Basic Bed Bug Biology

Basic Bed Bug Biology Bed bugs can reproduce rapidly. Females will lay one to five eggs per day, and one female can lay between 200-300 eggs over her lifetime. The eggs are white, about 1/32-inch long, and are covered with sticky glue that keeps them attached to the surface where they are laid. The eggs hatch in 3 to 7 days and then go through five growth periods called instars. Young, light tan bed bugs turn darker brown as they get older. They need a blood meal before they can molt from one growth period to the next. It takes between 21 to 120 days to grow from an egg to adult, depending on temperature, humidity and the availability of a blood source.