How Small Are Bed Bugs When They Hatch?
WouterWhen bed bugs hatch from eggs, you can see them with your naked eye. The nymphs have six legs and three parts, two antennae, and are pale yellow in color. During the day, the nymphs hide away and come out to feed at night. During this time, they are quite small – about one mm in length.
They tend to hide in the seams of the mattress and other nearby areas. Infestations usually begin near the mattress, but they will also hide in other furniture, such as the headboard, under the box spring, or in cracks in bed frames. Because they don’t have a hard shell, they can fit into tight crevices. They will feed every 3 to 7 days.
When you find a bed bug, it’s important to take action as soon as possible. This will prevent a more extensive infestation. Once the infestation is large, it may be difficult to kill them. But if you get them early enough, it’s possible to kill them and prevent an even larger infestation.
Once a bed bug reaches adulthood, it will be ready to lay eggs and continue to reproduce. The adult bed bug lays three to five eggs a day and can lay hundreds of eggs during its lifetime. Upon hatching, the newly emerged nymphs are small – about the size of a pinhead – and begin looking for a warm blooded host.
