How Cold Can Bed Bugs Tolerate Winter Temperatures?

One nice thing about winter is that a lot of pests go away. Many die out and some hibernate. What you may be wondering right now, is if this also applies to bed bugs. Can bed bugs tolerate extremely cold temperatures? Is there a level where bed bugs simply die due to the freezing temperatures?

Can bed bugs withstand extremely cold weather?

Like most creatures, bed bugs do best in temperate climates. They thrive in places that are neither too hot, nor too cold. In fact, bed bugs tolerate warmer weather far better, and actually thrive in it. It’s only when the temperatures become too extreme that bed bugs are affected.

This is the idea of behind heat treatments. When the area where they are living becomes too hot, the bed bugs will perspire. In case you wondering, these bugs rarely survive temperatures above 56°C and these temperatures kill them outright.

The exact opposite is also true. When it gets too cold, bed bugs can no longer survive and will die. According to the scientists who study these things, they can survive at or below -17°C. If they are exposed to these temperatures for 3-4 days, they will eventually die. So there you have your answer if your household will continue to get bed bugs in winter. Bed bugs tolerate cold climates such as the UK climate, but not if it’s too cold.

Can cold air get rid of these insects?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the best strategy for fighting bed bugs. Throwing open your doors and windows during winter will help to get rid of bugs, but you’ll freeze as well. That being said, with the cost of everything soaring, it’s becoming harder and harder to heat our homes. It seems that getting rid of bed bugs is a happy side effect to all our troubles.

Ultimately, bed bugs love warmer weather, but do not do so well in colder weather. The problem is that just because it’s colder doesn’t mean you’ll get rid of these pests. Something you should remember is that bed bugs can survive for about 20-400 days without food. What this means is that the cold may not necessarily kill them. Bed bugs can burrow into the earth where it’s still warm. They can find a crack or crevice, and hide out until it’s spring again. Once it warms up, they will reemerge and begin to torment you all over again. This is why it’s almost best to have this problem handled by a professional pest controller.