What & When do Bed Bugs Eat?
Bed bugs feed on blood and each bed bug species has a preferred type of blood that is required to allow them to lay eggs. The Cimex Lectularius is the most common type of bed bug and human blood is their preferred blood of choice. If they are unable to get this type of blood they will feed on any blood they are able to find. Human blood is definitely part of the preferred diet of bed bugs, although they will feed on chickens, rodents, canaries, dogs, and cats if need humans aren’t available. Bed bugs feed at usually feed at night but will also feed in during the day in rooms that aren’t normally used at night. Bed bugs feed on their hosts blood.
What is the Life Cycle a Bed Bug?
There are three stages to the bed bug life cycle; egg, nymph, and adult. Eggs are laid around the edges of buttons on mattress and can also be attached to other rough surfaces near the bed like box springs and bed frames. Female bed bugs lay about 3 or 4 eggs a day and can lay up to 200 eggs in their life type. Eggs are laid in isolated areas for protection and will hatch after a week or two. Newly hatched bed bugs are call nymphs and begin feeding immediately. If nymphs are in the proper environment they will mature in 2 to 4 weeks into adult bed bugs. Once bed bugs become adults that will being to mate and new eggs will be produced. If a bed bug is able to feed every 10 days they can live for 6-12 months, but an live without a meal for months.
Common Bed Bug Hiding Locations
- Folds, tufts, and crevices of mattresses
- In box springs and spring coils
- In cracks and hollow posts of bed stands
- In under bed rails, behind headboards, and foot boards
- Inside furniture especially on the bottom and sides of drawers and shelving
- In the upholstery of sofas & chairs
- Electronics (laptop keyboards for example)
- Ipad Covers
- Toys & Stuffed Animals
- Cardboard boxes (many times they will crawl into the side of cardboard boxes)
- On drapes, blinds, or other bedroom decor
- In Books & Plants
- At the edge of carpet and underneath the edges in tack strips
- In Picture Frames
- If its within 5 feet of your bed they could be hiding there.
What do I need to know about Bed Bug Bites?
While bed bugs do suck your blood the bites are painless and they are not known to carry disease. The skin usually become irritate or imflamed due to a fluid that is injected by the bed bug. Small welts may develop at the site of each bite. Please note just because you have bites when you wake up it may not have been caused by bed bugs. Additionally bed bugs do not live under the skin so if you experience biting sensations during the day it is most likely an allergy related condition.