Bed Bug – Feeding Habits

Mama Bed Bug and her babies love feeding on human blood, but in a pinch, they drink the blood of other animals, such as guinea pigs, cats, dogs and rodents. They prefer humans because we are mostly skin and not hair. If you are feeling like you are being bitten in your hair, it is most likely that you have lice and not bed bugs.

bed bug bites.Just like vampires, bed bugs are creatures of habit and prefer to bite only at night, usually starting around an hour before dawn. As you can see from the picture, you will find bed bug bites in a line or cluster. This is because bed bugs feed in groups on areas of skin that are exposed or easily accessed. While the bed bug is biting you, it injects an anticoagulant to keep the blood flowing freely and an anesthetic so you don’t feel the bed bug bites.

You know when bed bugs are happy and fed: they all turn dark red in color, and will be fat and round as explained by the BBC in the video below.

Bed bugs will defecate (poop) in their nest so that they can find their way back. Usually, you can find the nest within 1 or 2 meters of where you sleep or sit so that they are close to their food source and can smell your the CO2 you exhaust when breathing and feel the heat of your body.

Bed Bugs can survive as long as a year without feeding on humans and without oxygen. It can be a daunting task to exterminate them unless you are using a heat remediation remedy.