Baby Bed Bugs
Baby bed bugs are known as nymphs, one of the three stages of development for bed bugs. They start out as eggs, hatch into nymphs, or larvae, and then become the pesky little things we know too well — bed bugs!
These pests lay their sticky eggs on secluded parts of objects, such as mattresses, headboards, or couches. The eggs are only about ¼ of an inch, so they’re not easy to spot with the naked eye.
Once these eggs hatch, nymphs go through five molting periods before becoming adults capable of reproducing themselves (and laying more eggs). This molting cycle takes anywhere between 6 days and 10 weeks depending on temperature conditions or their access to blood meals during development stages.
Nymphs are capable of surviving without food for 3 months, yet adult bed bugs will die after 8 weeks of no food.
Do Baby Bed Bugs Bite?
Yes, baby bed bugs can bite.
What happens when a nymph hatches from a bed bug egg? They need to feed on blood, right? Yes, as soon as a nymph hatches, it needs blood in order to survive and grow up into an adult insect. They receive that blood meal by biting humans.
Baby bed bugs require more frequent meals as they develop and grow, which means they can be worse than adult bed bugs.
What do Baby Bed Bugs Look Like?
Recently hatched baby bed bugs are small and almost translucent in color, which means that they can be difficult to spot. As they move through their molting stage, they become larger and darker until they reach a dark brown color.
Fully-grown bed bugs grow up to about 7mm in length and 1 mm wide — about the size of a tangerine seed.
Can Baby Bed Bugs Lay Eggs?
Baby bed bugs cannot lay eggs right away, but they become fertile relatively quickly. About five weeks after hatching, bed bugs can breed and lay eggs.
In some environments where the temperatures are warm and the blood meals abundant, bed bugs can reach maturity after only a month
Do Males and Females Bed Bugs Look Different?
Male and female bed bugs do have minor variations in appearance. Male bed bugs have a pointy end to their abdomen while females have rounded ends. Other than that, they are nearly identical
However, if you look at them under a microscope, you may notice some internal differences through their opaque skin.
How to Kill Baby Bed Bugs
Getting rid of bed bugs begins with cleaning up the places where they live. This should include the following:
- Clean your bedding, linens, curtains, and clothing in hot water, then dry them on the highest temperature setting
- Place stuffed animals, shoes, and other items that can’t be washed into a dryer for 30 minutes at high heat
- Vacuum
It’s not easy to kill bed bugs, though. Because they are hard to spot and often spread throughout the home, it’s hard to know what you need to clean — and how to clean it. The best solution is to call a pest control professional.
Bed bug removal typically takes a couple rounds of treatment in order to kill bed bugs at all phases, from egg to nymph to adult. If you think you have a bed bug problem, call your local pest professional to schedule an inspection.