Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown insects, roughly the size of an apple seed, that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals. They primarily infest sleeping areas in human dwellings. Their small size and secretive nature often make their presence go unnoticed, as their flat bodies allow them to hide in narrow crevices.
Understanding Bedbug Activity Cycles
Bedbugs are primarily nocturnal, most active at night when human hosts are typically asleep and immobile. This nocturnal behavior allows them to emerge from their hiding spots to feed on blood without being detected. During a feeding session, which can last from three to twelve minutes, a bedbug will engorge itself with blood, increasing its size and weight significantly.
While preferring nighttime feeding, bedbugs can feed during the day if conditions are favorable. This can occur if a host is sedentary for an extended period during daylight hours, if the infestation is severe and competition for food is high, or if they are extremely hungry due to a prolonged absence of a host. Their adaptability allows them to adjust activity patterns to secure a blood meal.
Where Bedbugs Hide During the Day
During daylight hours, bedbugs retreat to secluded, dark places to digest their blood meals and avoid detection. These hiding spots, known as harborages, are typically found close to their human hosts to minimize the distance they need to travel for feeding.
Common daytime hiding spots include the seams, tags, and crevices of mattresses and box springs. They also frequently hide within the cracks and joints of bed frames and headboards. Beyond the bed, bedbugs can be found in nightstands, dressers, behind loose wallpaper, within wall cracks, and inside electrical outlets. Their flattened bodies enable them to squeeze into incredibly narrow spaces, making them difficult to locate and eradicate.
Sensory Cues for Bedbug Activity
The nocturnal activity of bedbugs is largely driven by their ability to detect specific sensory cues emitted by their hosts. Bedbugs are highly attuned to the carbon dioxide exhaled by sleeping individuals, which serves as a primary indicator of a host’s presence. They also detect body heat, another strong attractant that guides them toward their feeding source.
These cues are most concentrated and consistent when a person is at rest and asleep, creating an optimal feeding window during the night. The absence of light and human movement during these hours further reduces the risk of bedbugs being disturbed or detected while they are actively feeding. This sophisticated sensory system allows bedbugs to efficiently locate and feed upon their hosts under the cover of darkness.