Bed bugs can go without feeding for 20 to 400 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Older stages of nymphs can survive longer without feeding than younger ones, and adults have survived without food for more than 400 days in the laboratory at low temperatures.
Long story short… it is unwise to try to starve bed bugs as a treatment plan. There are many treatment options available to helpcontrol bed bugs. Many people immediately turn to professional exterminators, but they can cost a small fortune.
On average starved bed bugs (at any life stage) held at room temperature will die within 70 days.
Heat is known to be a very effective bed bug killer and it can be used in many different ways to treat infestations. For instance, heat in the form of steam can be used to treat bed bugs in carpets, behind base boards and on upholstered furniture.
Bed bug nymphs also change in their appearance after a blood meal. A hungry bed bug nymph is almost completely pale white or yellowish. However, once it is fed it plumps up, becomes brilliant red, and looks like a plump raspberry seed. Nymphs are the easiest to see when they have recently eaten.
You can either manually inspect the same areas each day, or some clients find it helpful to put a sticky adhesive trap around the bed legs which would pick up bed bugs that are on the move. If no bed bugs show up in the trap after several days, that's one indication that they have been completely eradicated.
If there was absolutely no host available from which to feed on their blood, a young bed bug could die as quickly as within several weeks, while an adult bed bug could survive as long as 4.5 months under optimal conditions of heat and humidity before dying of starvation1.
Bed bugs are easy to kill using heat. Their thermal death point is reported to be 114-115° F. Putting infested clothing in a hot dryer is an excellent way of killing bed bugs and their eggs. Heat can also be used to kill bed bugs and their eggs in furniture and carpeting.
Bed bugs hate scents such as lemon scents, cinnamon oil, neem oil, spearmint, and silicone. They will hide from you when you use these smells. This is so that they can easily attack and feed off of you! Even just the threat of these scents will keep them away from your house for good.
How can bed bugs get into my home? They can come from other infested areas or from used furniture. They can hitch a ride in luggage, purses, backpacks, or other items placed on soft or upholstered surfaces. They can travel between rooms in multi-unit buildings, such as apartment complexes and hotels.
Depending on your exact type of hair dryer, the heat it produces can technically be enough to cause a bed bug to die. Since most blow dryer temperatures range from 80 up to 130°F, the heat from your blow dryer could be sufficient to kill a bed bug; however, it isn't very practical.
Showering using soap and water is sufficient to remove bed bugs from your person. Wash your work clothes and dry them completely in a clothes dryer. Once dry, run the clothes on high heat for an additional 30 minutes to make certain that any bed bugs transferred from the washing machine are dead.
On average bed bugs feed once every 3 to 10 nights and spend the rest of the days resting and digesting their meals. If food is not available, they can remain stationary for a long period to save energy while waiting for the perfect moment to feed again.
Diatomaceous earth is a great chemical-free option for getting rid of a number of pests, including bed bugs. This natural powder contains properties that can dehydrate bed bugs, absorbing their fat and oil, and killing them dead as a doornail. Spray or sprinkle in infected areas and allow it to sit for at least a week.
Mattresses and pillows make potential habitats for bed bugs. Pillows may also be host to bed bug eggs, making them a potential point of bed bug infestations. A possible sign that bed bugs have infested pillows may be the appearance of bites.
Bed bugs live primarily indoors, giving them the heat they need to survive the winter. As long as they have a food source as well as the warmth they need, they'll happily remain active in your home throughout the year. If they don't have a food source, they can go for several months without eating and still survive.
While you may think that just one tiny speck of a pest may not be a big deal, it can signal you have a full-on infestation growing under your nose. If you find even just a few bed bugs, you need to call in the professionals.
Those individuals who are not sensitive to bed bug bites may not know they have an infestation. Because bed bugs are nocturnally active, it's hard to see other signs of their presence—unless you're accustomed to waking up at 3 A.M. and taking a census.
The number of treatments needed to get control is (national average) 3 to 4 treatments. The first step to treating the problem yourself is taking your bed apart. The frame should be completely deconstructed to reach all cracks and crevices. For any unreachable areas, aerosols are useful.