in this section.
- Your main goal should be to let the air move within the room in a circular pattern. For this you should pull all furniture and objects away from the wall (50cm should be enough). You should then place the fans in a circular pattern close to the wall, so that the air heats faster.
- You should remove cover from the electrical outlets to improve heat penetration inside the walls.
- You should unplug electronics and preferably remove them from the room.
- Open all totes, containers and closet doors to let the heat penetrate each.
- You should also remove paintings or decorations that are glued to the wall with adhesives as those will melt during the heating process.
- Leave as many things in the room to eradicate potential bugs but you should remove heat sensitive items from the room.
- If the items cannot be removed. Cover them with sheets and foil
- Inspect thoroughly the removed items for bed bugs and if possible, place those items in a sealed plastic bag for an extended period of time: 1 year preferably as bed bugs will die without food for such period of time
- Always read and follow the heater’s manufacturer instructions
Can bed bugs survive after heat treatment?
If you use an enclosed heat treatment such as Thermal Strike or ZappBug Room, the temperature will penetrate furniture and objects better, so they will be fully eradicated.
However, if you are treating a whole room with a heater then they may be able to survive if they find a place cool enough. This is why, if you are heating a room, you should let the heater run for a longer period of time to ensure that the heat has penetrated every item in the room and ensure total extermination.
Can I turn my home heater to kill bed bugs?
A room should reach a temperature of 120°F (48°C) for a prolonged period of time to ensure the death of bed bugs. Most home heaters cannot reach such temperature for a long period of time this is why you need a specialized bed bug heater.
What is a hot box for bed bugs?
A hot box for bed bugs is an enclosed chamber that heats up to 120° F. You can place fabrics, books, and much more inside the chamber, and if there are any bugs in them, the bugs will die.
A hot box is a portable thermal chamber. This enclosed chamber facilitates the heating of all items within the hot box. As a result, they will be exterminated.
It can be used for treating luggage or specific items where bed bugs have been detected.
Are fans really that important when using a heater?
Fans (or Air movers) are important when using a portable heater but not for enclosed chamber heaters. They will allow the air to circulate within a room. This will greatly facilitate the heating and the penetration of heat in all items of the room by eliminating cold spots. Fans (or Air movers) will also reduce overheating by blending the air in the room.
Reviews of the Best Heaters for Bed bugs
Best enclosed heater for large items: ZappBug Room Bug Heat Treatment Chamber
In some cases, you will need more than heating your personal items such as clothes or suitcases to eradicate bed bugs. You will indeed sometimes need to treat a mattress or a box spring as well as large furniture. That is why you need a heater that can treat larger items. With the ZappBug Room Bug Heat Treatment Chamber due to its large size you will be able to heat almost anything such as a mattress, a couch, a desk or other large items.
Instead of buying an expensive commercial heater, you can do the job with the ZappBug Room Bug Heat Treatment Chamber by treating one large item after the other.
The ZappBug Room features four heaters which are designed to function with the heating chamber. As we used an enclosed space, the Zappbug room only needs 2 hours so that the temperature reaches 120-degree Fahrenheit (49 °C) without leaving any cold spots in your furniture.
Tips: Place ZappBug Room on a carpet, which will insulate the heater and the floor for a faster increase of temperature.
Pros
- Ability to kill bed bugs on large items
- The tent is easy and quick to set up
- Presence of remote digital thermometer
- Not noisy when functioning (similar as a hair drier running)
- Comes with expandable shelving to heat several items at the same time
- The tent is made out of heavy canvas material which are durable and hard to tear
Cons:
- Comes with the same four heating units in place of one large.
- The sensors that connect to the thermometer have to be rigorously placed
Best enclosed heater for small to medium items: ThermalStrike Ranger Bed Bug Heater
This heater will be ideal to treat items from small size to medium. This will be very useful during an infestation. It can also be useful if you are a traveler, who wants to treat luggage with heat preventatively.
The issue with most heaters is that you need to heat for up to 8 hours to ensure that heat penetrates every item and that any cold spots are warmed.
The ThermalStrike Ranger surrounds the item with heat on all sides leaving no cold spots. It can treat items such as suitcases in 2 hours by reaching a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 °C). Which will eradicate bed bugs and their eggs.
This closed heater comes with an auto shut-off timer and a digital thermometer. This will make the process convenient and safe at the same time.
If you are looking for a compact, convenient, and affordable heater, then the ThermalStrike Ranger is right for you!
Pros:
- Heats from the 6 sides of the chamber leaving no cold spots ensuring bed bugs extermination
- Features an auto shut-off timer and a digital thermometer
- Easy to set up and store
- Compact and Portable design
- Comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty
Cons:
- The tent is too small to heat large items such as box spring or a mattress
Best Heater for Home Use: ZappBug Bed Bug Heater
ZappBug Heater is a very popular heater on the market. It is an affordable, reliable, compact and convenient heater. It features a 1,400-Watt heating unit that can increase the temperature from 120 to 155 °F (49 to 68°C). Which is above bed bugs’ lethal temperature point. This heater is easy to pack down and store once used.
Commercial and large portable heaters can be expensive. While enclosed chambers heaters such as the ZappBug Bed Bug Heater can do the job at a fraction of the price.
ZappBug Bed Bug Heater is very convenient for travelers who would like to treat their luggage after a trip. This heater will also help you to treat several items during an infestation such as clothing, shoes, books, bedding and some electronics that can be heated such as a radio or a toaster.
Pros:
- Affordable price
- Compact design
- Easy to set up and pack down
- Kills 100% of bed bugs within objects
- Features a digital thermometer and a timer
Cons:
- Too small to treat large items such as a mattress. For that, consider ZappBug Room Bug Heat Treatment Chamber (Read above)
- When the chamber is full of items the heater can take up to 4 hours to be heated above 120 °F (49 °C), without leaving any cold spots to ensure extermination