BURNSVILLE, Minn – TEMP-AIR has been awarded a grant from the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) to develop and test a new Thermal Remediation mobile, propane-fueled bed bug heat treatment system.
 
During fundamental research funded by PERC and TEMP-AIR, the University of Minnesota found that temperatures of 122°F resulted in the complete and immediate kill of the entire life cycle of the bed bug, from eggs to adults.  While other studies have shown that bed bugs have developed increased resistance to a number available insecticides, thermal treatments offer an effective solution as heat can penetrate mattresses, furniture, and inaccessible areas where bed bugs hide.
 
TEMP-AIR has successfully developed and marketed a mobile, electric bed bug heat treatment system that contains the components of an effective thermal treatment of bringing heat, moving air, and monitoring and recording temperatures. The proposed project is to design, build, and test a mobile system using a propane generator instead of the current diesel generator to power the electric heaters that are placed in the space being heat-treated.  The propane generator offers a more environmentally friendly and economical system by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, the maintenance costs of the generator, and the overall heat treatment cost.
 
Plunkett’s Pest Control, Adam’s Pest Control, and Guardian Pest Solutions have agreed to field test the prototype propane generator bed bug heat treatment system.  The project is to be completed in the summer of 2011.  Heading the project is Dr. Raj Hulasare, Senior Scientist at TEMP-AIR, who will be presenting on the findings from the fundamental research and the proposed project at the Global Technology Conference and World LP Gas Forum in Madrid, Spain in October 2010.