Bed Bug Blog at BedBugInfo.com » bed bug life cycle http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog Bed Bug Information, Stories, FAQs and News Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:56:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 Do bed bugs have hard shells? http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/07/do-bed-bugs-have-hard-shells/ http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/07/do-bed-bugs-have-hard-shells/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:21:30 +0000 Rob http://www.bedbuginfo.com/bed-bug-blog/?p=298 Yes, in fact bed bugs have very hard shells. This is part of what makes them hard to kill. They don’t absorb chemicals such as insecticides as easily as other insects. Their hard shell makes them more rugged. However, they must shed their exoskeleton (known as molting) as they grow through the different stages of the bed bug life cycle. After they have shed their exoskeleton, it takes a little time for their newly developing exoskeleton to harden.

]]> http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/07/do-bed-bugs-have-hard-shells/feed/ 0 At what stage in a bed bug’s life cycle can they lay eggs? http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/04/at-what-stage-in-a-bed-bugs-life-cycle-can-they-lay-eggs/ http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/04/at-what-stage-in-a-bed-bugs-life-cycle-can-they-lay-eggs/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:56:58 +0000 Rob http://www.bedbuginfo.com/bed-bug-blog/?p=221 Female bed bugs can lay eggs once they have reached the adult stage of their life cycle. If they have access to a consistent food supply, hatchings will reach this adult stage in about five weeks.

]]> http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2010/04/at-what-stage-in-a-bed-bugs-life-cycle-can-they-lay-eggs/feed/ 0 What is the bed bug nymph size? http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2009/12/what-is-the-bed-bug-nymph-size/ http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2009/12/what-is-the-bed-bug-nymph-size/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:34 +0000 Rob http://www.bedbuginfo.com/bed-bug-blog/?p=149 A bed bug is a nymph through 5 stages in the bed bug life cycle. So the size of the bed bug nymph depends on which stage the bed bug as it. Here is roughly how long the bed bug will be at each stage.

  • 1st Nymphal Instar – 1.5 mm
  • 2nd Nymphal Instar – 2 mm
  • 3rd Nymphal Instar – 2.5 mm
  • 4th Nymphal Instar – 3 mm
  • 5th Nymphal Instar – 4.5mm

You can get more information on bed bug size by reading Bed Bug Size and Life Cycle.

]]> http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2009/12/what-is-the-bed-bug-nymph-size/feed/ 0 What is the typical bed bug size? http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2009/09/what-is-the-typical-bed-bug-size/ http://www.bedbuginfo.com/blog/2009/09/what-is-the-typical-bed-bug-size/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:38:14 +0000 Rob http://www.bedbuginfo.com/bed-bug-blog/?p=72 Bed bug size depends on the age of the bed bug. The bed bug life cycle consists of three main stages: egg, nymph and adult.

Bed bug eggs are about 1mm long (about the size of a poppy seed) which makes them very difficult to see when they are single. They often occur in clusters though which are possible to observe.

Bed bug nymphs move through 5 stages of development through the molting process.
Depending on how far along a nymph is, it will be somewhere between the size of a bed bug egg and an adult bed bug.

Adult bed bugs are about 3/8 inch long. When engorged from a blood meal, they may appear a bit larger.

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