Adult bed bugs die at 119 degrees Fahrenheit, and their heat-resistant eggs require temperatures upwards of 125 degrees.
Lethal time estimates for 50 and 99% mortality of bed bugs exposed to temperatures below the lethal temperature of 48.3 °C for adults and 54.8 °C for eggs.
For example, washing clothes at 60 degrees C for 30 minutes terminates all bed bugs and eggs.
Vikane gas, heat, steam, or cryonite will kill bed bug eggs instantly. Any other chemical method will only kill them over time. There are chemicals that will kill bed bug eggs, but the trick is that the chemical has to be able to drench the egg to be effective.
#1: Diesel/kerosene/jet fuel heaters for bed bugs…
They can be extremely powerful and ready to operate with fuel in the tank and a 110volt plug-in for the fan to operate. In fact these are the type of heaters that we use at Dead Bug Walkin LLC Bed Bug Heat Treatment Specialists Pest Control ourselves.
Temperature That Kills Bed Bugs
A similar process can be used with heat. Adult bed bugs die at 119 degrees Fahrenheit, and their heat-resistant eggs require temperatures upwards of 125 degrees.
Bed bugs are generally considered to be nocturnal and prefer to forage for a host and take a blood meal during the night. They also will come out in the daytime or at night when lights are on, in order to take a blood meal, especially if there were no human hosts in the structure for a while and they are hungry.
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.
Technically, bed bugs can live through a cycle in the washing machine. The truth is that while washing your clothes or linens will kill most of the bed bugs, the heat of drying your items is what will ultimately exterminate any and all remaining bugs. As we mentioned above, bed bugs do not tolerate heat.
Extreme temperatures are the best way to kill bed bugs. Washing your clothing and bedding in a high heat wash should effectively kill off any bugs, as well as any eggs they've possibly laid. It's important to exercise caution in moving infested linens during the process to avoid spreading the bed bugs to other rooms!
Wash the Clothes – Once you have your laundry in the machine add your detergent and set the machine to the appropriate wash cycle. For best results use the highest temperature possible for the fabrics you are washing. While water is enough to kill bed bugs the added heat will maximize results.
Bed bugs tend to hide as close to the bed as possible, so only launder the fabrics in the immediate area – your bedding, and clothing in dressers near the bed. Hanging clothes in closets can usually be left there, but wash anything on the floor.
hand furniture, electronics, clothing and other items can harbor bed bugs. Don't bring in furniture and mattresses from the street. It is more and more likely that these items will be infested with bed bugs. You can wash clothing and stuffed animals and then dry them on 'high' for 30 minutes.
Lemongrass is an effective home remedy used for keeping bed bugs at bay. The compounds in lemongrass will not only repel bed bugs, but also kills them off by increasing the acidic condition inside the insects. Spray lemongrass in affected areas until your bed bug problem is no more.
Steam Clean Often
Steamers are a great tool for maintaining a bed bug-free home. The heat of the steam can kill bed bugs and their eggs. Take your steamer and slowly spray each room with it. Pay extra attention to the baseboards, closet shelves, window trim, and even the carpet.
Myth: Bedbugs won't come out if the room is brightly lit. Reality: While bedbugs prefer darkness, keeping the light on at night won't deter these pests from biting you. Myth: Pesticide applications alone will easily eliminate bedbug infestations.
Though these pests like to come out before dawn, don't think you can wait up all night to outsmart them. "A bed bug is an opportunist, and while their peak feeding time is between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., if you work nights they will come out and feed on you during the day," Furman says.
Both adult bed bugs and bed bug eggs will die within minutes at 122°F (50°C). Steam forms from water at 212°F (100°C), so it's already way over the killing point required to exterminate bed bugs immediately. Steam will kill pretty much any insect at that temperature.
As discussed earlier, vinegar, particularly white distilled, can kill bed bugs because of its powerful acetic acid content. However, the chemical only becomes a viable bed bug killer if it comes in direct contact with the said pest.
Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that baking soda works to kill bed bugs. Baking soda is said to dehydrate bed bugs. While baking soda may kill off one or two bugs, it's rarely strong enough to get rid of an entire infestation.