Can Bed Bugs Hold Their Breath?
WouterWhen you have a bedbug infestation, you might be wondering if bedbugs can hold their breath. They aren’t native to water, but many other bugs have learned to swim and float in still water, which can save them if they get stuck in a water source. This is because most bugs evolved from cave dwelling species that preyed on bats and hid in cracks in caves.
The best way to treat bedbug infestations is to keep the area where they are living clean. The first step is to thoroughly vacuum the bed and any surrounding areas, including the floor and walls. Afterward, it is important to wash all bedding in hot water and dry it on the highest heat setting.
However, when bed bugs are exposed to human breath, their host-seeking behavior changes. This new behavior results in an increase in the number of search attempts and the mean distance from the harborage. This increases the chance of finding a host, but it also depletes limited energy stores. Despite this heightened energy consumption, a bedbug that carries out repeated sampling of a potential host can significantly increase the probability of locating an appropriate host.
Adding more heat to a room is another effective way of treating bedbugs. The temperatures in such areas can easily be raised above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. The bugs will not survive for more than 20 minutes in temperatures that are too high.
