How Long Do Bed Bugs Live On Clothes?
The bed bugs are small, tiny types of insects that live on feeding the plasma fluid of humans or animals. They have the ability to move very quickly from one place to another but cannot fly. Usually, they are found over beds, mattresses, headboards, cushions, clothes, etc.
An adult bed bug has the shape of an apple seed. A female bed bug can lay about 250-300 eggs during her lifespan.
Normally bed bugs can live on a cloth for about 1-4 months. So, if you want to have a clear idea about the topic of how long do bed bugs live on clothes, we encourage you to go through the topic.
What Happens When A Bed Bug Bites?:
Bed bugs are not taught to transmit diseases. The bite of a bed bug can develop skin rash, and allergic symptoms can be seen. Usually, they bite on the neck, face, legs, hands, and arms.
When a bed bug bites:
- Itching occurs.
- Red bumps are seen in a line or zigzag pattern.
- The middle of each bite swells up, and each dark spot becomes red in color.
- The bite looks as if it is a bite of a mosquito.
How Long Do Bed Bugs Usually Live On Clothes:
Bed bugs can live from 1-4 months at room temperature. They live by hiding themselves from humans in clothes or any other suitable place. If there is a bed bug in your cloth, and you are wearing that cloth regularly, the bed bugs lay and hide their eggs in your cloth.
A bed bug can get on your clothes very easily. It cannot fly but moves very quickly from one place to another through floors, ceiling, walls, etc. If your bed is beside the wall, a bed bug can easily move to your bed to have its meal. In the daytime, bed bugs are not usually seen. But, at night, when you are sleeping, the bed bugs wake up to feed your blood. A bed bug can get in your clothes from your bed or other people’s clothes. If you are sharing your place with any other person, they may have bed bugs, and those bad bugs might harm you also.
So, to lower the chance of bed bug infestation, it is necessary to wash your clothes regularly. It is required to dry your washed clothes properly.
How Bed Bugs Hide their Eggs In Clothes?:
A bad bug will definitely prefer to hide its egg when there is a tear in your cloth or a cloth that is left unused. The bed bugs hide on the sleeves and openings of your clothes, and infest your clothes, and hide their eggs. Besides, the bed bugs also move to your wardrobe and freely lay eggs and hide them on your clothes. A bad dug does not miss a single chance to hide its egg.
Methods to Prevent Bad Bugs from Getting into Clothes:
There are some useful and effective methods that can be followed to prevent bad bugs from getting into your clothes.
Washing and Drying your Clothes Frequently:
Bad bugs usually infest when a cloth is kept unwashed for a long time. So, clothes have to be washed and dried more frequently. Washing with hot water increases the effectiveness.
If you want to get rid of bed bugs, then washing your clothes regularly in a proper way is the most effective task. You can follow the below steps to wash your clothes:
Separate the clothes that can be washed at home:
We should separate the clothes that can be washed at home and do not need to dry clean. We should send the clothes that need dry clean only, to a dry cleaner.
Set your washing machine:
In the drum of your washing machine, take and pour the detergent powder. Set the temperature of the water as per your fabrics.
Put the Clothes in the Washer:
After you finish setting up your washing machine, it’s time to put the clothes in it. You have to perform this operation very carefully as bed bugs can spread in other areas very quickly.
Dry the clothes:
When the washing is completed, it’s time to dry the clothes in the dryer. Drying should be done at a very high heat setting and should continue for half an hour. The bugs and their eggs can be eliminated for sure if the temperature exceeds 120°F.
Storing the Cleaned Clothes:
String your clothes in your wardrobe is not the best option to store when there are bed bugs in your house. You should store your clothes in a heavy locked plastic or steel container or plastic bags.
Introduce High temperature:
Introducing a high temperature to your clothes can be a good way to get rid of bed bugs. Besides, a steamer can help you to steam the places where bed bugs usually hide. The areas that should be steamed properly are the sofa, beds, wardrobe, carpets, mattresses, etc. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to kill bed bugs.
These methods can help us to prevent bad bugs from getting into clothes. We should maintain the methods until we are free from bad bugs.
Why It Is Hard To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs:
To get rid of bed bugs completely is definitely a hard task. It is not as simple as it is to kill a cockroach. The bed bugs are now hard to control, even using pesticides. Some reasons why the bed bugs are hard to eliminate are mentioned below:
Bed Bugs Increases Rapidly:
Bad bugs increase very rapidly. Depending upon the blood meal, it lays a huge amount of eggs during her entire life. About 13 eggs are laid by a female bed bug in her lifetime. A bad bug population doubles every 16days under a comfortable cold temperature.
The behavior of Bed Bugs:
The lifestyle of bed bugs is a kind of secret. During day hours, the bed bugs are very inactive. But when it is nighttime, they start moving from one place to another in search of meals. They like to stay next to a bed or sofa. Sometimes, it gathers in mattresses, bed frames, headboards, and side tables. They are also seen on the back of wall plates or baseboards. A bed bug keeps himself always busy roaming. After you have done treatment to completely get rid of bed bugs and if still, a female pregnant bug remains, the infestation will again begin just after the birth of more bed bugs. So, it is really hard to get rid of bed bugs.
If you stay just one night in a bedbug-infested room, the bed bugs will move to your clothes and bags, and it is enough to carry them to your next place.
A bad bug introduction can very rapidly turn into an infestation. Their growth at a rapid rate, resistance to insecticides, different types of behavior, everything makes it really difficult to get rid of them.
Does It Take Very Long To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?:
The time it will take to get rid out of bed bugs will always depend on the method we use to eliminate the bed bugs, the nature and severity of the infestation, and how consciously the treatment is done.
When we use heat while treating bad bugs, the bed bug dies immediately, but the effect of heating does not remain. If we use chemical bed bug treatment, it will take a few days to complete, but its effect will remain for some days and will continue to protect your home from re-infestation.
The time it will take to get rid of it depends on the size and how much the bed bugs have infested the house. You should select the best pest control company depending on their fame and success rate for doing the treatment. You should sign a contract with them and ask them if they are available for initial treatment.
If you can prepare your house for treatment quickly, the treatment will also start quickly—the effectiveness of the treatment increases by proper preparation.
Traditional Insecticide Treatment:
Using the traditional insecticide treatment, the amount of time it will take to finish may vary. After the initial treatment, most of the pest control company again comes after a week or two to kill the remaining bed bugs eggs. Hence, often multiple treatments are needed, and that takes a longer time to get rid of bed bugs.
Heat Treatment:
Heat treatment is the best solution to kill bed bugs quickly. The bed bug treatment team will heat the room between 135°F and 145°F. They will place the thermometers around the room and will closely watch and ensure whether there is enough heat in the air to kill bed bugs. The temperature should be hot enough to cause damage. At 122°F (50°C) temperature, bed bugs and bed bug eggs die immediately.
Do it yourself:
You can treat the bed bugs by yourself. Just you have to buy everything the professionals use. It will be a lengthier process. So, it is recommended to perform the treatment with the help of professionals.
Conclusion:
If someone asks you how long do bed bugs live on clothes simply, you would answer that a bed bug lives on clothes for 1-4 months if it is not used and left unwashed. It can be prevented by using different methods but getting rid of the bed bugs is really time-consuming.
A bed bug can get on your cloth easily and so it’s your duty to be careful while wearing clothes. The bite of a bed bug can be painful and leaves a red mark on your skin. So, you should talk with a professional to get rid of bed bugs as soon as possible.