{"id":22192,"date":"2025-02-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/?p=22192"},"modified":"2025-03-25T12:50:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T11:50:02","slug":"can-bed-bugs-survive-a-british-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.co.uk\/blog\/can-bed-bugs-survive-a-british-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Bed Bugs Survive the British Winter? (And Other Burning Questions)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ah, the British winter. Crisp mornings, cosy nights by the fire… and the lingering question: do bed bugs feel the chill too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a common misconception that bed bugs simply freeze off when temperatures plummet. While they certainly prefer the warmth, these hardy critters are more resilient than you might think. Let’s unpack the truth about bed bugs and cold weather, along with some other common queries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bed<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do bed bugs die in the cold?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not necessarily. While bed bugs thrive in temperatures around 21-32\u00b0C (70-90\u00b0F)<\/a>, they can survive for a surprising amount of time in colder conditions. They may enter a state of dormancy, slowing down their metabolism and essentially “hibernating” until temperatures rise again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it like this: they’re not exactly throwing a party in your bed during a blizzard, but they’re not packing their bags and leaving either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I freeze bed bugs to get rid of them?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Freezing<\/a> can be an effective way to kill bed bugs, but it requires very specific conditions. Simply putting infested items in a domestic freezer might not do the trick. To effectively eliminate bed bugs through freezing, you need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n