Do It Yourself Heat Treating for Bed Bugs | eHow

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William Rockwell

William Rockwell has been writing for local and national publications since 1989. He has been published in the "Dewitt Chronicle," "Eastern Eagle" and the niche market magazine "Cellar Dweller." Rockwell earned a Master of Arts in written communication from Eastern Michigan University.

Using a bedbug bomb can actually cause the bedbugs to be harder to eradicate. The poison causes the bugs to retreat deep into the walls where they are hard to kill. Poisons can also leave residue on all of the exposed items in the room or rooms that have been bombed. A far safer, environmentally friendly and economically cheaper option is to use heat to kill bedbugs and their eggs.

Take the items infested with bedbugs and wrap them in two black plastic bags. Using two bags is important: If there is a hole in the first bag the bedbugs will only escape into the second one.

Set up two saw horses and place an OSB or scrap wood across them to create a platform. If the bags are left on the ground there will be cold spots in the bag and the process won't work.

Set the plastic bags on the platform in direct sunlight.

Place a heat probe in the bag to monitor the temperature. Once the temperature reaches at least 120 degrees F the bedbugs and their eggs will begin to die. To be sure that all of the bedbugs and their eggs are destroyed keep the temperature in the bag above 120 degrees F for at least half an hour and ideally for an hour, because it takes time for the heat to penetrate the material in the bag.

If you can't get the temperature up to 120 degrees F in direct sunlight you can try placing the bag in a car. The ambient temperature inside the car will easily exceed 120 degrees F. Use one extra bag to wrap the items to be sure the bed bugs don't get out and infest your car.

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Do It Yourself Heat Treating for Bed Bugs | eHow