When do bedbugs die? - briefly
Adult bed bugs typically survive 5–10 days without a blood meal, but can live several months in cool environments. Exposure to temperatures above 45 °C (113 °F) or below 0 °C (32 °F) kills them within hours to days.
When do bedbugs die? - in detail
Bed bugs typically survive for several months to a year, depending on temperature, food availability, and developmental stage. Adult insects can live up to 12 months when they feed regularly; without a blood meal, survival drops to 2–4 months. Nymphs progress through five instars, each requiring a blood meal before molting; the interval between molts ranges from a few weeks to several months, influencing overall longevity.
Factors that cause mortality:
- Extreme temperatures – exposure to > 45 °C (113 °F) for 30 minutes or < −16 °C (3 °F) for several hours results in rapid death.
- Starvation – prolonged absence of a host leads to dehydration and eventual fatality, especially in early‑instar nymphs.
- Pesticide application – contact with approved insecticides or residual sprays can kill adults within hours to days, depending on resistance levels.
- Desiccation – low‑humidity environments (< 30 % RH) increase water loss, shortening lifespan.
- Biological control – entomopathogenic fungi or parasites can infect and kill bed bugs over a period of days to weeks.
Reproductive output also influences population turnover. A single female lays 200–500 eggs over her lifetime; each egg hatches in 6–10 days, producing a new nymph that must survive the same environmental pressures. When conditions become unfavorable—temperature extremes, lack of hosts, or effective chemical treatment—the majority of the cohort will perish within weeks, while a few may persist longer due to micro‑habitat protection.
Understanding these parameters enables targeted eradication: maintaining indoor temperatures below 15 °C (59 °F) for extended periods, employing heat treatments above 50 °C (122 °F) for at least 90 minutes, and ensuring consistent pesticide rotation to prevent resistance.