At what temperature do bed bugs and their eggs die, at what temperature do larvae die, at what temperature do laundry

Reader Question:

Lily

For a long time I was deciding how to destroy the parasites, when suddenly a friend at work advised me the best, in his opinion, means - heat treatment. I did not know before that it was so easy to get rid of insects by steam treatment or by taking things outdoors in winter (we have a private house). And I certainly had no idea at what temperature bed bugs and their eggs and larvae die in the cold and when washing, ironing, steam treatment. I was told that the minimum value is +45°C, but in this case I would have to expose the parasites for a long time.
And so I took up treating what I could, washed at +45 ° C, cleaned other things with the steam generator. But the unexpected happened: two weeks passed and they started biting me again. I got upset, it turns out that the product is not so effective. Another explanation is that my acquaintance gave me the wrong advice or I misunderstood something. Can you tell me what my mistake was, why the bed bugs reappeared? I look forward to hearing from you, thank you.

The author of the portal answers the question:

Ideal living conditions for a bedbug

Bloodsuckers prefer live at home in humans. This means that room temperature is comfortable for them - within +25°C. Slight fluctuations in either direction do not cause significant changes in pests' way of life. They calmly tolerate the temperature within +20°...+28°.

At the same time, a slight slowing down or, on the contrary, acceleration of the development of young individuals is possible.

When they stop feeding, the breeding process stops as well, because the female needs blood to lay eggs.

Life depending on conditions

In this case, the insects stop needing food, do not reproduce and do not even show the slightest activity.

Pests outwardly resemble the dead. When looking at them, many people think that death has indeed occurred.

At what temperature do bedbug eggs die?

The protective shell helps to protect the offspring. It prevents the onset of death even when reaching the temperature limits where larvae and adults do not survive: at +50°C and -20°C. For eggs to die under these conditions parasitesIt will take several days of continuous exposure to sub-zero temperatures.

Instant death of the embryos inside the eggs occurs when these limits are significantly exceeded: +60°C and -27°C.

At what temperature do bed bug larvae die?

Household parasites in the early stages of development die at low temperatures of -17°C or more. However, death in such conditions occurs in a few days. The rate of larvae destruction depends on the duration of cold exposure. But there is a survival limit. Thus, in freezing temperatures down to -25°C bedbugs die in a matter of seconds.

If the temperature drops to -20° C, it will take several hours to kill the parasites.

Also consider the opposite situation - when it is hot. There is no definite answer to the question of the temperature at which bed bugs die, either. The tendency for environmental conditions to change should be taken into account:

• +45°C - slow death (in 30 minutes);
• +50°C - death comes in a few minutes;
• +55°C - instant death (in seconds).

Temperature control methods

To destroy insects by physical means (by changing the environmental conditions), you need to choose the appropriate option.

In addition, the intense increase in temperature also heats up the outer covers of the parasites. The bedbugs begin to die.

Thermocannon

This device was named because of its resemblance to a cannon.

But it is important to consider the dangers of working with it.

Due to the intense heat, surfaces and objects can be damaged. During the operation of diesel or gas guns must be organized effective ventilation of the room, as the products of fuel combustion are released. However, there are less dangerous devices - electric ones.

Steam generator

Domestic appliance safe (if we do not yet consider the possibility of contact with hot steam). It is not necessary to ventilate the room, because this type of steam generator operates from the network, does not consume fuel. The device heats the liquid to the limit at which the transition of water into the steam state. The temperature of the environment at this time gradually reaches +160 ° C. This allows bed bugs to be killed instantly.

Even though the temperature at the outlet of the steam generator nozzle decreases somewhat, the parasites still die.

Laundry

This is another method of control that is guaranteed to destroy insects. But it has the disadvantage that not all items can be treated this way. Washing helps clean bedding, clothing, and other textiles. Different options are being considered:

• hand wash;
• automatic.

The first option is less effective, because it will be difficult to tolerate temperatures above +45 ° C.

You have to wash by hand, and the leather cannot withstand the effects of boiling water. If you wash things at +45 ° C, the insects will survive. You can try soaking the items in hot water first, hoping that over a longer period of exposure there will be a different result. But in this case, the water can spoil, and things in it sour.

Automatic washing is the best option.

