Changes

Males will mate with females much more often (roughly 20 times more) than necessary for fertilization of eggs and as a result the females live about 25% less long than they would otherwise.<ref>http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2010/02/16/laundry-and-the-motivating-power-of-the-bed-bug-web-qa-with-richard-naylor/</ref>

Males will mate with females much more often (roughly 20 times more) than necessary for fertilization of eggs and as a result the females live about 25% less long than they would otherwise.<ref>http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2010/02/16/laundry-and-the-motivating-power-of-the-bed-bug-web-qa-with-richard-naylor/</ref>

An impregnated female bedbug will produce between 1- 7 eggs per day (but up to 20) for about 10 days after a single blood meal. She will then have to feed again to produce more eggs. The female bedbug lays her eggs in cracks and crevices in the vicinity of the host and cements them firmly in position. The eggs are sticky, and able to adhere to most anything (although they prefer wood over metal and plastic) and are yellowish-white, approximately 1 millimeter (1/25 inch) in length (a little larger than a speck of dust) and are covered with a protective layer, so that immersion in water does not kill them as would adult bedbugs. The estimated total number of eggs which may be laid by one female is estimated to be from about 113 to 345. Under optimal conditions (between 70° F  and 90° F), and with regular feeding, a bed bug population can double every 16 days.  At room temperature (around 70° F), 60 percent of the eggs will hatch when they are 6 days old;  around 90 percent will have hatched by the time they are 9 days old. Once born, the bedbug will go through five growth (molting) stages (shedding the exoskeleton) as ''nymphs''---- each nymphal stage requiring a blood meal and each time shedding its skin ---- before it becomes an adult, and able to reproduce. After hatching the color of the bedbug is like that of straw and no bigger than a pinhead, and which begin to feed immediately. A second stage nymph is about the size of apple seed, and as it fills itself with blood then its color goes from white to bright red. Nymphal stages last from about 4 days to 24 days based on temperature and other environmental conditions. In ideal temperatures (about 70-90°F), the bugs go from birth to adulthood in a month to six weeks. Adults are approximately 3/16-inch long and reddish-brown, with oval, flattened bodies. <ref>[http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:jWEA45GhZtwJ:www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-biology1.pdf+bed+bugs+die+low+temparute&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgoUkUjwUgf3XpWoxVK-_QO9xkbiPwqXep1_Cpmb5zYPTsAM2xEx4ut4cZ77-E-VC_MH4AfYYl4PMYD6H5NMWs2pdQB_kDwSWNkbKksgrNbrILWpSjo0kJ5NZfDa3xjchKFPW6X&sig=AHIEtbQ1fndzU5d9KHcHVwHe-zqvwtNqNA  Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Andrea Polanco, ''Bed Bug Biology and Behavior''],  Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech</ref ><ref>[http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEgQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stephentvedten.com%2F18_Bed_Bugs.pdf&ei=o7DkTLWOIIGBlAf0tLW-CQ&usg=AFQjCNGPkGFo2XVKR8gyNsJSixC1UybqDw&sig2=88mOnHvsosbL2UrImkagMQ ''The Best Control or Bed Bugs''], cp. 18</ref>>

An impregnated female bedbug will produce between 1- 7 eggs per day (but up to 20) for about 10 days after a single blood meal, and will then have to feed again to produce more eggs. The female bedbug lays her eggs in cracks and crevices in the vicinity of the host (and she seem to prefer wood over metal and plastic) and cements them firmly in position. The eggs are sticky, and able to adhere to most anything, and are yellowish-white, approximately 1 millimeter (1/25 inch) in length (a little larger than a speck of dust) and are covered with a protective layer, so that immersion in water does not kill them as would adult bedbugs. The estimated total number of eggs which may be laid by one female is estimated to be from about 113 to as high as 345. Under optimal conditions (between 70° F  and 90° F), and with regular feeding, a bed bug population can double every 16 days.  At room temperature (average 70° F), 60 percent of the eggs will hatch when they are 6 days old;  around 90 percent will have hatched by the time they are 9 days old. Once born, the bedbug will go through five growth (molting) stages (shedding the exoskeleton) as ''nymphs''---- each nymphal stage requiring a blood meal and each time shedding its skin ---- before it becomes an adult, and able to reproduce. After hatching the color of the bedbug is like that of straw and no bigger than a pinhead, and which begin to feed immediately.  

