How fast bed bugs breed

In recent years, interest in bed bugs increased dramatically. This fact is by no means connected with idle curiosity, but in view of the active reproduction and occupation of apartments by the parasites.

Entomologists are sounding the alarm and fear that humanity is facing a serious threat of infection and the widespread spread of dangerous pests. And considering how quickly the bugs breed, this can happen in the near future.

Favorable conditions for the development of the population

Propagation of bed bugs directly depends on their living conditions. Over a long period of coexistence with humans, they learned how to do without food for a long time, to fall into a state close to suspended animation without food sources, withstand temperature changesresist insecticides.

With the same zeal, bedbugs populate student dormitories, expensive hotels, small-sized Khrushchevs, ordinary apartments and luxurious mansions. Sanitary norms of the premises are not a determining criterion for the habitat of parasites.

On a note!

However, it cannot be argued that the cleanliness of the room does not affect the development of the population and the propagation of bugs. In cluttered apartments, insects have more opportunities to create secluded shelters in which they can quietly breed.

The following factors have a beneficial effect on how bed bugs reproduce in an apartment:

• lack of sunlight;
• humidity;
• regular food;
• temperature 20-30 ° C.

In residential apartments there are all conditions for the development and reproduction of bugs. The temperature is maintained throughout the year, secluded habitats they find in folds, upholstery of upholstered furniture, in beds, sofas. The development of a bug from an egg to a larva in a residential building is 30-40 days. Therefore, it is worth one female to appear in the apartment, and it will not take long to wait for the appearance of new individuals. At temperatures below 20 ° C, the reproduction of bugs stops, and the female temporarily loses the ability to lay eggs.

How does the fertilization process

How bed bugs reproduce is of interest to pundits. From their point of view, this process is very exciting. No type of insect has such sexuality as male bugs. Mating occurs by traumatic insemination. The female bug does not have an opening for mating, so the male pierces her carapace with his long, sharp, curved genital organ and introduces sperm into the hole formed. Sperm can be in the head, legs, stomach of the female and then deposited in a special section.

Under such breeding conditions, most of the sperm die, so the prudent male tries to leave as much sperm as possible. In comparison with a person, this amount is equal to 5 liters according to one data, and according to data from other sources to 30 liters. In such a brutal way, evolution took care of the safety of the offspring and population. In the period of hunger, the female bed bug is fed due to unformed eggs.

Fertilization alone is enough for the female to lay eggs all her life.

A domestic bug can mate very often, up to 200 times a day. The insect is extremely illegible in sexual relations and comes into contact with individuals of other species, their relatives, young nymphs, regardless of their age, other males. When one male mates with another, he introduces seminal fluid to him. As a result, the second male appears in the role of a kind of repository of genetic material, and when mating with a female, he introduces into her a “cocktail” of sperm of all who were in contact with him. Same-sex relationships contribute to the emergence of genetically diverse and viable offspring during reproduction, which is especially important when taking into account the fact that all individuals in the nest are practically related to each other.

Egg laying

After fertilization, the seminal fluid accumulates in a special section of the female and forms into eggs. For regular masonry and reproduction, the individual should be fully fed. One feast is enough for a voracious female for 2-3 egg-laying. A female lays from 6 to 10 eggs a day, during her life cycle she is able to lay about 500 eggs, which allows the insect population to grow rapidly.

Klopik hides eggs in dark, secluded areas of the apartment. With a slight infection, it lays the first eggs directly in the habitat near the source of nutrition. When there are too many individuals in the nest, the female begins to store eggs in another place, thereby organizing a new nest. So fast breeding leads to the formation of new habitats for bed bugs in the apartment. Distinguish nests it is possible by a chaotic accumulation of individuals of different ages, larvae, eggs, waste products, chitinous shells of nymphs.

On a note!

Bed bugs miniature, their size barely reaches 1 mm, the shape has the shape of a rice grain (see photo). Color can vary from clear white to yellowish. The egg shell is very durable and reliably protects the offspring from the aggressive effects of external factors, insecticides. Due to the stickiness of the shell, eggs can be attached on any surface in the apartment.

At a temperature of 25 to 30 ° C, the development of the egg ends in 5-6 days, at a low temperature, the time increases to 10-15 days. If the temperature is below 10 ° C, development stops and resumes under favorable conditions. A temperature below 10 ° C can kill the oviposition and stop the reproduction of bugs.

One fertilized female, under favorable conditions, can give rise to a whole colony, the number of which in 2 months will be in the hundreds.

Nymph development

From an egg is born larva, which is also called a nymph. It differs from an adult dimensions and inability to procrastinate. How bed bugs breed at this stage and how quickly it depends on the temperature in the apartment and a regular food base. The developmental time of a nymph before becoming an adult insect can range from 4 to 16 weeks.

Before becoming a sexually mature individual, the larva molts five times - takes off the carapace, which becomes small for it. These chitinous shells in the apartment can be found on the bed, near the habitats of bugs, on the trajectory of the route along which the nymph moves. Typically, the interval between molting is 4 to 8 days. How long does it take for a nymph to update the shell depends on bedbug frequencies.

On a note!

Larvae feed much more often in comparison with adults. Them bites cause pain because their saliva does not yet have anesthetic effect. Like adult bugs, nymphs feed exclusively on blood.

Uncomfortable temperature leads to a decrease in the rate of reproduction and development of larvae.At a temperature of 15 ° C, the development of the larva stops; when the temperature is reduced by 5 ° C, it will fall into suspended animation.

Why in the 21st century there were more bugs

Scientists identify several reasons because of which the dynamics of growth of the population of blood-sucking insects began to be observed:

1. Climatic changes in the direction of warming, a significant increase in the number of heated rooms have a beneficial effect on the reproduction of bed bugs.
2. Migration. People began to travel more and accordingly visit countries that have historically been the homeland and place of accumulation of heat-loving parasites. Insects began to actively spread across all continents, especially since hiding in their luggage is not difficult for them.
3. A large number of second-hand markets, the distribution of goods from infected adverse areas, which then fall into the apartment.
4. Fast adaptation of insects to insecticides. Those funds that killed bedbugs on the spot in the 80s of the last century, now they have almost no effect. The main task of insecticides at the end of the last century was the destruction of cockroaches, the remaining insects were considered as a secondary target. The formulas of the drugs were constantly changing so that cockroaches were not addictive. A variety of active substances provoked insecticide resistance of the bug population.
5. An abundance of advertising and an illiterate approach to the destruction of bugs in the apartment. Intrusive advertising constantly convinced people that get rid of parasites anyone can, just buy a spray can and after a couple of simple manipulations bugs will no longer appear. Not only do the objects of advertising often become completely useless means, the sense of which is zero, the incorrect technology of processing the premises is also promoted, which cannot stop reproduction. The choice of an ineffective means, neglect of the processing process become the reasons for the reproduction and mass infection of apartments, porches and houses.