Bed bugs are resilient creatures that can survive in many environments. But how long can bed bugs survive in a vacant home? It’s a common question when dealing with vacant properties such as rentals or vacation homes, or when moving into a new home.
Bed bugs can survive for up to twelve months without food and up to eighteen months without any oxygen. The temperature of the house and the presence of a blood meal host are the two main things that affect how quickly or slowly bed bugs die. If their host leaves the house, they will seek new prey, even if it is not a human. The blood of other pests and animals such as rats, mice, dogs, and birds, among others, could provide a new source of food. Bed bugs do not require frequent feedings and will survive for months or years in an empty home until a new human host is present.
Extreme temperatures can also cause the death of bed bugs. Specifically, bed bugs cannot survive a three-week period at temperatures below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. On the opposite end of the spectrum, these pest cannot survive a week at temperatures higher than 113 degrees Fahrenheit. All of this means that even if you simply leave a home for an extended period of time (even a year or more), you may still return to a bed bug infestation. The best course of action is to exterminate the bugs as soon as possible. To begin, please click the button below.
IN AN EMPTY HOUSE, WHERE DO BED BUGS HIDE?
Bed bugs prefer to hide in places where humans spend a significant amount of time, such as couches, beds, and other furniture. If there are any furniture items left in the house, this is the most likely place to look first. Bed bugs may be concealed between wall crevices, in spaces between light switch sockets and the wall, behind loose trim, or under molding if they cannot detect the presence of carbon dioxide from a host and the space is completely vacant. If the residence has hardwood flooring, the bugs may be hiding out between the floorboards and, if they are loose enough, under them.
If you suspect pests in your vacant home, you should know how to check for and control bed bugs. Without having to wait for bed bug bites to appear on your skin, checking will also tell you if bed bugs have spread to other areas of your home. Can you see any bed bugs? Bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye, but they are extremely small. Using the proper equipment can make it much easier to find them. For example, an active monitor will draw bed bugs out of hiding only to trap them. Attaching bed bug interceptors to bed posts and furniture legs to catch any insects climbing up furniture will also aid in the detection of an infestation. Another method is to place a piece of dry ice next to the interceptors in each room. The carbon dioxide emitted by the dry ice will attract bed bugs from their hiding places, causing them to become trapped in the interceptors. Be sure to adhere to all dry ice handling safety requirements.
Having Bed Bug Problems? We Can Help!
Are you worried about maintaining a pest-free environment in your brand-new house? Get in touch with us at ECO so we can help you get rid of those annoying bed bugs in your home. To find out more about the services we offer, please visit our website or call us at (202) 709-7490.
