Bed bug behavior resembles other insects in what they eat and where they live, understanding their feeding behavior is crucial for managing and preventing infestations. These pests are scared of light, which explains why they are more active at night.
One of the commonly used reasons why these little pests vampires are hard to find is that they have the expertise to hide in tiny cracks. That’s why it is hard for many people to find and eliminate them.
Understanding their behavior is the key to better management and prevention of infestation. Our article aims to help you understand bed bug behavior and why they are so hard to eliminate.
BED BUGS BEHAVIOR PATTERN
Developing successful management and control measures for bed bugs requires a thorough understanding of their behavioral characteristics. Bed bugs insect are small and elusive, but they can display some behaviors that might reveal important information about their habits and presence. Below are the behavioral patterns we must know to understand bed bug behavior.
- For their activity cycle, bed bugs are known for being nocturnal, which means that they are active at night. They avoid light and are most active in dark surroundings, which helps them stay hidden from possible dangers.
- Bed bugs respond to an individual because they are drawn to heat and carbon dioxide that is produced or exhaled by a sleeping person.
- Lastly is their survival method. They have the ability to survive for a long period of time without eating, which is why bed bugs are also known for being resilient.
BED BUG FEEDING BEHAVIOR
Finding bed bug infestation and putting effective control strategies into action depends on awareness of bed bug feeding behavior. Listed below are the feeding behavior of bed bug insects:
-
FEEDING SCHEDULE
Bed bug feeding schedules happen at night; they are attracted to an individual who is sleeping because of the warm breath they exhale and the carbon dioxide they produce.
-
FEEDING PROCESS
Bed bugs use their elongated mouthparts to prick the skin of their victims, and the time of their feeding process lasts between 5 to 10 minutes. After they finish eating, they return to their hiding place and digest their blood meal.
-
BED BUGS FREQUENCY
These pests usually eat every five to 10 days, but if blood meals are unavailable for them, they can last for several months without eating. The exact frequency depends on some factors:
-
- Bed bugs can survive for months if a blood meal is unavailable, but when a host is available, bed bugs will eat frequently.
-
- Nymphs need to eat more, unlike adults, because they have five (5) molting periods, and every molting period needs a blood meal for their development stage.
HIDING SPOT FOR BED BUGS
Bed bugs hide in a dark area near their food source throughout the day. They return to their hiding spot after meals, avoid disturbing their surroundings, and are generally quiet in their hiding spot.
The list below shows Bed bugs’ common hiding places and where they are usually found.
- mattresses
- piles of old clothes
- cardboard
- furniture cracks
- electrical outlets
- behind wallpapers
- Other tiny cracks
DETECTION OF BED BUGS
The essential step in controlling and getting rid of bed bugs is early and accurate detection. In order to stop these pests from spreading and to lessen the discomfort and annoyance they cause, early discovery is essential. The guide below is the key to the detection of bed bugs.
- Examine all possible hiding places closely with your eyes. Use a flashlight to see through gaps and into dark areas.
- Use bed bug interceptors. Bed bugs can be caught in these designed traps when they attempt to climb up or down your mattress legs.
- Use a trap device that specializes in bed bugs. Numerous commercial items, such as adhesive bed bug monitors and traps, are on the market.
- Pest control professionals use specialized tools and methods to detect bed bugs, such as bed bug sniffing dogs. These dogs are trained to detect bed bugs and have a high success rate in locating infestations.
Here is another article for you to eliminate bed bugs in hotels. Click the link to learn more
WHY ARE BED BUGS HARD TO ELIMINATE?
Given several important aspects of their biology, behavior, and persistence, eliminating bed bugs can be especially difficult. List the reasons why bed bugs are so hard to eliminate below.
-
BED BUGS STEALTHY BEHAVIOR
It is safer for them to be more active at night because they avoid natural predators like ants and spiders that may prey on them. Also, they are only active at night, making them hard to detect during the day. They hide in dark surroundings and tight spaces and only come out when it’s safe to feed. -
RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY
Without eating, bed bugs can survive for months. This resilience means they can endure periods without access to a blood meal, complicating eradication efforts. Bed bugs spread rapidly. A life span of a single female can lay hundreds of eggs, which, if not taken care of, will cause the population to increase.
-
CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
Bed bugs have developed resistance to pesticides. Over the years, they have developed resistance to many typical insecticides. Because of this resistance, it is harder to eliminate them using standard chemical treatments.
-
BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATION OF BED BUGS
Bed bugs can avoid chemicals. They can sense and avoid areas that are sprayed with insecticides. In response to insecticides, they move or hide in untreated areas.
-
DETECTION CHALLENGES FOR BED BUGS
Finding all bed bugs, especially eggs and nymphs, is difficult. Incomplete detection may lead to untreated bugs and will continue to infestate. Bed bugs often remain hidden and do not come out until it’s dark and safe to feed, making regular monitoring and detection challenging.
To prevent a small problem from becoming a large infestation, early detection of bed bugs is essential. Regular inspections, paying attention to signs like bites, stains, and dirt, and using detection tools can help you identify bed bugs before they become a big issue. It is recommended that you consult with a pest control professional to confirm the presence of bed bugs and implement an effective treatment plan.
