How Large Do Bed Bugs Get?
Bed bugs are nocturnal insects, laying hundreds of tiny white eggs during their life. Each egg is approximately the size of a pinhead and hatches after five days. During the early stage of development, female bed bugs lay one or two eggs per day. Once hatched, they grow to about one-tenth of an inch. After that, they go through five nymphal stages. These bugs need to eat blood to survive and develop in their new adult form.
Bedbugs’ bites can be itchy and irritated, but they are not poisonous. Simply cleaning the affected area with a warm, mild soap will help alleviate the itching. Bedbug bites can occur anywhere on the body, but are most common on exposed parts of the body.
Bedbugs are wingless and oval, measuring about a third of an inch. Adults are rust or reddish in color, and have six legs. They can be mistaken for other household insects, due to their appearance. Nymphs are smaller and lighter than adult bed bugs.
Adult bedbugs can grow up to one-fifth of an inch, which makes them larger than most other insects. During feeding, they extend their abdomen, becoming about half an inch long. Once they’re full, they will shrink back down. They’re not very fast, but they can travel a distance of three to four feet per minute. If you’re worried about bed bugs, you can check for signs of infestation by using a bug trap.