How to Use the Black Widow 800 for Safe and Effective Bed Bug Heat Treatments

When it comes to effectively eliminating bed bugs through heat treatment, having the right equipment—and knowing exactly how to use it—makes all the difference. The Black Widow 800 is a powerful, propane heater designed for pest control professionals and property managers who demand reliability, efficiency, and thoroughness. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the essential steps from receiving and assembling the unit to executing a complete heat treatment with confidence. Whether you’re new to bed bug remediation or looking to optimize your process, this guide will ensure you’re getting the most from your Black Widow 800.

• Fuel Efficiency: Operates using two standard 20-pound propane tanks (like the ones used for home BBQ grills.)
• Quiet and Reliable: Maintains a low-noise profile while delivering consistent heat.

New Attachments for Enhanced Heat Distribution:

• T-Duct Adapter: A precision-engineered aluminum attachment designed specifically for the Black Widow 800, allowing you to project heated air in three directions at once. This adapter is perfect for large rooms, multi-room setups, or any treatment area that requires broad, even heat distribution. Learn more
• Duct Ring:  A heavy-duty attachment designed to securely connect 12″ high-temperature mylar ducting to the side of the heater. This durable adapter is essential for extending the reach of heated air into target treatment zones, especially when heating multiple rooms or directing airflow into hard-to-reach areas. Learn more

These new attachments will take your heat treatments to the next level. These precision-engineered accessories are designed to improve heat distribution, extend your treatment reach, and enhance overall efficiency. Whether you’re treating multiple rooms or need to direct heat into hard-to-reach spaces, these add-ons provide the flexibility and control professionals need to handle complex jobs with ease.

Let’s dive into the Black Widow 800 user guide to learn what’s in the shipment, how to prepare the room for treatment, how to conduct the treatment, and finally, how to clean up after treatment. The full user guide is downloadable at the end of this blog. It contains further troubleshooting information in addition to the content in this blog.

Receiving the Shipment & Verifying Contents

Most often, the boxes with your Black Widow 800 Heater and accessories will ship via FedEx.

What’s in the box?

Please verify that you have received all of the items listed in each box.

Box #1 will contain the Black Widow 800 Heater and handle.

Box #2 will contain the remote thermostat, propane hose, dual manifold, 25′ 110-volt cord, 3′ 110-volt cord, 4 sprinkler covers, infrared heat gun, and instruction card.

Additional Boxes If you have ordered fans, these will each come individually boxed in addition to the two boxes listed above.

Heater Assembly

Attach the wheels using the axle and cotter pins.

Room Preparation

1. ALWAYS cover the sprinkler heads with the provided sprinkler head covers and insulate the entire sprinkler system if one is present.
2. Remove all bed linens including pillows, sheets, comforters, bed skirts, and mattress encasements. Bag all linens and transport to the laundry area.  Wash and dry according to manufacturer’s directions.
3. Pull the mattress and box spring out approximately one foot from the wall or headboard. Leave the headboard on the wall.
4. For a room with one bed, tilt the box spring and mattress up on their side while still on the bed frame. Allow the two to lean together making an A-frame. Painters tape can be used to secure the two together at the top and keep them from falling over during treatment. Do not use duct tape as it will leave a residue. If there is no box spring, use milk crates between the mattress and frame to create air flow.
5. If treating a room with two beds, as is typical in a hotel room, move the nightstand from between the two beds to another area of the room.
6. DO NOT turn on any ceiling fans as the motor will not hold up to high heat.
7. Cover all vents and wall openings by using a piece of plastic or cardboard and painters tape.
8. If there is a bathroom in the room, close the bathroom door. Normally, there will not be any bed bugs in the bathroom if it has tile, ceramic or porcelain.
9. Unplug all electronics. It is not necessary to remove the electronics during treatment.
10. Open the closet doors. Ensure there is spacing between the articles of clothing that are hanging in the closet. All clothing left in the space should be placed on hangers.
11. Open all the drawers of desks, dressers, and other furniture in the room. Ensure that all the drawers are emptied of any clothing. Clothes can be transported in plastic bags, dried in the dryer, and kept out of the room until the treatment is completed.
12. Verify that there are no piles of clothing or bedding in the room.
13. Prop up all couch or chair cushions at an angle so that ample airflow can move around them.
14. Remove any loose papers or debris and all the trash from the receptacles.
15. Remove any box fans from the room as the motor cannot handle the high temperatures.
16. Where possible, close the door. If heat treating an open space like a living room, use visqueen plastic sheeting to cover any openings. Secure the sheeting with thumb tacks and painter’s tape.
17. Remove any items on this list of common heat-sensitive materials, including but not limited to:

Any items you would not leave in your car on a hot day should be removed from the space. Some items may be placed in the refrigerator to protect them during remediation.

