How Cold Does It Have To Be For Bed Bugs To Die?
You’ve probably wondered how cold does it have to get for bed bugs to die, but you might be surprised to know that freezing your building or leaving infested items outside won’t kill them. In fact, freezing bed bugs can even lengthen their life span. Bed bugs prefer warm environments, so freezing your home will only kill them when they can’t feed as often.
Cold temperatures kill bed bugs, but they’re not easy to achieve. In fact, temperatures at which bed bugs can’t survive can be dangerous for people and pets. Moreover, these temperatures are too high for most household members to attain. Therefore, if you’re going to try to kill bed bugs using heat, you may want to invest in specialized equipment to achieve the desired temperatures.
The temperatures at which bed bugs can die depend on their body heat production. Generally, temperatures above 113 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes kill adults. Moreover, temperatures over 118 degrees F will kill eggs within 90 minutes. In a nutshell, 120 degrees Fahrenheit is enough to kill adult bed bugs.
The coldest temperature required for bedbugs to die is zero degrees Fahrenheit for four consecutive days. However, this cold temperature won’t kill bed bugs immediately, but it can greatly slow down the egg-production process. Ultimately, this may prevent a bed bug infestation from worsening.