How long can a bedbug live without food? - briefly
Adult bed bugs can endure four to six months without feeding, and under ideal conditions may survive up to a year. Nymphs generally last only a few weeks to a couple of months without a blood meal.
How long can a bedbug live without food? - in detail
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) can endure extended periods without a blood meal, but survival time varies with age, temperature, and humidity.
Adult insects typically survive 4–6 months under normal indoor conditions (20‑25 °C, 50‑70 % relative humidity). In cooler environments (10‑15 °C) the metabolic rate slows, allowing some individuals to persist for up to a year. Conversely, exposure to temperatures above 30 °C accelerates metabolism and reduces starvation tolerance to a few weeks.
Nymphal stages are less resilient. First‑instar nymphs may die after 2–3 weeks without feeding, while later instars can last 1–2 months, depending on the same environmental parameters.
Key factors influencing starvation endurance:
- Temperature: lower temperatures prolong survival; higher temperatures shorten it.
- Relative humidity: moderate humidity (50‑70 %) supports longer fasting periods; very dry air increases desiccation risk.
- Life stage: adults outlast nymphs; older nymphs survive longer than younger ones.
- Sex: females often survive slightly longer than males, likely due to larger energy reserves.
Laboratory studies have documented extreme cases where adults survived 12 months without a blood source when kept at 12 °C and 75 % humidity. Field observations suggest that most infestations will collapse within a few months if hosts are unavailable, because natural temperature fluctuations and limited humidity accelerate mortality.
In summary, under typical household conditions an adult bed bug can persist without feeding for several months, while younger stages survive weeks to a few months, with extreme cold and stable humidity extending these limits considerably.