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The difficulty ofgetting rid of bed bugs has led many people to consider extreme solutions. People often wonder “How long would a house or apartment have to remain empty before you could feel confident that the bed bugs were dead?” The answers to this question is not set in stone. Since bed bugs feed exclusively on blood, they need a host for survival.They prefer humans, but will sometimes also feed on other animals as well. In an empty house, those food sources would be eliminated. There are many factors that determine how long bed bugs can live without food, and researchers have concluded that it could be anywhere from 20 days up to 400 days!
Some of the factors that determine how long a bed bug could live in an empty house are: age of the bug, temperature and humidity levels, predators, and energy exertion. First instar bed bugs (baby bed bugs) cannot live very long without food. Older juveniles and adults are much more likely to live for several months. As long as humidity levels are conducive for survival, cooler temperatures actually promote longer lives because the bed bugs slow down and conserve energy. As for actual numbers, that is trickier. In optimal laboratory conditions, bed bugs have been known to live 400 days without food. Real world conditions would be much more stressful, but live bed bugs have been found in apartments that have been empty for at least six months, and experts believe they could live nine months or more in an empty house or apartment. What does all this mean? It means that starvation is not an effective treatment plan for bed bugs. Not only would it take a long time before you could feel confident that they were dead, but it also puts connecting apartments or nearby homes at risk. If the bed bugs cannot find food where they are, they may migrate to other close homes and cause an even broader infestation. Abandoned or empty homes that were infested by bed bugs should be treated using multiple methods to ensure that the bed bugs are dead. PF Harris sells home pest control products that willeliminate bed bugs. Save yourself money by skipping the exterminator and taking care of the problem on your own. Our line of bed bug products includes aerosols, protective mattress covers, powders, and sprays. PF Harris has everything you need to take back your home.