Bed bug heat treatment for public buses has become a routine maintenance task at the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in Dayton, Ohio. Since 2021, the RTA maintenance team has used PestPro Thermal Systems electric heaters and convection fans to heat-treat 20–30 transit buses every week, mostly on a proactive basis. The result, in their own words: “We have reduced our complaints to a minimal amount.”
This case study covers what went wrong with spraying alone, how the RTA set up its bus bed bug heat treatment program, and what other transit agencies and fleet operators can learn from it.
Dayton RTA at a Glance
| Customer | Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Dayton, Ohio — public transit agency |
|---|---|
| Problem | Recurring bed bugs on buses after chemical spraying; rider complaints and social media reputational risk |
| Equipment | 3 PestPro systems purchased in 2021 — 6 PestPro 10kW electric heaters and 6 convection air mover fans in total |
| Setup per bus | 3 heaters + 3 fans inside each bus, 2 buses treated at a time |
| Schedule | 2 treatment cycles per day — 20–30 buses per week |
| Approach | Mostly proactive, before riders report a problem |
| Result | Bed bug complaints reduced to a minimal amount; repeat buses virtually eliminated |
The Challenge: Spraying Alone Kept Letting Bed Bugs Back In
Transit buses carry thousands of riders a week. Every rider is a possible way in for bed bugs, and upholstered seats, seams and floor channels give them plenty of places to hide.
Sprays did not stop the eggs
The RTA first hired a national pest control company to spray the buses with chemical pesticides. Sprays can kill the bed bugs they touch, but they don’t reliably reach or kill bed bug eggs. When the eggs hatched weeks later, the same buses had bed bugs again, and the cycle started over.
One video can become a public problem
For a public agency, a bed bug on a bus is more than a maintenance issue. A single rider video or social media post can spread quickly and hurt public trust and ridership. The RTA needed a method that stopped repeat problems, not one that only reacted to them.
The Solution: A Proactive Bed Bug Heat Treatment Program for the Fleet of Buses
In 2021, the RTA purchased three complete PestPro systems. Each system includes two PestPro 10kW electric heaters and two convection air mover fans, for six heaters and six fans in total. The maintenance team built a simple routine around them.
HEAT TREATMENT EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
- 3 heaters and 3 fans per bus. The heaters are placed in the aisle. The convection air mover fans move hot air through the seats, seams and corners so there are no cool spots.
- 2 buses at a time. The six heaters and six fans cover two buses in each cycle.
- Dedicated power in the garage. Heavy-duty cords run from wall outlets in the service bay to the buses, so treatments happen right where the buses are parked.
Two cycles a day
Buses have mostly hard surfaces and much less clutter than a home, hotel room or apartment. That means a bus heats up faster than living spaces, which usually take 6–8 hours to treat. Because of this, the RTA can run two treatment cycles a day, which is how the team treats 20–30 buses every week with six heaters. Faster cycles are one of the biggest advantages of bus bed bug heat treatment over treating buildings.
Why heat works where sprays did not
Heat reaches places sprays miss. When the inside of the bus is held above the temperature that kills bed bugs, every life stage dies — adults, nymphs and the eggs that survived spraying. Nothing is left behind on the seats, so the bus can go back into service once it cools. The U.S. EPA’s bed bug guidance lists heat treatment as an effective method, and our guide to how bed bug heat treatment works explains the process in detail.
The Results of Bus Bed Bug Heat Treatment: Minimal Complaints and No Repeat Buses
The RTA still uses its regular spray service for other pests. Adding bus bed bug heat treatment with PestPro equipment is what changed the outcome:
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- Complaints down to a minimum. In Pat O’Malley’s words, “We have reduced our complaints to a minimal amount.”
- Repeat buses virtually eliminated. Heat kills the eggs that used to survive spraying, so the same buses stop coming back.
- Problems stopped early. Treating buses proactively catches bed bugs that riders bring on before they can spread.
- No pesticides needed for bed bugs. Riders, including people with chemical sensitivities, aren’t exposed to pesticide residue from bed bug treatment.
- In-house control. The maintenance team runs treatments on its own schedule instead of waiting for an outside service.
- Reliable equipment. After years of regular use, the RTA describes the system as “flawless.”
In Their Own Words
“We purchased 3 complete systems (2 heaters/2 fans per system) in 2021. We treat 20–30 transit buses per week. We do these mostly on a pro-active basis. We have reduced our complaints to a minimal amount. The system works great and has been flawless. I would highly recommend this system.”
— Pat O’Malley, Deputy Chief Maintenance Officer, Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, Dayton, Ohio
Read more PestPro Thermal customer reviews from hotels, shelters, pest control companies and government agencies.
What Other Transit Agencies and Fleet Operators Can Learn
The Dayton RTA bus fleet bed bug heat treatment model works for any fleet with seats and regular public use: city buses, school buses, paratransit vans, shuttles and rail cars.
- Treat before complaints, not after. A regular rotation keeps small problems from becoming public ones.
- Size equipment to your fleet. Three heaters and three fans per bus, two buses per cycle, covers 20–30 buses a week at Dayton.
- Plan the power. Heavy-duty outlets in the garage or service bay make treatments a quick, repeatable job.
- Keep your spray service for other pests. Heat handles bed bugs; your existing program can keep covering everything else.
If you’re comparing equipment, our bed bug heater buyer’s guide and what to know before buying a bed bug heater cover voltage, power and sizing. You can also see where to purchase a PestPro heater or view the 240V 10kW electric bed bug heater. For larger operations that need their own power, see the Bed Bug Beast heater truck.
Bed Bug Heat Treatment FAQ for Rapid Transit Bus Fleets
Can heat treatment be used on buses?
Yes. The Greater Dayton RTA has used bed bug heat treatment since 2021 on their entire fleet of buses and shuttles, treating 20–30 transit buses a week with PestPro electric heaters and convection fans placed inside each bus.
How long does it take to heat-treat a bus?
Less time than a home or hotel room. Buses have mostly hard surfaces and little clutter, so they heat up faster than living spaces that often take 6–8 hours. That lets Dayton RTA run two treatment cycles a day.
How many heaters does a bus need?
Dayton RTA uses three 10kW electric heaters and three convection fans per bus. Exact needs depend on the vehicle’s size, so contact PestPro to size a setup for your fleet.
Does heat kill bed bug eggs?
Yes. Holding the space above the lethal temperature kills all life stages, including eggs. That’s the main reason Dayton RTA’s buses stopped getting bed bugs again after treatment.
Do we still need our pest control service?
Dayton RTA kept its regular spray service for other insects. Heat treatment replaced spraying for bed bugs only.
Protect Your Fleet and Your Riders
PestPro Thermal Systems builds all-steel electric bed bug heaters in Fort Collins, Colorado, for transit agencies, government fleets, hotels and pest control companies. We’ll help you size a bus bed bug heat treatment setup for your fleet operations.
Call or text 970-443-8119, or request a quote and we’ll get back to you quickly.