What is the life cycle of bedbugs?

Bedbugs spend the first two weeks of their lives encapsulated within tiny white eggs that are laid in clusters. An adult female bedbug can produce as many as 500 offspring in her 10-month lifespan.

After hatching, the bedbugs are called nymphs. Within five weeks, they go through five molts before reaching adulthood. After hatching, bedbug nymphs are colorless and have the same physical characteristics as adults. They feed on the blood of animals and humans and must feed before molting. During each of their molts, the bedbug nymphs get darker in color. Following the fifth molt, the nymph transforms into an adult bedbug.