courtesy of bed-bug.org (click to enlarge)

Bed bugs multiply very quickly and can turn a small infestation to a large one in a matter of a month or two. Adult Bed bugs engage in a mating technique called traumatic insemination. A female can lay between 1 to 5 eggs per day, while the eggs naturally take between 1 to 2 weeks to hatch into nymphs – depending on the temperature. There are 5 nymphal stages and bed bugs must have a blood meal to molt into their next stage. The entire molting process takes approximately 1 to 2 months total, depending on frequency of feeding. Each molt also causes the bed bug create a cast skin, essentially a mold of its old skin (think snakes).

So far there has been no studies on whether egg hatching is expedited by factors such as climate or weather, although it is generally understood that warmer temperatures expedite the hatching process while colder climates lengthen the hatching time.

The bed bug eggs are tiny and oval shaped like larva, nearly microscopic and stick to surfaces via a natural adhesive the bed bugs secrete. They are a pearl/milky white color and can be observed especially in favorite hiding locations. Generally, bed bugs prefer to lay eggs in milder, more cool locations. Locations such as within computers or electronics would prove to be a disruptive location for eggs due to the variation in heat and the common moving and use of such equipment. Again, bed bugs prefer stationary, cool areas such as in a bed frame, or deep within normally non-visible locations within furniture. Places such as behind wall paintings and decorations such as vases should also be checked.

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