The water is heated to +90 degrees. Furniture/clotheslines bedbugs do not live under these conditions, they die instantly. It is possible to set a different washing temperature - up to +60°C. Insects also die quickly under such conditions, but this value is considered borderline, and therefore the slightest fluctuations in either direction may mean a decrease in the effectiveness of the method.

Ironing

Modern irons heat up quickly. The soleplate temperature reaches +105°...+130°С.

If you iron an infected item where eggs might have remained, the embryos inside the protective shells will immediately die.

This method is not recommended for destroying larvae or adults because it can leave traces of insects. In addition, the ironing method is used only for cleaning textiles exclusively on the ironing board. Treatment of upholstered furniture may cause damage to the upholstery.

Boiling water

Parasites are afraid of high temperatures, but they will not have time to disperse if you pour hot water on their nest inside the upholstered furniture. This method can not always be used, you should consider the type of material, properties. There is another way to affect the parasites with boiling water - infected things are "boiled" in a large container (basin, pot).

Neither larvae nor eggs will survive this procedure.

Ultraviolet rays

This method is suitable forbed bug exterminations inside things and furniture. If ultraviolet light penetrates through the windows, it will not provide the desired result, because the rays are scattered, the temperature of heating surfaces is lower.

It is advisable to take the contaminated items outside.

The method of exposure to UV radiation is effective in the warm period, when the sun temperature rises to +50 ° C in some regions.

Frost

The principle of exposure to bedbugs The treatment is similar to how ultraviolet light works in the summer, only it is done in the winter. It is necessary to take things outdoors, where there may be bed bugs. And you must keep them in the frost for as long as the temperature allows.

Thermofen

This device functionally resembles a heat gun, but it is more compact and differs in the principle of the device. Its advantage is heating up to +500 ° ... +700 ° C. Parasites die quickly.

However, in domestic conditions, it can cause damage to coatings, objects.

In addition, buying a heat gun for a single treatment is impractical because of the high price.

Household steam cleaner

This electrical device is also effective in the fight against parasites. It is characterized by the ability to produce hot steam (temperature up to +140°C). The steam cleaner is designed for cleaning surfaces at various sites, including at home.

It is important to clarify in advance whether it can treat upholstered furniture and other products and materials.

Survival and mortality of adult insects, life stages of bed bugs

Bed parasites go through several stages:

For bedbugs at different stages of development, except for the first, create the same conditions under which they die.

It is necessary to act on the eggs with more aggressive methods.

To understand which method is more effective, we should look at statistics. The results are presented below.

Graph of bedbug survival depending on temperature

Graph of bedbug kill rate as a function of temperature

At a temperature of 45⁰С

At a temperature of 50⁰С

Graph of bed bug egg survival depending on temperature

Graph of bedbug egg mortality rate as a function of temperature

At a temperature of 45⁰С

At a temperature of 50⁰С

Safety rules for wrestling

When is room treatmentIf you are exposed to high temperatures, it is important to avoid contact with hot surfaces and pieces of equipment. If necessary, wear protective (thermal) gloves, even kitchen oven mitts will do. Protect your face with a special mask with a heat-resistant polymer clear shield.

This will help reduce the risk of facial skin burns as the hot steam rises.

User feedback - experience with the heat treatment method

Expert tips

Anna

Entomologist, researcher. Work experience of 16 years.

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- The most effective physical method of exterminating bed bugs is hot steam, and it is better and safer to use a steam generator or steam cleaner for this purpose;
- Do not treat the room fluently, you need to linger in each area for a couple of minutes;
- Unlike insecticides, hot steam does not provoke the development of resistance in parasites, so this method can be used when the need arises.

Conclusion

Bedworms prefer to live at room temperature, closer to humans. And the humidity of the air is also important. If these conditions are not met, the development of the parasite may be delayed, the reproduction process is disturbed, the possibility of getting food is lost. But it is possible to speed up the process of death. To do this, it is necessary to learn more about the peculiarities of pest activity, in accordance with which the method of control is selected:

1. Larvae and adults die when air temperature rises to +45°C. Eggs can be destroyed by more aggressive methods; the embryos inside them die at +50°C and higher.
2. Available methods of fighting: heat gun, heat gun, boiling water, freezing method, etc. The choice is made taking into account the type of material of the product, the coating and its dimensions.
3. Thermal protection gloves should be worn while treating the home. It is important to work with caution with the steam generator, heat gun and other complex equipment.