Why do bedbugs live in houses? - briefly
Bedbugs inhabit homes because they feed exclusively on human blood and residential spaces offer readily available hosts, concealed hiding places, and stable temperatures. Their capacity to remain hidden in cracks and survive extended periods without a meal allows them to persist in domestic environments.
Why do bedbugs live in houses? - in detail
Bedbugs thrive in residential settings because human blood provides their sole nutrient source. Their life cycle—egg, five nymphal stages, adult—requires regular feeding, which is readily available in sleeping areas. Warm, insulated spaces such as mattresses, box springs, and upholstered furniture create ideal microclimates for development and concealment.
Key factors that draw them to homes include:
- Proximity to hosts – Bedrooms concentrate sleeping humans, guaranteeing frequent meals.
- Shelter – Cracks, seams, and crevices in walls, baseboards, and furniture protect insects from disturbance and predators.
- Stable temperature – Indoor environments maintain temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C, optimal for growth and reproduction.
- Reduced competition – Human dwellings lack many natural predators that would otherwise limit populations.
Human activities facilitate their spread. Luggage, clothing, and second‑hand furniture often carry eggs or nymphs from infested locations to new residences. Public transportation, hotels, and multi‑unit buildings serve as conduits for dispersal, allowing infestations to establish quickly after introduction.
Once inside, bedbugs reproduce rapidly; a single female can lay up to 500 eggs over several months. The eggs hatch in about a week, and each nymph requires a blood meal before molting. Under favorable conditions, a colony can increase its numbers tenfold within a few months, intensifying the problem.
Control measures succeed only when they target all three components: eliminating the food source, removing hiding places, and interrupting the life cycle through thorough cleaning, heat treatment, or appropriate insecticides. Failure to address any of these elements allows the population to rebound.