Bed bugs – egg – nymph – adult

To adequately fight bed bugs, you have to know them well. A bed bug can be found in various forms. Three distinct stages characterise the life cycle of a bed bug.

Recognizing a bed bug egg

• In the shape of a grain of rice, whiteish
• The size of a pine needle (1mm)
• Small translucent eggs
• Residues of yellow eggshells
• Grouped in clusters
• Lifespan of 1 to 2 weeks before hatching

Bed bug nymph

• 5 stages
• Small immature insect of various sizes (1.5 to 4 mm)
• At every stage, the nymph has a blood meal before molting to move on to the next stage
• Exuviae (skin shed during moulting) is yellowish

• Shiny brownish insect (reddish if engorged with blood)
• Length of 4 to 7 mm
• Resembles a flattened apple see or a flax seed
• Females lay up to 5 eggs per day continuously to achieve a production