You have a bed bug infestation, your ready to set fire to your house and build again from the ashes up. Then you have a sinister thought, I’m going on a vacation for the next couple of weeks, maybe all the bed bugs will die of starvation. Really, how long do bed bugs live? Especially without my family to feed on. The answer to this will not have you jumping for joy.
Bed bugs have 5 stages within their life cycle before they become mature breeding adults. The life stages before they are adults, they’re called nymphs.
Nymphs need to feed at least once before they can molt and proceed onto the next life stage. A nymph can survive without a blood meal for roughly 3 weeks before it starves.
Mature bed bugs are more resilient to starvation than their younger colleagues. When a blood source is readily available a mature bed bug will feed every few days then return to its little hiding spot for a few days after that. However, if food is not on their doorstep, the mature bed bug can survive up to 5 months without a plentiful feed.
The lifespan of a bed bug is thought to be roughly 10 months. However a house’s temperature can also influence their lifespan, whereby cooler temps can prolong a bed bug’s life without food.
So if you escape from your bed bug infested home on a family vacation for a few weeks, you may come home to a few less nymphs but all the blood sucking mature adults will be ready for a feed by the time you make it home.
How long do bed bugs live? Too long to just leave the house and hope they all die.
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