Can bed bugs swim? The science and safe options
Spotted a bed bug in the bath or at the bottom of a bucket and hoping water will sort the problem? You’re not alone. Water feels like an obvious fix, but bed bugs are evolutionarily tough and water rarely finishes the job. Below, we explain what really happens when bed bugs meet water, what you can do safely, and why controlled heat is the proven route to eliminate every life stage.
ThermoPest are heat-treatment specialists. We use room-scale heat with precision monitoring to deliver consistent, lethal temperatures to bugs and eggs where they hide. If you want a deeper look at our bed bug heat treatment process, we break it down step by step.
What people believe vs reality
- Belief: Bed bugs will drown quickly in baths, buckets or toilets. Reality: Adults often float on the surface for hours because their waxy cuticle and the water’s surface tension keep them buoyant. Many simply climb out.
- Belief: A cold wash will clear infested laundry. Reality: Cold or warm washes often leave nymphs and eggs alive; heat is the critical kill factor.
- Belief: Soaking furniture will flush bugs out. Reality: Water drives them deeper into tiny crevices, risks damage and mould, and doesn’t kill eggs reliably.
What actually happens when bed bugs hit water
Bed bugs don’t swim, but they do float. Their hydrophobic cuticle and the surface tension of clean water let them raft, cling to edges, and wait it out. They may survive prolonged immersion, particularly in still, clean water. Add agitation and a surfactant (detergent) and survival drops because the surface tension breaks and water penetrates their spiracles.
Eggs are even more resilient. They’re glued to fibres and protected by shells; brief wetting rarely harms them. Lethality comes from heat: sustained temperatures above the thresholds described in what temperature kills bed bugs are needed to denature proteins in both bugs and eggs. In professional practice, rooms are heated to 56–60°C and held uniformly so there are no cold spots.
Common mistakes with water-based DIY approaches
- Flushing bugs and forgetting the rest: Flushing an individual bug changes nothing about the infestation in your bed frame, skirting boards or sofa.
- Cold washing: A short, cool cycle may remove some bugs but often spares nymphs and eggs embedded in seams.
- Soaking furniture or carpets: This rarely reaches harbourages, can warp materials, and creates conditions for mould — while leaving eggs intact.
- Boiling water splashes: Dangerous around electrics and still unlikely to penetrate into joints and voids where eggs are glued.
Practical steps you can do safely
- Bag textiles at the room where they’re found, then launder on a 60°C wash with detergent; tumble-dry on high for at least 30 minutes after items reach full heat.
- Use a crevice tool on a high-suction vacuum for mattress seams, bed slats and carpet edges; immediately seal and dispose of the vacuum bag.
- If you must submerge a stray bug, add a drop of washing-up liquid and agitate before disposal; treat this as a spot measure only.
- Reduce clutter near the bed to limit harbourages; consider encasing mattresses and box bases to trap any survivors.
- Before professional work, see our guidance on preparing your home for treatment.
Why heat treatment is the superior solution
Water struggles to reach hidden harbourages and does little to eggs. Modern heat systems address both problems directly:
- Cold spots eliminated: Multiple heaters and high-flow fans move air so heat reaches inside furniture, wall voids and deep seams.
- Sustained lethal temperature: We maintain target temperatures across the whole volume for hours, not minutes, so heat penetrates wood and upholstery.
- Sensors and monitoring: Networked sensors and data logging verify that every zone meets or exceeds lethal thresholds and stays there for the required dwell time.
- All life stages killed: Properly delivered heat overcomes egg resilience, something water and many chemicals fail to do.
Learn more about bed bug heat treatment and exactly how we deliver results in our bed bug heat treatment process. After treatment, it’s sensible to monitor your property after treatment to confirm eradication and guard against re-introduction.
ThermoPest expertise
We carry out domestic bedroom treatments and whole-home work, as well as commercial heat treatment for hotels and landlords who need discreet, same-day turnaround. Our approach is scientific, measured and evidence-led, with safety checks and monitoring built in from start to finish.
FAQ’S
Question: Can bed bugs drown in the bath or shower?
Answer: They can’t swim, but in clean water they often float thanks to surface tension and their waxy cuticle, then crawl out when they reach a rough surface. Agitation and a drop of detergent reduce surface tension and make drowning more likely, but this only removes the odd bug you can see. It does not address eggs or hidden harbourages in furniture. If you find one in a bath, flush it with hot, soapy water and focus on a full-room solution; in professional practice, we rely on heat rather than water.
Question: Will washing clothes kill bed bugs and eggs?
Answer: Yes, if you use sufficient heat. Wash at 60°C with detergent and then tumble-dry on high for at least 30 minutes after items reach full heat to ensure eggs are also neutralised. Cold or quick cycles often leave nymphs and eggs alive within seams and thick fabrics. Bag items before transport to the machine to prevent spread; in professional practice we integrate hot laundering with room heat treatment.
Question: How long can bed bugs survive in water?
Answer: In still, clean water some adults can survive for many hours, sometimes longer, especially if they can cling to edges and avoid submersion. Detergents and agitation shorten survival by breaking surface tension and flooding breathing openings. This variability is why water alone isn’t a reliable control method. If you submerge an isolated item, use hot water plus detergent; in professional practice we target lethal heat, not drowning.
Question: Can I flood my mattress or carpet to kill bed bugs?
Answer: It’s not recommended. Water rarely reaches the deep joints and voids where bugs and eggs sit, can damage materials, and may create mould without solving the infestation. DIY attempts also risk pushing bugs into new harbourages (cold spots for heat distribution later). Use encasements and vacuuming for interim control and book heat treatment; in professional practice we heat the entire room uniformly.
Question: What’s the best non-chemical way to get rid of bed bugs?
Answer: Whole-room heat treatment is the most reliable non-chemical option because it delivers sustained lethal temperatures to every hiding place and life stage. Sensors verify there are no cold spots and that eggs — the most heat-tolerant stage — receive the required dwell time. DIY methods often fail through uneven heating and missed harbourages, leading to re-introduction being mistaken for survival. Seal belongings, launder hot, and arrange a professional survey; in professional practice we also deploy post-treatment monitors to confirm success.
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