The Fascinating Life Cycle of a Bed Bug

Despite being a massive nuisance, bed bugs are actually quite fascinating. What’s most interesting about these pests is their life cycle. This can be broken down into three distinct phases.

The life cycle of a bed bug

1. Eggs

The life cycle of a bed bug starts with eggs. One of the reasons why these bugs are such a massive problem is because they reproduce at a phenomenal rate. The female bed bug often lays more than 10 eggs per day, and can produce almost 500 eggs in her lifespan, which typically ends in a bed bug inspection.

These eggs are about the size of a grain of sand, and have a white to dark brown shade. The female bed bug usually lays them in cracks and cervices, which is another reason why these bugs are so difficult to get rid of. This also means that even if you vacuum or wash your bedding, the eggs will most likely survive. After about two to three weeks, these eggs hatch. These newly hatched bugs will then begin to immediately search for food.

2. Nymphs

In stage two of the life cycle of a bed bug, the bugs are now known as “nymphs.” These nymphs are extremely small (about the size of a grain of rice). When newly hatched, they are completely transparent. They may also have a yellowish white colour. As they grow, the nymphs become brownish red.

These bugs go through another 5 cycles. With each of these cycles they grow bigger and move closer to adulthood. In order to do this, the bed bug must feed on blood. They only need to do this once. When the nymph has harvested blood it grows bigger and also sheds it’s skin. After doing this five times it reaches adulthood and sexual maturity. It also takes around five weeks to complete this process. Bed bug preparation here is key.

3. Adults

The third stage of the life cycle of a bed bug is the adult or mature stage. At this point the bed bug is now a fully grown adult and can begin to reproduce. These adult bed bugs are usually about 6mm long and have a flattened body. This is what allows them to squeeze into cracks and other small spaces. Once it has reached this stage, the bed bug only needs to feed every 7-10 days and you absolutely should contact us.

These bugs are able to detect the carbon dioxide and warmth emitted by humans. When detecting either of these, the bed bug will leave it’s hiding place and make its way toward the human. It then feeds before returning home. At about ten weeks the bug begins to reach the end of its life. It will then breed and pass away.