Bed bugs life cycle

Bed bugs life cycle

Having a good knowledge about the life process and cycle of bed bugs adequately prepares you for what to expect when they infest your home or properties. Their Nocturnal habits along with their life cycle have made bed bugs to thrive in recent years.

When compared with other insects of the same ilk, bed bugs are more excellent breeders. They have a decent lifespan of up to 10 months but in that time, a single female bed bug with regular access to blood meals will lay more than 500 eggs. Giving the right living conditions to grow and a constant blood meal, a single bed bug colony can wreak havoc on an entire house. The life cycle of bed bugs is in three stages; Eggs, Nymphs, and Adult Bed bug.

Bed Bug Eggs


On an average, a well-fed female bed bug can produce up to 7 eggs a day for about 10 days with just one single blood meal. The scary part is that the mortality rate of the eggs is very low. As high as 97% of the eggs hatch into nymphs after about 9-10 days. Bed bug eggs are often produced in batches but sometimes as single units. The eggs are off-white in color and are usually found close to Adult Bed bugs in their hiding spots. In addition to that, there are some Female bed bugs that wander about during pregnancy. The bugs can lay their eggs anywhere in the room

Nymph Bed Bugs


The next stage after the egg stage is the Nymph stage. This stage is marked by the rapid growth of bed bug depending on how quickly they can get a blood meal. The Nymph stage consists of up to five growth stages called instars with each stage marked by shedding of the skin. One of the early signs of infestation to look out for is discarded bed bug skin. As a nymph, bed bugs are not easily spotted via the naked eyes although they are usually found in crevices and corners of beds.

Adult Bed Bugs


A fully grown Adult Bed bug grows up to about 5 millimeters in size. They are known for their rusty brown colors before feeding, and reddish-brown color after a blood meal. They do not have wings to fly but they make for that with fast crawling speeds and also a strong grip which makes them experts in latching onto furniture and other materials. With the right conditions and blood meals, adult bed bugs can leave up to several months.

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