How Do Bed Bugs Reproduce?

A bed bug’s life cycle begins with an egg. These oval-shaped eggs are one millimeter long and can be either pearly white or translucent. After hatching, the egg will develop into a nymph. Nymphs look very similar to adult bed bugs but are much smaller and lighter in color.

Female bed bugs need a mate to reproduce. This process is called traumatic insemination. The male inseminates a female through the abdomen and sperm travels to the ovaries for fertilization. The eggs are laid within 7 to 10 days, and the juvenile bugs mature within five weeks. The life cycle repeats itself several times. The average adult female will lay between 200 and 500 eggs over her lifetime.

The temperature of the inhabited space is an important factor in bed bug reproduction. The ideal temperature for reproduction is 70degF/20degC. At this temperature, 60 percent of the eggs will hatch within six to nine days. The lower the temperature, the longer the eggs will take to hatch.

After hatching, the nymphs feed regularly, and will begin searching for a blood meal within three days. They need to eat enough to survive and will shed their shells every three days. They will continue feeding on their blood meal throughout their life cycle.

Continue reading:

Where Do Bed Bugs Naturally Live? Does Having Bed Bugs Make You Dirty? Do Bed Bugs Give You Pimples? Does Burning Bed Bugs Kill Them? Can You Use a Clothes Steamer For Bed Bugs? What Can You Use to Kill Bed Bugs in Your Home? Can You Bring Bed Bugs to Work? Can I Take My Landlord to Court For Bed Bugs?