Bed bugs don’t care if its winter

During this time of the year I will get several calls from people inquiring about our bed bug treatment options and what the cost is. The amount of calls in the winter do not actually differ much from what they are in the summer. But what does change is the reasons for why they choose to not pursue the bed bug treatment. During the summer I’ll hear every excuse from the simple “I Can’t afford that right now to “I’m going to try the DIY method first”. (Disclaimer: NEVER try the DIY methods first, they only make the problem much worse and harder for even the professionals)

Once it gets cold outside I will often start to hear the excuse that hopefully they will just go away because its cold… That’s a nice thought, however, bed bugs are never really exposed to the outside air temperatures long enough to cause an issue. Contrary to the rumors homeowners choose to believe, bed bugs will not travel across the yard and into the neighbor’s home. Like ticks bed bugs are opportunistic travelers and get from one home to the next by hitching a ride on our body, in clothing or even in things such as a purse.

Another reason why cold outdoor temps will not affect bed bugs is because for cold temperatures to kill them the temperature drop must be near instant causing a shock to the body. If you were to take a ziplock bag with bed bugs in it and stick that in the freezer over night and take the bag out in the morning and let it thaw out, the majority of the bed bugs would be alive and well. The only way to kill them this way would be to leave them in the freezer for 7 to 15 days to have a 100% kill.

By now you should see why cold weather outside is not going to have any effect on a bed bug infestation in your home. In fact it does not even reduce your chances of becoming exposed to them during your daily routine and bringing them home. to the contrary, once winter comes along people will spend more time doing indoor activities like going to movie theaters, plays, gyms, and other similar things. Spending all this time in public places increases the likelihood that you will bring home bed bugs.There are several things you can do to help prevent bringing bed bugs into your home and if you search through my blog you will find many articles I’ve written on how to keep from bringing them home.

With all of this in mind, if you find yourself with bed bugs or think that you “might” have them do yourself a favor and call a professional to come out and solve the issue for you. If you are in Kalamazoo, MI or any of the surrounding areas you can call us at 269-353-1727 and get the best bed bug service around!