How Old Are Bed Bugs When They Start to Feed on Humans?
WouterOne way to determine if you have a bed bug infestation is to observe the number of adult bedbugs present in the area. Adult bedbugs typically take around seven weeks to mature. This period of time includes both the initial hatching of the eggs and the time it takes for them to feed on human blood. If you find a large number of adult bedbugs, then your infestation may have lasted for longer than this period.
The age at which bedbugs start feeding on humans depends on several factors. For example, an egg may hatch about six to seventeen days after it has been laid. The eggs are not mature until they are fully developed, which can take up to four months in cooler temperatures. However, if you see a bedbug nymph on a human or a pet, they can begin feeding on blood within a few days.
Once bedbugs reach maturity, they stop feeding and moving around. In two to three months, they will die. In addition, their bites are not as noticeable until the skin responds to the bedbug’s saliva. Moreover, these bites are generally small and inflamed and may last one to three days.
Adult bedbugs do not feed every day, so their feeding schedule may vary based on how many of them there are. In general, the adult population feeds one to two times a week. They will molt a few times during this time.
