How do bed bugs hunt? - briefly
Bed bugs detect hosts through a combination of heat, carbon‑dioxide, and chemical cues, guiding them to a potential blood source. Once in contact, they insert a proboscis to pierce the skin and ingest blood.
How do bed bugs hunt? - in detail
Bed bugs locate a blood source through a combination of sensory cues. Their antennae contain chemoreceptors that detect carbon‑dioxide plumes emitted by sleeping humans or animals. Simultaneously, thermoreceptors on the tarsi sense temperature gradients, guiding the insect toward warm skin. Olfactory organs respond to volatile compounds such as lactic acid, ammonia, and certain fatty acids present in human sweat, sharpening the directional signal.
When a suitable host is identified, the bug initiates a short, rapid ascent using its six legs. It employs a “hitch‑and‑run” strategy: the insect pauses intermittently to reassess heat and CO2 levels, ensuring accurate positioning before contacting the skin. Once contact is made, the bug inserts its proboscis, which contains a cocktail of anesthetic, anticoagulant, and vasodilatory substances. These secretions prevent the host from feeling the bite and keep blood flowing steadily.
Feeding proceeds in three phases:
- Probe phase – the mouthparts penetrate the epidermis, searching for a capillary.
- Engorgement phase – the insect draws blood, expanding its abdomen up to five times its original size.
- Detachment phase – the bug withdraws the proboscis, seals the wound with a thin layer of saliva, and retreats to a concealed harbor.
After a blood meal, the bug retreats to a dark, protected environment (e.g., mattress seams, cracks in furniture) where it digests the meal and prepares for the next host‑seeking cycle. Digestion takes 5–10 days, after which the insect re‑enters the active search mode, repeating the sensory-guided approach to locate another feeding opportunity.