How many bedbugs can be in dormancy? - briefly
An individual bed bug can survive without feeding for several months, with documented cases of up to 12 months under cool, low‑humidity conditions. Consequently, an infestation may contain any number of dormant insects, limited only by available shelter and resources.
How many bedbugs can be in dormancy? - in detail
Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) can enter a prolonged inactive phase when hosts are unavailable, temperatures are low, or humidity falls outside the optimal range of 70–80 %. During this state, metabolic activity drops to less than 1 % of normal, allowing individuals to survive for months without feeding.
Observed populations in dormancy vary widely. In laboratory studies, a single adult can survive up to 180 days without a blood meal at 15 °C, and groups of 50–100 adults remained viable for the same period when confined in a sealed container. Field surveys of heavily infested apartments have recorded dormant aggregations of several thousand insects within a mattress, while entire rooms with dense clutter have housed up to 100 000 individuals that persisted through winter without feeding.
Key factors that determine how many insects can remain inactive include:
- Space availability – Bedbugs cluster in crevices, seams, and fabric folds; the total volume of these refuges limits population size.
- Temperature – Lower temperatures extend survival but also restrict the number that can remain viable; optimal dormancy temperatures range from 10 °C to 20 °C.
- Humidity – Relative humidity above 60 % prevents desiccation; dry conditions cause mortality and reduce the achievable count.
- Life‑stage composition – Adults and late‑instar nymphs tolerate longer periods without blood; early instars die more quickly, decreasing overall numbers in prolonged dormancy.
Duration of the inactive phase correlates with population size. Small clusters (tens of insects) may survive 3–4 months, whereas larger aggregations (thousands) can persist for 6–12 months if environmental conditions remain stable. Once a suitable host returns, the dormant insects resume feeding, leading to rapid population resurgence.
In practice, the upper limit of dormant individuals is constrained by the physical capacity of hiding places and the ability of the environment to maintain moisture and temperature within survivable margins. Consequently, while isolated reports document tens of thousands of inactive bedbugs in a single dwelling, typical dormancy levels in most structures range from a few hundred to several thousand.