*The heater is not recommended for use in an area where laminate flooring wearable layer is less than 8 mil. thickness.

Heater Set Up and Operation

1. Roll the Black Widow 800 right into the room.
2. Position the heater so that the airflow is facing toward the headboard wall when treating a bedroom. If you are treating a different type of room such as a living room, the airflow from the heater should be directed towards a main wall so that it will recirculate throughout the room.
3. The side of the heater must have at least 6 feet of clearance from the wall. The back of the heater, where the handle is, needs 2 feet clearance from any walls or furniture. The side of the heater is where the airflow comes out and the back of the heater is the air intake.
4. Set the propane tanks up outside of the treatment area. Connect and run the propane hoses through a window or door to connect to the heater. At this point the propane should be off. Test for leaks before turning the heater on.
5. Crack a window or door 2″- 4″.
6. Position fans to direct hot air flow towards furniture, in closets, or around walls. Do not turn the fans on until the room reaches 100° F.
7. Plug in the thermostat to the heater using the 3-foot extension cord. Plug the yellow extension cord into the thermostat and a plug on the wall. The yellow cord brings power to the thermostat and the 3-foot cord brings that power from the thermostat to the heater.
8. Hang the temperature probe on the back of the heater by the air intake to monitor the temperature of the air coming into the heater.

Starting & Monitoring the Treatment

Before starting the heat treatment, be sure the heater has top clearance of 5′, duct side clearance of 6′, rear, front, and side clearance of 2′ from walls, furniture, and combustibles. Verify that the room has been setup as directed in the room preparation section of this document.

1. Turn on the propane tanks outside of the treatment area.
2. Turn on the Black Widow 800’s fan.
3. Turn the heater’s burner on. There should be heat. If there is no heat, turn off the burner and wait a few minutes. Turn the burner back on and check for heat.
4. Check the room in 45-50 minutes to see if it has reach 100°F on the thermostat. Once the room has reached this temperature, turn on the high temperature fans on the low setting.
5. Check the room again in 45-50 minutes to see if the thermostat temperature has reached 120°F. Turn the fans up to the high setting.
6. Continue to monitor the temperature of the room being sure to use the infrared temperature gun to check that the cracks and crevices have reached 121°F and that the ambient air in the room is 120°F. Once they have come to temp, set a 3-hour clock for the heat treatment.

Concluding the Treatment

1. Once the heat treatment has been completed, turn off the propane at the tanks.
2. Turn off the heater’s burner, but leave the fan on and wait 5 minutes to let the propane run out and the heater cool down a little.
3. Turn off the heater’s fan.
4. Open the doors and windows to help the room cool.
5. Turn off the high temperature fans or let them run to help the room cool more quickly if the customer needs it back quickly.
6. Once the insulation on the sprinklers has cooled to 115°F, it is safe to remove it.
7. Once the heater is cooled to a safe temperature to touch, pack it and the rest of your equipment up.

Cleaning after heat treatment:

We advise that you remove the headboard in a bedroom after the treatment to vacuum behind it, specifically in crevices and grooves on the back side of the headboard.

Additional places that may need to be vacuumed are around the edge border of the mattress, the tops of baseboards, in drawers, tucks and folds of sofas or chairs, etc.

If there was a heavy infestation prior to the treatment, additional cleaning is recommended. The Polti Cimex Eradicator is a super-heated dry steamer that can kill bed bugs, but also be used with HPMed Solution to aid in the cleaning process. During the delivery phase, the steam is mixed with HPMed to eliminate the characteristic smell of bed bugs and melt the gluey substance which binds the eggs to surfaces. The dry, superheated steam of the Polti Cimex Eradicator can be used on any surface or fabric and can also be directed into the most hidden corners and hardest to treat nesting areas.

Storing the Heater

The heater should be stored in a clean, dry area. Store the heater in an upright position.

Photos, Safety, Warnings, Maintenance, and Trouble Shooting can be found on the full downloadable document.

Using the Black Widow 800 correctly not only ensures effective heat treatment results but also helps preserve the longevity of your equipment and the safety of the environment. By following the detailed preparation, setup, operation, and post-treatment steps, you can be confident in achieving successful bed bug eradication. As always, if questions arise or troubleshooting is needed, our team is here to help—because your success is our mission. For additional support reach out to our National Sales Representative, Jeff, at 844-364-3281.