Bed bugs are insects that bite human beings and make life miserable for us. To make matters worse, they are not easily seen by most people suffering the infestation. This has led to the many myths about the insect today. One of such myths surrounds the times that a bed bug comes out to feed. The question most people ask is, “Do bed bugs come out every night?”
Bed bugs are parasitic creatures whose main source of food is the blood of warm-blooded animals. This makes humans their primary target. However, they are pretty much strategic about their feeding and how often they can be seen. The feeding style and visibility of most insects are what gives them away. For the bed bug, however, it has made it more of a mystery to those who don’t know much about the pest.
Are Bed Bugs Nightly Visitors?
If you have been asking this question, the first thing you should know is this: bed bugs are nocturnal insects. This means they are more active at night rather than during the day. So, where do they stay during the day?
Bed bugs spend most of the day time inside floor cracks, in beddings, cervices and also wall cracks. You will also find them hiding around the edges of your bed (you can check it now to see if they’re there or not).
When night falls, they come out to feed. It’s easier for them to feed on you during this period as you are less active, thereby making you a sitting target for their blood meal. As such, they feed without interruption.
Not all bed bugs come out every night. Regardless of whether it’s day time or night time, a bed bug will come out to feed when it is hungry. That being said, because bed bugs are more active at night (owing to their nature), they come out every night; not just for food, but also to find new places to lay eggs, if it is a female bed bug.
Do Bed Bugs Know When it is Night Time?
Are you wondering how bed bugs know when it is nighttime? They do not have any mechanism to detect the night time. However, they can identify when it is dark. Over time, they’ve also discovered that this is a time when humans are most likely to be inactive.
Furthermore, the air you exhale, carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the smell you give off that notifies bed bugs that they can come out to suck your blood. It is also one of the reasons why you wake up with red bumps and welts on your skin, both of which are symptoms of bed bug bites.
Also, it’s a testament to the fact that bed bugs are more active at night, hence a good enough reason to believe that bed bugs come out every night.
Are you unsure whether you’re battling with a bed bug infestation or not? Now that you have answers to your “Do bed bugs come out every night question?” you can figure things out for yourself. And when you find them, you can employ the services of a pest exterminator to get rid of them, quickly and effectively.