A tent for bed bugs

By Sigrid Tornquist

Bed bugs have made a resurgence in North America—with a vengeance—and Gary Buermann from G & J Awning and Canvas is working with Hetta Solutions, a local manufacturer of heating equipment, to fabricate an insulated enclosure to rid homes and businesses of the unwelcome guests.

Specific requirements had to be met regarding the structure’s portability and weight. The resulting quilted 8-by-8-foot enclosure has a nylon exterior and polyester interior with an insulated lining, and holds bed bug-ridden mattresses and furniture. Buermann installed Velcro® flaps over the zippers and heat inlets, and seams were lap-seamed with binding tape around the outside to keep the bugs from escaping the enclosure.

The tent interior is heated to a temperature that will kill all life stages of the bed bugs. “Hetta Solutions has modified the design over time and we have been working with them to improve the structure’s effectiveness in the field,” says Buermann. “We are also customizing design features for customers as specific needs are identified.”

Sigrid Tornquist is a freelance author and editor based in St. Paul, Minn. She is also the associate editor of InTents magazine, a publication of the Industrial Fabrics Association International.