Cooler temperatures and less blood meals will slow bedbug development down, and at below 55 degrees stop bed bug development and egg production,<ref>http://www.bedbugsite.com/faq.php</ref>  but much lower temperatures are required to kill them, as adult laboratory bedbugs can survive without feeding for over a year in temperatures around 50°F, and the nymphs can survive for 3 months. In the laboratory at 10% humidity and 44° Fahrenheit, bed bugs have survived as long as 560 days without a blood meal.<ref>http://www.bedbugbattleplan.com/content/view/19/35/ The Life Cycle of the Bed Bug</ref> The most recent studies indicate that a well-fed adult bed bug held at room temperature (avg. 70° F), will live between 99 and 300 days in the laboratory.

 

Cooler temperatures and less blood meals will slow bedbug development down, and at 55 degrees bed bug development and egg production stops,<ref>http://www.bedbugsite.com/faq.php</ref>  but much lower temperatures are required to kill them, as adult laboratory bedbugs can survive without feeding for over a year in temperatures around 50°F, and the nymphs can survive for 3 months. In the laboratory at 10% humidity and 44°F degrees, bed bugs have survived as long as 560 days without a blood meal.<ref>http://www.bedbugbattleplan.com/content/view/19/35/ The Life Cycle of the Bed Bug</ref>  

The original source of longevity statistics appears to  be from a study from A.W Bacot in 1914, in which he reported that "After a single meal one newly hatched bug out of three lived for 270 days; while, out of 30 immature bugs in various stages of development, 7 were living and able to feed after a fast of 18 months."<ref>http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/08/18/they-are-also-able-to-withstand-chilling-thawing-rechilling-and-again-thawing/</ref> However, while this

The original source of longevity statistics appears to  be from a study from A.W Bacot in 1914, in which he reported that "After a single meal one newly hatched bug out of three lived for 270 days; while, out of 30 immature bugs in various stages of development, 7 were living and able to feed after a fast of 18 months."<ref>http://newyorkvsbedbugs.org/2009/08/18/they-are-also-able-to-withstand-chilling-thawing-rechilling-and-again-thawing/</ref> However, while this

may have been true for individual bed bugs in the UK living at very low temperatures, research showed that on average, modern bed bugs (at any life stage) collected from homes in the United States and held at room temperature without feeding, would die within 70 days. It is thought that these bed bugs were dying of dehydration, rather than starving to death.<ref>Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Andrea Polanco, ''Bed Bug Biology and Behavior''],  p. 4, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech</ref> <ref>Science News, ''Do-it-yourself bed-bug detector'', January 16th, 2010 </ref><ref>http://bug-a-pest.com/Bedbug.pdf</ref>  

may have been true for individual bed bugs in the UK living at very low temperatures, research showed that on average, modern bed bugs (at any life stage) collected from homes in the United States and held at room temperature without feeding, would die within 70 days. It is thought that these bed bugs were dying of dehydration, rather than starving to death. Also, the most recent studies indicate that a well-fed adult bed bug held at room temperature (avg. 70° F), will live between 99 and 300 days in the laboratory.<ref>Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Andrea Polanco, ''Bed Bug Biology and Behavior''],  p. 4, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech</ref> <ref>Science News, ''Do-it-yourself bed-bug detector'', January 16th, 2010 </ref><ref>http://bug-a-pest.com/Bedbug.pdf</ref>

===Feeding, nesting and travel===

===Feeding, nesting and travel===