Can Bed Bugs Eat Plastic?
WouterMany people will put things in plastic bags to kill bed bugs, but that doesn’t necessarily work. Bedbugs can survive for up to 400 days without food, so it is important to make sure you’re removing all plastic packaging. Also, remember that bedbugs don’t need much food or oxygen to survive. This means that placing your bag in the freezer or refrigerator is not the best idea.
You don’t have to put everything inside of a plastic bag, but it will help if you close it tightly. Bed bugs are very small and can easily crawl out of a normal plastic bag. In fact, many grocery bags are made with holes in the bottom to keep bugs from suffocating, so be sure to check the bottom.
It may be tempting to put clean clothes in plastic bags, but this is not a good idea if you don’t want to risk spreading the bug. After all, they can survive without blood for up to two to three months. If you’re careful, you may even find that a bed bug infestation will die off after this long.
If you suspect that you have a bed bug infestation, you should get a professional to help you with a treatment. The first step is to wash infected items thoroughly in hot sudsy water and dry on the highest heat possible. After you’ve cleaned the items, store them in strong plastic totes or heavy duty plastic bags. Be patient, though, as it can take weeks or even months for a proper treatment to kill the bugs.
