How do bedbugs behave? - briefly
Bedbugs are nocturnal, locate hosts by sensing carbon dioxide and body heat, feed for 5–10 minutes, then return to hidden harborages. They congregate using aggregation pheromones, move slowly, and can endure several months without a blood meal.
How do bedbugs behave? - in detail
Bedbugs are primarily nocturnal parasites that emerge from concealed refuges after darkness falls to locate a blood meal. Their activity peaks between midnight and dawn, with reduced movement during daylight hours.
Host‑location relies on a combination of sensory cues. Carbon‑dioxide exhaled by a warm‑blooded animal creates a gradient that the insects follow. Supplemental signals include body heat, skin odor, and specific volatile compounds such as lactic acid and fatty acids. These stimuli trigger a directed crawl toward the host.
Feeding begins when the insect inserts its elongated beak, or proboscis, into the skin. Salivary enzymes prevent clotting, allowing uninterrupted blood flow. The ingestion phase lasts five to ten minutes, after which the bug withdraws its mouthparts and retreats to its hideout.
After a meal, digestion proceeds over several days. The insect expands its abdomen, stores the blood, and undergoes a series of molts (instars) before reaching reproductive maturity. Female insects lay 1–5 eggs per day, depositing them in protected crevices near the feeding site.
Communication among individuals is mediated by pheromones. An aggregation pheromone released from the abdomen draws conspecifics to shared shelters, promoting group formation. Trail pheromones left during movement help others navigate to the same location.
Mobility is limited to crawling; bedbugs cannot fly. They traverse walls, ceilings, and fabrics by gripping surfaces with tarsal claws. Human activity facilitates long‑distance dispersal, as insects cling to clothing, luggage, or furniture—a process known as passive transport.
Survival mechanisms enable persistence under adverse conditions. Adults can endure starvation for up to a year, reducing metabolic rate when food is scarce. They seek microhabitats with stable temperature and humidity, often hiding in mattress seams, baseboards, or behind wallpaper. Exposure to temperatures below 0 °C or above 45 °C for extended periods proves lethal, a fact exploited in control strategies.