We often say that nature does things well. When we are helpless, we therefore count on it to put certain situations back into order. Bedbugs are today public enemy number 1 in France. They proliferate so quickly and are such a source of panic that the return of Covid has almost become anecdotal. Contamination by Covid-19 returns to service during the fall and it is now a seasonal problem. But what about these pests that are at the center of attention? What if the beginning of autumn and the approach of winter were finally the solution which, naturally, would rid us of bedbugs?
Point by point, we explain to you in which climates these insects flourish, the situations they hate and the precautions to take when you need to get rid of them.
The best season for their proliferation
Bedbugs thrive in the summer! Far from the sensations that a vacation period in the sun gives us, summer is, for bedbugs, a period during which they grow faster thanks to the heat. In an ambient temperature of 25 degrees, they will take 3 weeks to reach adulthood and therefore, to be able to reproduce. If the thermostat drops, their growth rate also decreases. In autumn and winter they ripen 10 times slower than in summer. For good reason, it will take them 3 months to reach their adult state and therefore be able to reproduce. However, even if they evolve less quickly in autumn and winter and do not appreciate the cold, they don’t disappear at that time… At least, not really.
Do they live in fall and winter?
Bedbugs hibernate. Extremely resistant, the drop in temperatures will not get the better of bedbugs which will continue to exist. Discreet, they camouflage themselves in winter, find their hiding places and wisely wait for a rise in temperatures to reappear, feed on our blood and reproduce. They are weaker at this period, and this is the perfect time to get rid of it. The problem is that even if we have reduced our consumption (by adapting our heating), the temperatures inside our homes remain sufficiently comfortable for bedbugs to do not hibernate, once they are installed in our home. However, by reproducing less quickly in fall and winter, they become less of a problem to manage. But that will still have to be taken into account!
The right actions to adopt
The first reflex, if you are considering the treatment of your home and you want to put all the climatic chances on your side is to lower the ambient temperature. From 18 degrees the bedbugs will already be much less comfortable and their proliferation will be slowed down. In La Squared Earth on France Inter Pascal Delaunay, expert in parasitology and medical entomologist at Nice University Hospital, invites us “use a steam cleaner”. Although bedbugs do not mind humidity and like heat, they do not survive several minutes of exposure to 100 degrees. However, if the situation is beyond your control, we invite you, summer and winter alike, to contact an approved professional to carry out this mission!
Read also :
⋙ Bedbugs: the 5 mistakes you should not make when treating your home
⋙ Bedbugs: are they dangerous for our animals?
⋙ Bedbugs: these strategic places to inspect to spot an infestation