“When in doubt, wait it out” is not a maxim that will work with bed bugs. Homeowners might be surprised how long bed bugs can live without food. Bed bugs can live over two months without a single meal before dying from lack of food. Of course, different factors impact how long they can live without food, and we’ll explore how long a bed bug can live depending on their environment.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live Without a Host?
In the past, it was believed that bed bugs could survive up to a year without food. However, recent research indicates that without access to a host, the average adult bed bug will die within 70 days at room temperature.
Bed bugs are hematophagous and feed exclusively on blood, so a host is a bed bug’s sole supply of sustenance. Unfortunately, human blood is a bed bug’s favorite food, but other mammals and birds can also be hosts for bed bugs. Bed bugs get both nutrients and the moisture they need from a blood meal, so bed bugs do not drink water.
Like any other living creature, starvation has a negative impact on bed bugs, and hunger will shorten their lifespan. However, multiple factors affect how long a bed bug is able to survive without food.
Temperature
How long a bed bug can survive without food depends largely on temperature.
- In hot weather, bed bugs won’t live as long without food. Blood meals are a bed bug’s primary source of moisture, so they rely on a host to keep hydrated. The warmer the temperature, the quicker a bed bug will dry out and become dehydrated.
- In cold temperatures, a bed bug can live significantly longer, even without a food supply. Some lab studies have observed adult bed bugs living up to 400 days without food. So in cold homes where there is no central heating, it may be possible for bed bugs to survive a very long time.
However, it should be noted that lab environments are carefully controlled, unlike in a house. House life is more dangerous for a bed bug, since bed bugs face dangers, such as being squished or not finding enough to eat.
Temperatures also fluctuate more in a household than in a lab, and most homes are kept at a warmer temperature. You probably don’t live in a house that is regularly kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is how cool temperatures must be to prolong a hungry bed bug’s life.
Humidity
You might assume that bed bugs starve to death, but most bed bugs that are deprived of food die from dehydration rather than starvation. Bed bugs eventually dry out in warm, dry climates without access to the sustenance they need to survive.
Since a bed bug’s sole source of moisture is blood, they need blood meals to help them stay hydrated. For that reason, bed bugs survive for longer in humid conditions because the moisture in the air protects bed bugs from drying out. Even in warm climates, high humidity protects bed bugs when otherwise they would dehydrate if the air was dry.
Staying hydrated is one reason why bed bugs hide. Bed bugs seek tight hiding spots to conserve body moisture and protect themselves from being dried out.
Age
When it comes to starving bed bugs, the youngest perish from hunger first. Older nymphs and adult bed bugs can last a longer time without food. But younger nymphs aren’t able to endure long durations without food.
Common bed bugs have five different stages of development. Without a blood meal, baby bed bugs cannot molt and progress their growth.
Additionally, adult bed bugs cannot reproduce without a blood meal. When female bed bugs are deprived of a host to rely on for food, the reproduction rate of a bed bug population will slow down. As a result, starvation can have a potent effect on stopping the growth of an infestation.
Bed Bug Lifespan
It’s helpful to know how long bed bugs can last without food, but you might also wonder how long it takes for bed bugs to die naturally. A bed bug normally has a lifespan of 12 to 18 months.
On average, bed bugs eat a blood meal every three to seven days. It usually takes a bed bug five to 10 minutes to consume a meal of blood extracted from the host. Although they eat only once or twice a week, bed bug bites can itch for up to two weeks.
FAQ
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live in an Empty House?
Without a host, bed bugs in an empty house typically die within 70 days if the home is above room temperature (>70 degrees Fahrenheit). A house kept at room temperature that has been vacant for three months or longer should be bed bug-free.
If a house hasn’t been empty for long, there may be bed bugs that survived on the meals from the home’s last inhabitants. However, in an unheated home in a cold climate, bed bugs might live longer even without food, as long as 400 days.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Live Without Food in a Car?
When stuck in a car without food, bed bugs will die within 70 days, the same amount of time as they can survive in a house. However, since a vehicle might be more susceptible to cold weather, bed bugs in a car might live longer in cold climates.
What are Good Home Bed Bug Remedies?
To get rid of a bed bug infestation, it is essential to have your home treated by a professional pest control company. But while you are wait for your scheduled bed bug treatment, here are some ways to keep a bed bug population at bay:
- Cold treatments can be used by placing infested items in a freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for three days.
- Steam treatment is when homeowners use a steamer to treat their mattress, bedding, or upholstered furniture.
- Diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled around your home. The sharp earth slices through a bed bug’s exoskeleton and dries the bug out, eventually killing it.
- Essential oils are a contact pesticide that can be sprayed directly onto a bed bug. Although they can’t treat an entire infestation, they do have a negative effect on bed bugs.
- Glue traps or interceptor traps can be set around the room to trap bed bugs and prevent them from climbing on your furniture.
- Vacuum the bed and mattress. Thoroughly vacuum your bed, furniture, and the surrounding room. Vacuuming helps eliminate some of the bed bugs in your house.
- Wrap your mattress in a mattress encasement. Mattress covers can be used to seal bed bugs inside in order to keep them off you.
- Dry clothes and bedding on high heat. Running infested fabrics through the dryer at high temperatures will kill bed bugs and their eggs.
Does Alcohol Kill Bed Bugs?
Rubbing alcohol can treat no more than 50% of a bed bug infestation, and it will not be able to completely get rid of your bed bug problem. Aside from that, rubbing alcohol is a fire hazard, and it can be dangerous to spray it around your home.
Waiting Won’t Solve Your Bed Bug Problem
For being so small, bed bugs are surprisingly long-lived, even without access to a food source. That means that if you want to get rid of bed bugs, you need to be proactive. Once it has been confirmed that there are bed bugs in your home, a pest control technician will help you create a treatment plan.
If you suspect there are bed bugs in your home, don’t hesitate to find a local pest control pro to have your home inspected and treated.
Main Image Credit: Medill DC / Flicrk / CC BY 2.0
