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How long do eggs live and what are the chances?

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jkjemildner

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 16:43:22
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We got BB back in early March and we were treated by end of March and we have not had any problems since. We put all of our things in a tent and then brought things back in slowly..steaming and washing and drying everything. Finally we got down to our last 3 bags of clothes but I was just mentally done and so I put the bags in my shed. All 3 of the bags were from my daughters room where we never once found any bugs or any signs of any bugs..My daughters were never bitten. The only people who showed bites were my son and I and we found signs of bugs in both of our rooms. Today we cleaned out our shed and I finally went through the bags, saving what I wanted and tossing the rest ....but I have to wash and dry everything. I am still taking precautions as I bring things in..such as spraying bed bug spray on the floor before and after as I bring the items in the back door...this is where my washer is located..right in the back door..and I am washing the items in HOT water and then drying them. I also dusted DE down at the base of the back door and the entry into my hallway. So here are my questions...

If there were Eggs in the bag, would they be dead by now? If they hatched I mean..How long do they live without a blood meal?

Also..If there were bugs in the bags, what are the chances there are none living if they sat in my shed all though our HOT Michigan summer?? Like 100* Days? They were in the tent until about June and then moved into the shed until now?

Praying that these last 3 bags do not prove to be my downfall in our fight against BB!

Thanks!
MyWorstFear

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 19:23:03
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I know you must be exhausted from all that washing and drying but I would hate to see you get reinfested over the last 3 bags after you did all the right moves for the rest of your stuff. I am not sure how long hatched eggs can live without a blood meal. Hopefully one of the experts will let us know.
100 plus temperature isn't enough to kill bed bugs. It should be 120 or 125 degrees (I forget which), so assume if there were any alive when you bagged up that stuff, that they are still alive now, despite the hot summer. Supposedly they can last 18 months without a blood meal, so best to be diligent.
It sounds like you are doing everything according to the book and FAQ's, so please don't give up now!
jkjemildner

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 19:51:06
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Thank you for your reply..I am about half way through the bags now..They were construction size bags I forgot to mention that most of the bags were already bagged in my daughters closet already because they are clothes that are to small or out of season. And some of the clothes were hanging..I am hoping that there were no bugs at all but just in case I have been spraying some bed bug spray on the floor and around the washer after I put the clothes in so I can catch any live bugs before they get towards my hallway. I will most likely be a wreck for the next week or so. Thanks again!
loubugs

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Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 20:09:57
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"I am not sure how long hatched eggs can live without a blood meal. Hopefully one of the experts will let us know." "Supposedly they can last 18 months without a blood meal, so best to be diligent."
Hatched eggs=1st instar nymphs and these are able to live weeks without their first blood meal as long as the ambient conditions are not hot. I've kept 1st instars around 6 weeks and some were still alive, but some had died. Temps in the 60s will let them wait longer than temps in the 80s or 90s (deg F). As is the case with any of the 6 instars (5 nymphs, 1 adult-either male or female) of the post egg stage of bed bugs, they don't wait around because they can last a relatively long time. If there are potential hosts and these are attractive (CO2, heat, etc.), they will home in and feed. Sometimes they may even wander in what appears to be an aimless manner to search for a potential host. First instar bed bugs can't last 18 months without their first blood meal; later instars (2-5) will have already had blood meals during a few times in their lives, so they can last longer than a first instar nymph. Older nymphs and adults can last longer than younger nymphs if in starvation mode.
jkjemildner

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 20:28:23
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Thanks Loubugs! I really am just praying that I didn't pack any bugs..but still being careful! Thanks for your time!
jrbtnyc

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Sep 17 2011 20:30:22
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For further in-depth discussion see:

http://bedbugger.com/forum/tags/lifespan .