What Are the Stages of Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs go through a complex life cycle. The first instar is the egg, which is a milky white color, and about one millimeter long, roughly equivalent to two grains of salt. This is the first stage of the life cycle, and it will last about a month. Once the egg hatches, the next stage will be the larva, which will feed for about five days. Then, the nymph will molt once, take another blood meal, and then mature into an adult.

Once the egg is laid, the bed bug enters its first nymphal stage and starts searching for blood. They will continue this process until they reach adulthood, a process that may take from five to six weeks. Once an adult has become fully grown, they will continue to feed and lay eggs.

Bed bugs are active primarily during the night. They prefer to stay near areas where they can feed and sleep. However, if they find a new food source, they will often crawl further. This means that if an infestation is widespread, the bed bugs will disperse, spreading to other areas.

In a few weeks, a bed bug will be able to feed on the skin of a human. The life cycle of bed bugs also has five stages. The nymph stage is the first stage and is around 1.5 millimeters long. Once an adult has matured, bed bugs will begin breeding and are ready to reproduce.