How do bedbugs bite a person in their sleep? - briefly
Bedbugs detect body heat and carbon‑dioxide, then use a slender proboscis to pierce the skin and feed on blood. The puncture is initially painless, but the injected saliva often produces itchy, red welts after a short delay.
How do bedbugs bite a person in their sleep? - in detail
Bedbugs locate a host by sensing carbon dioxide, body heat, and movement. When a person is lying still, the insects gravitate toward the exposed skin, especially areas with thin epidermis such as the face, neck, arms, and ankles.
The feeding sequence proceeds as follows:
- The insect climbs onto the skin and inserts its elongated, needle‑like mouthparts called a proboscis.
- Two slender stylets penetrate the epidermis; one creates a tiny channel while the other delivers saliva.
- Saliva contains anticoagulants, anesthetic compounds, and enzymes that prevent clotting and numb the bite site.
- Blood is drawn through the canal into the bug’s foregut, where it is stored for later digestion.
- After engorgement, the bug retracts its proboscis and retreats to a hidden harbor, such as a mattress seam or wall crevice.
Each bite typically lasts a few minutes. The anesthetic effect often leaves the host unaware of the intrusion until after the insect withdraws. The resulting lesions appear as small, red, raised bumps that may develop a central puncture point. Repeated feeds can cause clusters of lesions arranged in linear or zig‑zag patterns.
Bedbugs can survive for several months without feeding, but they preferentially feed every 5–10 days when a host is available. Their nocturnal activity aligns with human sleep cycles, maximizing the chance of an undisturbed blood meal.