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Between each step, the insect will molt and leave behind a shed exoskeleton! Not only that, but their color will develop from translucent white to a signature reddish-brown. The most obvious is size! Freshly hatched bed bugs are a mere 1.5 millimeters in length! However, they grow pretty quickly after that.īed bugs move through five stages as they grow. They’re fully formed bed bugs, but there are a few physical differences between adults. Stage OneĪfter a brief period of incubation, baby bed bugs emerge from their shell. That means it’s not uncommon to see large quantities of eggs in the same place. Thanks to the aforementioned sticky surface, you might see them on vertical surfaces as well.įemales can lay upwards of 500 eggs in their lifetime. Adult bed bugs lay the eggs on wood and fabric surfaces.
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While small, it’s not too tricky to see eggs with the naked eye if you know where to look. Oftentimes, the eggs appear shiny due to the sticky surface. They’re oval-shaped and take on a bright white color. For some reference, that’s about the size of a pinhead. The only difference between these stages is how big they are! Eggsīed bug eggs are incredibly tiny, measuring only one millimeter long. From the moment they hatch from their eggs, the insects have the same biological makeup. They don’t have a larval stage or pupate to develop wings. Unlike many other insects you might find around your house, bed bugs do not rely on metamorphosis to grow. Bed Bug Size At Each Stage Of Their LifeĪs we hinted at earlier, bed bugs go through several stages during their life cycle. At only a quarter of an inch at their largest, the pests are perfectly capable of sneaking around your home discreetly. Quick Tip: Because they lack any effective modes of escape, the bed bug’s small size is crucial to their survival. These insects aren’t very fast on foot, either! Interestingly enough, bed bugs have wings, too. Completing the bug’s profile are six legs and two antennae. The abdomen is sporting some fine, gold-colored hairs. The biggest part of their body is the lower abdomen. Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that the insect has a long and flat build. That means a more reliable way to identify the bed bug is to look closely at its physical features.
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