How do domestic bedbugs reproduce and how long do they live? - briefly
Female bedbugs lay 1‑5 eggs per day after a blood meal, producing roughly 200‑500 eggs that hatch in 6‑10 days. Adults survive 4‑6 months on average, extending up to a year when food is plentiful.
How do domestic bedbugs reproduce and how long do they live? - in detail
Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) reproduce through a process called traumatic insemination, in which the male pierces the female’s abdominal wall with his intromittent organ and deposits sperm directly into her hemocoel. Sperm travel through the hemolymph to the ovaries, where fertilization occurs. After a single mating event, a female can produce multiple egg batches over several weeks without further copulation.
Key aspects of the reproductive cycle:
- Egg production: Each female lays 1–5 eggs per day, aggregating 200–500 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs are creamy‑white, 1 mm long, and laid on flat surfaces near a host’s sleeping area.
- Incubation period: At 22–26 °C (72–79 °F) and 70–80 % relative humidity, eggs hatch in 6–10 days. Cooler temperatures extend incubation to 2–3 weeks.
- Nymphal development: Six instars follow hatching. Each molt requires a blood meal; the duration of each instar ranges from 4–10 days under optimal conditions, lengthening considerably in colder environments.
- Adult emergence: The final molt produces a sexually mature adult capable of reproducing within 4–7 days after the last blood meal.
Lifespan of the adult:
- Under favorable conditions (temperatures near 25 °C, regular access to blood), adults live 6–12 months.
- In temperate climates, individuals may enter a diapause-like state, surviving several months without feeding, thereby extending total lifespan to up to 18 months.
- Starvation reduces longevity dramatically; adults deprived of a blood meal for more than two months typically die.
Overall, the complete life cycle—from egg to reproductive adult—takes 4–6 weeks when temperature and humidity are optimal. Variations in environmental factors directly affect both developmental speed and adult survival, explaining the wide range of observed lifespans in domestic infestations.