Do Bed Bugs Survive in Winter?
During the frigid winter, many kinds of pests get killed off due to extreme temperatures or hibernate toward spring. While you might think bed bugs are a part of this group, you will be wrong. Bed bugs can survive the winter and spread their reach throughout the bed bug season.
Whether you’re traveling for the holidays or enjoying a nice staycation inside your home, it’s essential not to ignore the risk of bed bugs coming into your home this winter. In this blog, our team at Clegg’s Pest Control will show you how bed bugs can survive in the winter and what you can do to prevent a bed bug infestation from happening.
Bed Bugs in Winter
Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs do not go away in winter like other pests. According to the University of Minnesota, bed bugs can better survive winters despite the temperatures due to their ability to travel. Although overexposure to freezing temperatures can kill them, constantly being on the move prevents bed bugs from suffering the prolonged exposure necessary to kill them.
Do Bed Bugs Die in the Winter?
As previously mentioned, bed bugs can survive the winter primarily through their remarkable ability to travel and relocate their group to a new hiding spot or home. While bed bugs do not attach themselves directly to people for travel, they find themselves hitchhiking on luggage, backpacks, and similar devices to find an improved hiding place.
The risk of bed bugs can increase over the winter due to increased travel. This is especially true during the holiday season. If one of your family members has an infestation in their home, whether on the couch, bed sheets, or elsewhere, bed bugs can easily find their way onto your luggage and hitch a ride back to your place. From there, they can find a new hiding place to avoid the cold of wintertime.
Do Bed Bugs Hibernate?
Bed bugs do not hibernate. However, they can go through a hibernation-like phase called diapause, enabling them to go dormant. Diapause helps bed bugs conserve energy and slows down their metabolism. During diapause, they can go without feeding for months due to the conserved energy.
Unlike hibernation, diapause happens when a bed bug is exposed to unfavorable temperatures for an extended time. On the other hand, we can better control and remove bed bugs in the winter, as it’s the most common time for them to go through diapause.
How to Prevent Bed Bugs From Spreading
Once you recognize the dangers of a bed bug infestation in winter, it’s time to take action! According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you can take several safety and preventive precautions to protect yourself from bed bugs better before the pros arrive. Some of these safety precautions include the following:
- Ensure you have a bed bug infestation.
- Don’t immediately reach for the spray can.
- Reduce the number of hiding places.
- Clean up any clutter.
- Regularly wash and heat-dry bed sheets and blankets.
Can You Kill Bed Bugs by Freezing Them?
Freezing bed bugs can indeed kill them. However, bed bug freeze treatment is not a viable replacement for preventive bed bug treatments. To effectively kill bed bugs, you must have access to extremely low temperatures (preferably zero degrees Fahrenheit or colder). Your freezer most likely does not have enough space and is not cold enough to throw your bed sheets into.
Winter Pest Control
Even with many preventive measures and precautions, effectively removing and controlling a bed bug infestation is next to impossible on your own. After all, home remedies vary dramatically in quality and never offer a fully guaranteed result. This is why it’s crucial to turn to professionals for the best results in bed bug removal.
Professional winter pest control services, such as those offered by Clegg’s Pest Control, are the best ways to effectively clear bed bugs out of your home once and for all. With the right tools, treatments, and team of experts to get the job done, you can gain the confidence to consider your bed bug infestation as a thing of the past.
Get Bed Bug Pest Control With Clegg’s
Remove your infestation today by going to the best bed bug control services with Clegg’s Pest Control. With over 60+ years of pest control experience and numerous service areas across North Carolina, such as:
we’re your number-one choice for treatments on bed bugs and a variety of different pests. You can explore our blog to learn more about bed bugs and other pest control topics. Ready to get started? Schedule your free inspection and complete our online contact form to remove your winter bed bug infestation today!