With the onset of cold weather, you will usually get a break from the itchy bites and irritating welts that bugs can inflict. Most mosquitoes either die off or overwinter far from human contact, and ticks and fleas take a break from their usually scheduled activity. Even spiders skip their regular creepy crawling to slow down during the cold season. Bedbugs, however, can be an outlier. While bedbugs can be less invasive in winter, they are still sneaking around in mattress seams and furniture crevices waiting to bite. Find out more about what bed bugs are doing over winter break and who to call for residential pest control in Milton. 

Do Bed Bugs Hibernate in Winter?

Like most bugs, bed bugs do not hibernate. They go through overwintering, wherein they slow down a little and reproduce less than they usually would. That does not mean that they cannot be active in your home. Also, like other predatory bugs, they seek warm environments where food is bountiful to spend the harsh winter months. Your home, unfortunately, happens to fit the bill for the bed bug’s winter holiday requirements. 

Does Cold Weather Kill Bed Bugs?

Cold weather certainly slows bed bugs down, first and foremost. Bed bugs, though, like spiders, have a unique chemical that they produce that allows them to survive in freezing temperatures for a short while without perishing immediately. The chemical acts like antifreeze and keeps them functioning until they can reach more suitable conditions. However, if bedbugs are exposed to freezing and particularly sub-zero temperatures for sustained periods, they will not survive. 

Because cold weather deters the movement of bed bugs, they spread less readily in the winter. A warm environment inside is ideal conditions. Latching on to a person and hitching a ride in the cold to get to another destination, as expected in warmer months, is not happening in frigid temperatures. 

How To Prevent Winter Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs aren’t taking the fast transit across town and starting major infestations city-wide during the winter. However, there are still essential precautions everyone should take for home pest control to reduce the risk of bed bugs, especially those people with school-aged children. School-aged children come into contact with their teachers and a host of other students during the day, but before and after school, they may also ride the bus with students all over the city. Simple precautions you can take to prevent the spread of bed bugs include:

• Wash clothes after school and work 
• Shower after returning home 
• Keep worn clothes in a designated area 
• Routinely wash sheets and bedding 
• Treat any second-hand items before bringing them into the home 
• Declutter rooms and under the bed storage 
• Routinely inspect for signs of bed bugs 

How To Remove Bed Bugs in Winter?

DIY pest control is not an ideal approach for the eradication of bed bugs. Due to their nesting behaviour, it can be challenging to locate all the bed bugs in an infestation for DIYers. Even if you treat one room and get a new mattress and bedding, bed bugs could be hiding in the wallpaper or behind light switches. Bed bug larvae are notorious for sticking around even after the adults have met their end. Additionally, do-it-yourself treatments can include harsh chemicals that can leave harmful residues on walls and flooring. 

Rather than risk an ineffective treatment that adds another level of harm for you and your family, let the professionals at Truly Nolen provide pest control. They will create an individualized plan of action to address your bed bug infestation and a quick and easy solution so that you can return to your regular activities. Contact Truly Nolen Canada to schedule an assessment or learn more about pest control options in Milton.