Below is a picture of the life cycle of the bed bug.  The image is from the book Bed Bug Beware by David Cain and Richard Strain and depicts all stages of a bed bug's life as they develop from egg to adult. The book is an easy to understand guide to bed bugs their prevention and control. Bed bugs have six life stages and will molt six times before becoming adults. A female bed bug will lay up to 300 eggs in her life time and about 8 eggs at any one time.  The eggs hatch in 6-10 days and baby bed bugs are called nymphs until they reach adulthood. They shed their skins at each molting stage.  The shells which are called cast skins are empty exoskeletons of bed bugs.  A newly hatched nymph will seek a blood meal and need to feed at least once before each molt. Bed bugs can eat as often as once per day.  Nymphs can live for several months without eating and adults can live as long as year without a meal. The normal life cycle of bed bug is about a year.