How many eggs does a bedbug lay at a time? - briefly
A female bed bug usually lays between one and five eggs in one clutch, most often two to three.
How many eggs does a bedbug lay at a time? - in detail
Female bedbugs deposit eggs in discrete batches after each blood meal. An individual typically releases between five and seven eggs per oviposition, although counts as low as one and as high as twelve have been recorded for Cimex lectularius under laboratory conditions.
The interval between successive batches averages three to five days when ambient temperature remains between 22 °C and 28 °C and a host is readily available. Over a lifespan of roughly three months, a single female can produce 200–500 eggs, depending on environmental stability and feeding frequency.
Key variables that modify batch size and overall fecundity include:
- Temperature: higher temperatures accelerate development and increase the number of ovipositions per week.
- Blood‑meal frequency: more frequent feeding supplies the protein needed for egg formation.
- Female age: younger adults lay smaller clutches; productivity peaks after the second blood meal and declines toward the end of life.
- Humidity: extreme dryness reduces egg viability and may lower clutch size.
Understanding these parameters enables more accurate predictions of population growth and informs control strategies.