Guide to Baby Bed Bugs

Table of contents

• Overview
• Life cycle and Pictures
  
• Feeding
  
• Eggs
  
• Adults
  
• Signs
  
• Bites
  
• Treatment
  
• Brochures
• Q&A
  

Baby bed bugs or nymphs are bed bugs that are passing through the first 5 stages of development (stage 6 is adulthood).  They are about the size of the head of a pin and are light brown/straw colored.  After they feed the body turns red as shown below.

Bed Bug Nymph Picture
Photo Credit: U of Minnesota

life cycle

Bed Bug Life Cycle Chart

A bed bug will seek to feed on a human (or bat, bird as an alternative) as soon as they are born.  They need to feed in order to pass from stage to stage.  If a feeding opportunity is available they can feed more than one time between stages.  A nymph or baby bed bug can live from 3 to 4 months without feeding.

Bed Bug Adult, Nymph and Egg

As bed bugs develop they molt (shed their skin) between stages.  You can often find remnants of the bed bug on the mattress, a sure sign that there is or was some type of bed bug problem.

It takes four to five weeks for a bed bug to move from egg to adult (1 week per stage), depending on the temperature.   The ideal temperature for development is 50 degrees F (10C).

Baby Bed Bug = Nymph After Blood Meal

feeding

Picture of Bed Bug Across Several Life Stages

A bed bug (baby bed bugs-nymphs, adults) has a hollow tube or stylet which moves out from the head and into the host skin surface.  The sytlet impales the skin and then searches for a location where blood can be withdrawn.   In effect bed bugs do not bite, they puncture.  It takes up to 10 minutes for a bed bug to finish a blood meal.  

When done, they move back to a tight narrow hiding place, which is often as close to the host as possible.  This is why bedbugs are found in mattress seams.

bed bug eggs

Picture Bed Bug Hatching

Bed bug eggs are approximately 1mm in width.  They are white-yellow in color and tend to be laid in small groupings.  They are attached to each surface with a cement like substance.

A  female will lay about 500 eggs during her lifetime.  It  takes 2 weeks for a bedbug egg to hatch.  They will lay about 1 to 2 eggs per day.

Picture of Bed Bug Eggs on Surface

adult bed bugs

An adult bed bug will seek to feed every 3 to 5 days.  They live for approximately 6 to 12 months.

Bed Bug Picture - Adult

Bed Bugs After (left) and Before (right) Feeding

bed bug signs

Bed bugs can be seen with the naked eye. In addition to confirming the presence of bed bugs visually, other signs are mattress stains.

Bed Bug Mattress Stains

bed bug bites

Bed Bug Bite Pictures

Visible skin reaction to bed bug bites such as bumps or red irritated skin is an allergic reaction. Since it is allergic, people that do not have an allergy to bed bugs do not show visible signs beyond a small nearly invisible puncture where the bite occurred.  This is why if two people sleep in the same bed, one can have a reaction while the other person does not.

Orkin Inc. recently completed a study which showed that only 3.7% of people will show a visible reaction to a bed bug bite (approximately 4 out of 100 people). Another .8% had a bed bug bite reaction within 18 days.  At these low levels, it is possible for a home to be suffering from bed bugs without actually seeing any skin reaction.  

A recent study by the University of Kentucky School of Agriculture study also shows that the odds of getting a bed bug bite skin reaction is even lower in elderly populations.

Here are some pictures of bed bug bites:

Picture: Bed Bug Bites

treatment

Bed bugs are difficult to treat. If you live in a single family home, and if you believe the infestation is small, then you can try home treatment by following these instructions starting with purchase of a kit.

Since even professionals require 2 to 3 treatments, we suggest starting with a free quote from a reputable national network with Bed Bug extermination experience such as Home Advisor (877.233.1145) or search our database of local exterminators.

Brochures

Each of these free brochures have information on baby bed bugs, treatment and prevention.

questions and Answers

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What Other Visitors Have Said About Bed Bugs

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Bed Bug or Flea Bites 
For the first time in my 67 year life I have bed bugs. I have used good pesticides and installed matress and box spring covers and eliminated 99% of them …

Will Steam Kill Bed Bugs? 
I bought a stem cleaner the kind used for steaming your clothes. Will this help kill the bed bugs? I contacted these bugs through my Father's Home, …

Bed Bug Bites on One Person Not rated yet
Why am I the only one getting bit? Also I keep reading that you dont feel them bite and there is likely no reaction, however I feel it every time. The …

Trouble Killing Bed Bugs in Furniture Not rated yet
Don't believe anyone when they say they can get rid of them. Nothing kills them. You have to throw all infested furniture away. Even an exterminator …

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references

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Jama.com

By Jeff Grill