We’re often asked how long a bed bug can live. Normally, bed bugs live between two and four months. However, the answer isn’t so easy, since in certain conditions bed bugs can live:
- 2 days at -18°C.
- 80 hours at -16°C.
- Up to 485 days at 10°C.
- 99 to 300 days at over 25°C.
- 7 hours at 45°C.
- 5 minutes at 48°C.
- 1 minute at 50°C.
Furthermore, all things being equal, some studies present different conclusions regarding the longevity of bed bugs at different temperatures. It should be noted that several variables can influence the survival time, including:
- Access to food
- Ambient temperature
- Exposure time
- Humidity
The vulnerability of bed bugs at very cold and very hot temperatures allows us to understand the full benefit and potential of heat treatments and freezing treatments.
On the other hand, the ability of bed bugs to survive in certain conditions allows us to understand the importance of rigour when preparing the home before the treatment, especially when it comes to the drying protocol and storing all the fabric items and clothes in hermetically resealable bags.
Eggs surviving the cold and insecticides
According to a University of Minnesota site, bed bug eggs and young bed bugs can survive at temperatures of -15°C. (6) It’s therefore necessary to use freezers at the appropriate temperatures to eliminate bed bugs with cold. It’s also known that bed bug eggs are resistant to insecticides. That’s why a second insecticide treatment is usually necessary to eradicate the freshly hatched young bed bugs.
Anti-bed bug mattress covers
When installing anti-bed bug covers on mattresses and bed bases, it’s important to consider how long a bed bug can live. Indeed, a bed bug trapped inside a cover will end up dying by itself. Once installed, it’s therefore important not to reopen the zipper before making sure that all the bed bugs are dead.
Get rid of bed bugs quickly
Do you want to get rid of bed bugs quickly? Contact Solution Cimex now. We offer solutions that let you eliminate bed bugs quickly and effectively. Don’t wait any longer: