Bed bugs are a nuisance because they can disrupt your sleep and the way you run your home. Having to wake up with bite marks can lead to serious discomfort. One way to protect your home from bed bugs is to take preventative measures when you start to see bed bugs appearing in your home. Learn more about the bed bug life cycle and how you can stop it in its tracks. 

Egg

Eggs are grain-like in shape and have a milky white appearance. These eggs are about 1 mm in length and can mimic a grain of salt or pepper. Female bed bugs can lay between one and five eggs a day, for a total of 500 eggs in a lifetime. Eggs hatch within two weeks of being laid and begin feeding immediately. When you spot eggs, it’s best to move the affected furniture into a secluded area and reach out to a professional to inspect and decide on the best plan of removal. 

Nymphs

The nymph stage is broken up into five parts because of the molting process. In order for bed bugs to grow and mature, they need to shed off their layers. This is when you start to see scaly skins and droppings around your home. Their appearance when first becoming a nymph can be completely translucent. As they mature, they can be white to yellow in color and are larger in size. 

Nymphs molt when they feed on blood and reach room temperature for the first time. At this point, they are not able to reproduce yet. Within five weeks, they molt into a red-brown color and become adults. When you begin to see nymphs, it’s best to start by vacuuming them up and treating the affected area. Call in a professional team like Pro Staff to assess the next stages of protection. 

Adults

Adult bed bugs are vicious; once they start feeding, they simply don’t stop until they’ve run out of ground to cover or they are killed. They can live up to 6 months, sometimes longer, without food and in cool areas. Adult bed bugs are red in color and can be as big as an apple seed. These bugs will leave visible marks on the skin that swell up into red welts. They leave droppings that are black and look like peppers. 

When you spot adult bed bugs, immediately treat the area by vacuuming the surface and treating it with safe products. Call a professional to inspect and treat your home the right way. Setting up preventative measures and changing your cleaning around your home are great ways to inhibit the growth of bedbugs. 

No one wants bed bugs because they disrupt our sleep and they can lead to greater problems. Need some assistance in controlling the bed bugs? We provide the best Des Moines bed bug removal. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 or contact us online to schedule a free inspection.