Portland housing project has 'bedbug sauna'

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A new public housing complex in Portland has a "bedbug sauna" to prevent infestations of the pest.

It's a room the size of a closet that heats the possessions of all new residents to about 130 degrees for several hours to kill bedbugs.

The bedbug sauna is reducing outbreaks at Bud Clark Commons, a 130-unit complex operated by Home Forward, formerly the Housing Authority of Portland.

The Oregonian reports bedbugs remain a problem in Portland, not just in public housing, but also in hotels and homes. But prevention and pest control methods are having some success.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)