How Cold Can Bed Bugs Survive?
Bedbugs love both heat and cold, and in some extreme circumstances, they can survive freezing temperatures. However, their eggs cannot survive these conditions as they are much smaller than the adults. Unlike adults, eggs cannot move around to look for a warmer environment, so they must use chemical substances to lower the freezing point of their body fluids. Although bedbugs and their eggs can survive cold temperatures, they cannot cool themselves as efficiently as their younger counterparts can.
Freezing the eggs and larvae of bedbugs can be effective if they are present in small packages. It is recommended to put infested items in a plastic bag and freeze them for two to four days. When storing items, make sure they are tightly sealed to prevent escape.
The temperature that kills bedbugs varies, and many “tricks” for destroying bed bugs are completely false. For example, a single treatment of 113 degF can take about ninety-four minutes to kill an adult bedbug. This temperature is too low for most homes to achieve.
While freezing is not a good way to get rid of bedbugs, it is a simple way to reduce the number of infested beds. Freezing temperatures will not kill the bugs or their eggs, but it will drastically slow down their egg production. This will help to prevent your infestation from worsening.