Why is it so hard to kill bed bugs?

How long do things have to freeze, to kill bed bugs?

• I'm a little paranoid about bed bugs since a buddy got them last year and it caused him no end of grief. I bought a couple very nice sweaters at the Salvation Army today, and it just occurred to me that 'uh-oh, those could have bed bugs'. the temperatures go down to hard frost at night. If I left them on the back porch, how long would I have to leave them there until they are safe to bring in? I won't be able to take them to the dry cleaners until I get paid again in two weeks, but I don't want to bring them in if they are "iffy". I should have thought of this sooner, I know. Thank You

• Answer:

  You did the right think by not bringing the items directly into your home. I hope they are also in a sealed bag. There is a lot of misinformation out there about how to kill bed bugs. Freezing does work IF the right temperature is reached and maintained for sufficient time, relative to the density/size and weight of the item. How long depends on the age of the bug and how recent was the last meal. The main point is often missed - the bed bug eggs are the hardest stage to kill. 99% of the chemicals out there do not kill the eggs. Only heat and cold IF done correctly have a 100% kill rate of bed bug eggs. University of Minnesota has a half-decent fact sheet on just this subject. See the first source below. The second source is a more definitive reference for freezing bed bugs - Stephen L. Doggett's Code of Practice out of Australia; see page 39. Basically, -20C for two hours, but for the home freezer it is more like 10 hours (does not maintain a constant temperature). The third source is to learn about bed bugs - how to recognize them in all stages, the signs of an infestation (cast skins and fecal stains) - also has a good support forum. Follow these directions and you will be good to go. Ken. Disclaimer: I own and operate, Bed Bug Mutts, a bed bug dog service in Maple Ridge BC Canada.