How are bed mites reproduced? - briefly
Bed mites reproduce sexually; females lay eggs on the host’s skin or nearby bedding, and the eggs hatch into six‑legged larvae. The larvae undergo successive molts, progressing through a nymphal phase to become eight‑legged adult mites.
How are bed mites reproduced? - in detail
Bed mites reproduce through a primarily sexual cycle, although occasional parthenogenetic events have been recorded in some populations. Adult females deposit eggs on the surface of the mattress, bedding, or nearby cracks where humidity is sufficient. Each female can lay from 5 to 30 eggs over her lifespan, with oviposition occurring at intervals of 2–3 days under optimal conditions (temperature ≈ 22–25 °C, relative humidity ≥ 75 %).
The embryonic stage lasts 3–4 days, after which the egg hatches into a six‑legged larva. The larval phase persists for 1–2 days before the organism molts into the first nymphal stage, the protonymph, which possesses eight legs. The protonymph feeds briefly and then molts into the deutonymph, a more robust stage that can endure lower humidity for several days. Following a second feeding period, the deutonymph undergoes the final molt to become an adult. The complete development from egg to adult typically requires 5–7 days, but can extend to 2 weeks if temperature or moisture falls below optimal levels.
Mating occurs shortly after adult emergence. Males locate receptive females by detecting pheromonal cues released from the female’s cuticle. Copulation involves the male’s aedeagus inserting sperm into the female’s genital opening; fertilization is internal. After mating, the female stores sperm in a spermatheca, allowing multiple oviposition cycles without further mating.
Population growth is exponential under favorable indoor environments. A single fertilized female can generate several hundred descendants within a month, assuming continuous access to food (human skin scales and fungal spores) and stable microclimatic conditions. Control measures therefore target humidity reduction, temperature modulation, and removal of accumulated detritus to interrupt the reproductive cycle.