Devices for prevention of bed bug infestations and elimination of existing bed bug infestations, and methods of preventing bed bug infestations and eliminating existing bed bug infestations.
This invention provides heating devices for eliminating bedbugs. The devices include commonly infested items of furniture with heating elements built in, such that a user concerned about preventing infestations or treating an existing infestation needs only to “plug in” the item to a wall socket and the furniture is heated beyond the mortal limits of bed bugs. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a mattress with heating coils on either its outer surface and/or an inner surface under some of the padding. The heating coils are controlled by a thermostat capable of regulating heat such that it can generate temperatures of at least 113 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, which is suitable for killing bed bugs at all stages of their life cycle.