Using freezing cold temperatures to kill bed bugs is one option.
Temperature to kill bed bugs cold.
A similar process can be used with heat.
Like extreme heat extreme cold can be fatal to bed bugs over time.
It causes the fluids and organs within their body to freeze over and cease healthy functioning.
One of the characteristics of bed bugs that enables their survival is their adaptability to adverse conditions.
The epa says that even at 0 f cold weather can take several days to kill bed bugs and almost a week when the temperature is 20 f.
However temperatures below 3 2 f minus 16 c could destroy all life stages of the insect after 3 5 days and temperatures below minus 4 f minus 20 c destroy them in just 48 hours the team.
Temperature related bed bug control.
According to various scientific studies the temperature that is lethal for adult bed bugs is 118 94 f on the other end of the spectrum the temperature at which adult bed bugs freeze to death is 19 48 f.
Joelle found that bed bugs are tolerant to cold to an extent.
Temperature that kills bed bugs.
However compared to other insects the bed bug is not good at supercooling to keep the chemical and physical tactics unfrozen.
Generally mature bugs can survive for a few hours to a few days when exposed to low temperatures.
Can cold temperatures kill bed bugs.
Therefore the insect is vulnerable to cold.
Other experts suggest the required period is at least two weeks.
That is how long it takes to get rid of all bed bugs.
Summary to summarize when trying to eliminate bed bugs using heat or cold treatment you should aim for a temperature range of 113 f to 118 f and is you are going for low temperatures then 13 f or below.
Put an infested object such as bedding or pillows in a sealed plastic bag then put it in a freezer at zero degrees fahrenheit for about four days.
The aforementioned study also studied the effect of such supercooling on the feeding habits of bed bugs.
That leaves bed bugs an extended period in which they are free to mingle and perhaps even escape your sealed bag.
For example a bed bug can stay for more than a month without feeding.
Temperatures below 13 f kill adult bed bugs in a day or two with bed bugs dying a day or two after that which is a total of 4 days.
In most cases the pest can die at temperatures that are lower than 3.
What temperatures kill bed bugs.