Bed bugs are parasitic insects from the genus Cimex that live in the spaces between mattresses, box springs, furniture, and various dark crevices.
- They feed exclusively on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals.
- They have mouthparts with sharp teeth that pierce the skin and suck blood.
- Bed bug bites normally appear as a row of three red spots in a straight line.
Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about 1/4 inch long with an oval shape and can be red or brown. The eggs of the bed bugs are very tiny and impossible to see with the naked eye. They lay their eggs in cracks or crevices near where they live to keep them warm until they hatch.
How long does it take for bed bugs to starve and die? Unfortunately, they can live for more than a year without food.
Read on for a full explainer.
How Long Does It Take for Bed Bugs to Starve?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, bed bugs can live up to one year without a meal of blood. In some cases, they can go up to 18 months without feeding.
For bed bugs to survive for long periods, it is important that their environment is not too dry and does not have high levels of carbon dioxide. If the environment is too dry, bed bugs will try to get out of the area as quickly as possible.
Bed bugs can go into a state of dormancy when they don’t feed for long periods. This is called diapause, a survival technique developed by the bed bug over many years.
Bed bugs can go into a state of dormancy when they don’t feed for long periods. This is called diapause, a survival technique developed by the bed bug over many years.
They can wait until the environment becomes more favorable again. Hence, it is not easy to get rid of them.
Usually, the starvation phase harms the population of nymphs, as they need to feed to get fully mature. Eventually, the population of nymphs reduces as they can only starve after only a week.
In contrast, adult bed bugs continue to survive for a long time and reproduce.
Therefore, starvation is not a solution to get rid of them. On the contrary, it can make the situation worse, resulting in adult bugs’ uncontrollable reproduction.
What Is the Life Cycle of a Bed Bug?
It is important to know about the bed bug life cycle to understand the bed bug population dynamics. They have a life cycle that is very similar to other insects.
The bed bug life cycle consists of four stages: egg, nymph, adult, and reproductive adult.
Female bed bugs lay eggs in cracks or crevices near a host’s sleeping area. The eggs hatch after six to seventeen days as nymphs but can take as long as two months to hatch if the conditions are not right for them to develop properly.
Nymphs look like adults, except they are smaller and not fully developed. Nymphs immediately seek their first blood meal to molt five times before becoming adults.
Later, adult males mate with adult females in the late night or early morning hours.
The female then lays fertilized eggs. Finally, the eggs hatch and the baby bed bugs become adults who go on to lay more eggs.
This cycle continues until there are too many bedbugs in one place for them all to survive.
What Is the State of Dormancy?
Dormancy is a state of inactivity or suspended animation in an animal, typically a plant or an insect, during which metabolic activity is reduced to the bare minimum.
There are many reasons why insects may enter dormancy.
The most common reason is that they may have reached the end of their life cycle and need to conserve energy while they wait for favorable conditions to return.
Other reasons include unfavorable environmental conditions, such as lack of food or water, and adverse weather conditions.
How Can You Prevent the Spread of Bed Bugs in Your Home?
Bed bugs cannot fly or jump, but can crawl from place to place. In many cases, people usually bring them along with their luggage or personal items to their homes unknowingly.
Bed bugs cannot fly or jump, but can crawl from place to place. In many cases, people usually bring them along with their luggage or personal items to their homes unknowingly.
Therefore, treating the entire household with an insecticide is significant.
Follow up with regular inspections for a few months after treatment has been completed to kill any bed bugs that may have hatched out since the initial treatment.
Unfortunately, bed bugs reproduce quickly, and they can not be eliminated by just cleaning your home or using insecticides alone.
The first step to preventing the spread of bed bugs is identifying the specific signs of an infestation. These include the presence of small red or brown stains on bedding or furniture, small dark spots on sheets, and an unpleasant smell in the room.
The second step is to clean all surfaces with a vacuum cleaner at least once weekly. The vacuum cleaner will suck up any eggs or bugs that may be present in crevices, cracks, seams, etc.
A third step would be to wash all your clothes in hot water or dry clean them before you wear them again to ensure that they do not have any bedbug eggs on them.
Consider throwing out your mattress, but it’s possible you can salvage it. And same with your clothing. If it’s not a loved, special piece of clothing, it may be easiest to just get rid of it.
It would be best if you always inspect your hotel for bed bugs before unpacking your luggage and putting your clothes on the bed.
You should also inspect any new furniture you bring into your home and put it in an isolated area for two weeks to ensure that there are no bed bugs in it.
Conclusion
As bed bugs can survive for over a year without starving, they are extremely difficult to eradicate. It can take a long time to be certain you’ve gotten them all.
Your best bet is to find a professional. While home bed bug sprays exist, you’ll have much better luck with some professional guidance.
