Bed Bug Life Cycle
If you have ever had bed bugs you know the psychological game it plays on you. Even the thought of them causes so much anxiety it can lead to PTSD like symptoms and even impact your physical health. People have been known to show signs such as rashes at the thought of bed bug infestations. Understand the bed bug life cycle can help you ease some of the tension by knowing the difference in eggs, nymphs, and adult bed bugs. Regardless of the stage they are in, there is only one proven method to kill bed bugs and that is using heat.
Bed Bug Eggs
An adult bed bug can lay up to 5 eggs per day. These eggs normally hatch in around 10 days. Because they are so resilient, bed bug eggs hatch in a temperature range between 50 and 98 degrees. Making them a year round problem. Bed bug eggs are very small, around one millimeter in diameter. They have the appearance of a very plump sesame seed. When viewed under a magnifying glass they have two small red eyes dots where their eyes are developing.
Juvenile Bed Bugs
Bed bug nymphs look a lot like their eggs, only larger and with legs. They maintain the same white color. After they hatch, they immediately look for a food source. They need to eat right away so that they can retreat to molt off their exoskeleton. They will go through 5 molting stages before they reach adulthood and each molting stage can last from five to eight days. It will be around 40 days before they are an adult bed bug.
Adult Bed Bugs
Much larger than nymphs, adult bed bugs measure around five millimeters. They have a much darker color at this point. And they can begin reproducing at any time. Male bed bugs have a more V shaped abdomen while females have a more U shaped abdomen. After they have had a blood meal they are more round and plump while unfed bed bugs appear to be much flatter.
Killing Bed Bugs
Hiring a Kansas bed bug exterminator that uses specialized heat treatment equipment is the only way to kill 100% of bed bugs in your home or business. Call Kansas Bed Bugs today or send them a message to get started fixing your bed bug infestation today.