The survival of bed bugs in water depends on a variety of factors. One of these is the duration of time the bed bug has been under water, and whether or not it is floating or drowning in the water. Of course, when a bed bug is floating in water, it will definitely survive since it has the capacity to access atmospheric air. Examples of bed bugs that can float on water are the ones that have not fed. These are usually very light and flat, and can depend on surface tension to keep them afloat.

However, when a bed bug drowns due to the loss of surface tension or when the bed bug is heavy enough, there is a chance that it will die. Some experiments have been done showing that bed bugs drowned in water for 24 hours will die, while a small percentage will not.

Of course, raising the temperature of the water significantly will increase this effect, since the hot water will denature critical proteins needed for the functioning of the bed bug’s life functions. Agitating the water, such as in a washing machine, also results in drowning which has the potential to kill the bed bugs.

It can therefore be said that the survivability of bedbugs in cold water is inconclusive, but they will definitely die when placed in water at a temperature above 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have bedding or other clothing that has bedbug eggs or adults in the folds and creases of the dress, you can simply pop it in your washing machine and clean them in the hottest setting. This should kill the bed bugs and their eggs.