Bed bugs are known as nocturnal insects. When it comes to appearance, they are reddish-brown. As they have flattened bodies, they can hide in the likes of floor cracks, carpets, beds, and upholstered furniture. They love to suck blood of humans to survive. Not only humans, the other animals with warm blood are also their targets.
When your place is infested with bed bugs, there is no other thing that you want except to get rid of them. No one wants to have their blood sucked by them and get bed bug bites. While bed bug bites do not hurt, they are itchy and can lead to irritation. Apart from that, no one wants their place to appear to be dirty with bed bugs and their fences (black spots) everywhere.
Having knowledge about the life cycle time of bed bugs is useful to help you in your efforts to get rid of them. There are a total of 7 life stages of bed bugs, as follows:
- Eggs (1mm long)
- First stage nymph (1.5 mm)
- Second stage nymph (2 mm)
- Third state nymph (2.5 mm)
- Fourth stage nymph (3.5 mm)
- Fifth stage nymph (4.5 mm)
- Adult (5.5 mm)
Stage 1: Bed bug eggs
The life cycle of a bed bug starts in a tiny egg. Its size is usually described as small grains of rice. It is stated that bed bug eggs are no bigger than two grains of salt. When it comes to the color, it is white. Apparently, the female bed bugs can lay between one and five eggs every day and the number can be up to 500 eggs within one lifetime. Bed bug eggs are usually found within tight cracks or crevices. They are usually laid singly or in clusters. Within two weeks, they hatch and immature ones will start to feed right away.
Stages 2-6: Baby bed bugs (bed bug nymphs)
Once bed bug eggs hatch, bed bugs enter the nymphal stages of its development. Before reaching adulthood, the young bed bugs, which are also known as nymphs, pass through a total of five molts. While they share similar appearance as adult bed bugs, nymphs have smaller size. Another thing that sets these two apart is the fact that nymphs are not yet sexually mature. The young ones have yellow-white color, while the older ones have the same color as adults, which is reddish-brown. To be able to complete a molting stage, it is needed for every nymph to get a blood meal. At room temperatures, they molt and turn into adults within five weeks.
Stage 7: Adult bed bugs
After becoming adults, the size of bed bugs will be 5.5 mm in length. For those who have no idea how big they are, their size is about the size of an apple seed. The adult bed bugs will try to feed at least once a week or about every 10 days. When they are adults, they are known to feed more frequently. It is such bad news for those who are not lucky enough to experience a bed bug infestation at home or on holidays.
Even though bed bugs feed more frequently when they have reached adulthood, however, they are such survivors as they have the ability to last up to a year even when there is no food. Depending on the temperatures within the place, the life span of the bed bugs usually ranges from four months a year. Aside from the temperatures, it also depends on the conditions within the residence. According to the Bed Bug barrier, the life span of bed bug adults is anywhere from 4-6 months to 18 months. There is no doubt that they live a very long life.
How long do bed bugs live? According to a website called Orkin, the life span of bed bugs usually range from four to six months. However, it is possible for some of them to live longer up to a year under cool conditions and even without food.
After knowing the life cycle time of bed bugs, you might want to know the way to get rid of them. There are a number of the things that you can do, such as:
- Using diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth is really effective to kick the bed bugs out of your place. You can just sprinkle it across all surfaces. It may take up to a week or 10 days to completely erase these annoying things, so please be patient.
- Using silica gel
A sachet of silica gel can be found easily at home. Go check shoe boxes and food products to find them. After getting one, grind these beads up and sprinkle the powder around the areas they are infested.
- Using essential oils
Some essential oils that you can use to get rid of bed bugs are tea tree, lavender, and peppermint. They can make them feel nauseous and suffocate them to death. While using any of them, you have to exercise caution as they can be harmful to you and people around you.
- Using lemongrass
Lemongrass has an acid that kills both bed bugs and their eggs. To use this method, sprinkle some lemongrass in the areas infested by them.
- Using bed walnut tea
Black walnut tea contains antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal properties that are good at getting rid of infestation in your place. Place it in the areas where bed bugs hide, including cracks, crevices, and baseboards. Besides, you can also sprinkle it on your mattress and bedding.
Feel free to try any method to get rid of bed bugs that you want. If the list is not helpful or if it is not enough, you can use some other things such as alcohol, lemon juice, baking soda, cayenne pepper, tea bags, tape, borax, vinegar, and many more. If you have a hard time kicking these annoying insects out of your place, go hire some experts to do it for you.
