How Many Stages Are In A Bed Bug Lifecycle And What Are They?

Despite being one of the most feared and detested pests, bed bugs are actually quite fascinating. The bed bug lifecycle is a lot more interesting than other pests. If you’re curious, here are the 7 stages these bugs go through during their lifetime.

The 7 phases of a bed bug lifecycle – stages 1 to 2

Bed bugs start their lives as eggs (this is stage one). The female bed bug lays about 5-20 eggs in a single sitting. These eggs are usually laid after the female has eaten, and she’ll produce about 113 during her life.

It takes around 7-10 days for these eggs to hatch, and this kicks off the next stage of the bed bug lifecycle. These newly emerged bugs are known as nymphs. Some scientists also call them instars. They are small, pale yellow, and almost transparent. Because of their transparency, these nymphs are often impossible to spot with the naked eye.

The 7 phases of a bed bug lifecycle – stages 3 to 7

This is where the bed bug lifecycle becomes quite strange. You see, bed bugs go through another five stages in their lives as nymphs. At each of these stages they grow bigger, before finally reaching adulthood.

What’s worth noting here is that the bug doesn’t really need to eat between these stages. All that it requires is a single meal of blood. Bed bugs can survive a long time without needing to feed. Once this happens, the bug moults and grows larger, entering the next stage.

If your home is infested with these pests, then this moulting is something that you’ll immediately notice. You’ll see their moulted skin lying around your bed area, as well as faeces.

What’s also interesting about the bed bug lifecycle is that it will not grow until having this meal. This means that bed bugs only need to eat five times before reaching adulthood. (This usually takes about 45 days but can vary).

Due to that, these pests are extremely hard to eradicate. They can hide away for months, before finally emerging to eat. In fact, scientists have found that bed bugs can live as long as 400 days without a meal.

After this we come to the final stage (stage seven), which is maturity. At this point the bed bug is about 5mm across, or the size of an apple seed. They have a dull, rusty brown colour and the female is slightly smaller than the male.

All that’s left now is for the bugs to mate and produce more offspring. This occurs whenever bed bugs are able to feed. After eating, they mate and the female produces eggs, and bed bugs multiply quickly. This adult stage lasts about 7-12 months. During this time the female produces eggs, before eventually dying. The eggs then hatch and the cycle begins again.