Major food and grain companies have successfully used heat for insect
pest management over the past 50 years. Effective pest management in
processing plants, packaging areas, and warehouses significantly
reduces quality complaints due to infestation issues in the finished
product. More specifically, heat treatment of empty processing plants
and structures gets rid of residual insect populations in cracks and
crevices, machinery, and areas that are otherwise inaccessible or
impenetrable to chemicals, effectively killing all the life stages of
insects, from eggs to adults.
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Typical Installation of a THP-4500
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The Process Heat treatment using the Thermal Remediation® patented
process involves gradually bringing the interior temperature of the
treated space above 120°F, the temperature lethal to all life cycle
stages of insects, and holding it for 24 hours or a shorter time period
as required. The temperature will range between 120-140°F due to the
basic principle that lighter, heated air rises. Uniform temperatures
within this range are maintained by a combination of high temperature
ductwork to distribute hot air, an array of fans for air flow
management, and a real-time wireless temperature monitoring system to
monitor temperatures and identify cold and hot pockets in order to
ensure on-course corrective action. | | | 
Typical Installation of Fans and Ductwork |
Why Hold Temperatures For 24 Hours?
At lethal temperatures (> 120°F), it takes a minute or less to kill the adults of red flour beetles. Although there are several reasons to hold lethal temperatures for as long as 24 hours. Some of them are:
- Immature stages such as larvae take longer to kill. For example, young larvae of the red flour beetle can take more than seven hours to be killed.
- The construction material, such as concrete, takes longer time to heat and come up to the lethal temperature.
- It takes time for heat to penetrate all the cracks and crevices and machinery components. It is not just the ambient air but the concrete mass (surface), machinery, and various components of the plant that need to attain lethal temperatures.
- For the first heat treatment of a facility, it is suggested to hold lethal temperatures for at least 24 hours so that all the residual insect populations are exposed as the heat penetrates into cracks & crevices, machines, and various components of the plant.
- For the second or subsequent heat treatments of the plant, the hold time can be reduced by as much as 8 hours based on some preliminary testing. Research at the Grain Science & Industry Department at KSU has proven that heat treatment can be effective in killing all life stages of insects within 24 hours from start to finish as long as temperatures above 122°F are held for at least 10 hours.
 | | | Our Expertise In Temperature Management Of Facilities & Structures
Since 1965, TEMP-AIR has been America’s leading provider of temporary
air management solutions for the U.S. construction industry. For every
project, we use our proprietary HVAC estimating software to determine
energy requirements considering variables like structure materials,
heat loss, etc. The temperature is raised gradually to avoid structural
damage.
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Assessment Of The Plant Or Facility For Heat Treatment
With over 40 years of construction heating and cooling experience, TEMP-AIR knows the dynamics of heat transfer. Each structure, plant, or facility is unique in terms of construction and layout requiring customized engineering design for heat treatment.
The assessment and subsequent heat treatment of a plant or facility involves four major steps:
- Site visit - Assessment of suitability for heat treatment: The site visit has two objectives:
- First, to assess and analyze the feasibility of heat treatment of the facility. This involves a joint walk-through in the facility, dimensional measurements, layout and construction details/material of facility, machinery, and sensitive equipment, if any, sprinkler rating, and fuel source, etc.
- Secondly, to intensively interact with personnel involved in the heat treatment (i.e. plant/facility manager, personnel from production, packaging/warehouse, and most importantly, quality/sanitation/pest management personnel.) The aim is to present details of the heat treatment, provide a checklist for preparation of the heat treatment, and discuss any concerns that they might have about heat treatment.
- Energy and equipment estimate: Based on the site visit, TEMP-AIR will input all the information into our proprietary engineering software to determine the energy (BTUs) and equipment requirements to heat-treat the structure. Subsequently, an estimate to perform the heat treatment is submitted.
- Mobilization of Equipment: On approval of the estimate, the next step is to plan for the mobilization of equipment to the site based on the expected date of heat treatment.
- Joint pre-heat inspection, heat treatment, and post-treatment review:
- Pre-heat treatment: Before starting the heat treatment, a joint inspection and walk-through is done to ensure the preparedness of facility for heat treatment.
- Heat treatment: During the actual heat treatment, frequent inspections are performed to check for areas of infestation as well as ensure a uniform lethal temperature profile for maximum efficacy of heat to kill insects and its life stages. A buddy-system is mandatory during these ‘high temperature visits’ and clients are welcome to accompany TEMP-AIR personnel during these visits.
- Post-heat treatment: A joint walk-through and inspection of the heated areas is performed. All temperature data and temperature profile graphs
