How do household bed bugs behave? - briefly
Adult bed bugs are nocturnal, attracted to body heat and carbon dioxide, and feed for several minutes before returning to cracks, seams, or upholstery to digest. Females lay up to five eggs daily, and the insects progress through five nymphal stages, enabling rapid population growth in a household environment.
How do household bed bugs behave? - in detail
Bed bugs that infest homes are primarily nocturnal hematophagous insects. They locate a host by detecting carbon‑dioxide, body heat, and kairomones, then emerge from concealed harborages to feed. Feeding occurs once every five to ten days, lasting three to ten minutes, after which the insect ingests a blood meal equal to 2–5 % of its body weight. The meal triggers digestion, molting, and egg production.
After feeding, the insect retreats to a protected site—typically cracks, seams, mattress folds, or furniture crevices. In these refuges it remains motionless for several days, reducing exposure to predators and environmental stress. When the blood supply is exhausted, the bug resumes activity, seeking new harborages or mates. Movement is limited to short distances (5–10 cm) per night, but passive transport on clothing, luggage, or furniture enables long‑range dispersal.
Reproduction follows a strict sequence: a male mounts the female, transfers a spermatophore, and remains attached for up to 30 minutes. The female lays 1–5 eggs per day, depositing them on flat surfaces near her hideout. Eggs hatch in 6–10 days, producing first‑instar nymphs that require a blood meal before each successive molt. Development from egg to adult spans 5–7 weeks under optimal temperature (24–30 °C).
Key behavioral traits include:
- Phototaxis: negative; individuals avoid light, preferring darkness.
- Thermotaxis: attraction to temperatures between 30–34 °C, typical of human skin.
- Aggregation: mediated by volatile pheromones that signal suitable harborages; groups may contain dozens of individuals.
- Fasting tolerance: ability to survive without a blood meal for up to 300 days, extending survival during host absence.
- Resilience to chemicals: reduced susceptibility to many insecticides, prompting reliance on integrated pest management.
Environmental factors shape activity patterns. Temperatures below 15 °C suppress feeding and movement; temperatures above 35 °C increase mortality. Relative humidity influences desiccation risk; bugs seek microhabitats with 40–80 % humidity to maintain water balance.
Overall, domestic bed bugs exhibit a cycle of host‑directed feeding, concealed resting, reproductive aggregation, and environmental adaptation that enables persistence in human dwellings despite control efforts.