How Large Do Bed Bugs Grow?
WouterBed bugs are very tiny and can be mistaken for other insects because they cannot fly. The adults are about the size of a pea, and nymphs are smaller and less colorful. Depending on the stage of development, they can grow from a pinhead to a five-millimeter long. The nymphs can be reddish brown or yellowish in color.
Adult bedbugs are about six to seven millimeters in length. They lay eggs in secluded places and can lay several eggs in a single day. Female bed bugs lay about 200 to 250 eggs in their lifetime. Their eggs are about the size of a pinhead and hatch in a week. The nymphs then feed every day for five days, growing from an egg to a fully-grown adult in just six weeks.
In a suitable environment, bed bugs can mature in less than a month. They also require an abundant source of blood, which they can obtain from the host. If the environment is cooler, they can live for one to four months. They can reproduce multiple times per year if they find a suitable host. However, conventional methods of treatment might not be able to kill the bugs at this stage. Professional heat treatment is a good solution to the problem, because it can penetrate even the hard-to-reach areas of a home.
When bedbugs are in their adult stage, they are about 5 mm long. Their nymphs are slightly smaller and lighter in color. They are similar in appearance to an apple seed or lentil. When they pupate, they are yellow or white in color. Unlike fleas, they do not fly. However, they can quickly crawl over surfaces.
