As she feeds and grows, her head end enlarges. When environmental conditions are optimal a female will deposit approximately 50 eggs into the soil, surrounded by a gelatinous matrix, seven to nine days after infecting the root. A nematode goes through four molts before becoming an adult. The first molt occurs within the egg. After the eggs hatch, the larvae develop to the preadult stage without feeding or growing.
Nematodes differentiate into adult males and females after the fourth molt.
This complete cycle takes 24 to 29 days at optimum conditions. Nematodes require at least a film of water in order to move through the soil, thus soil water content is a primary ecological factor. Too much water results in an oxygen deficit, and flooding is sometimes used as a control measure. Too little water may kill nematodes, unless the drying process is slow. Slow-drying gives nematodes time to enter anhydrobiosis and revive when soil water content returns to an acceptable level.