When it comes to the most ruthless pests, bed bugs are never far off the top of the ranking chart. Tiny as they look, they cause a great deal of discomfort and steal your peaceful rest or sleep.
Every homeowner dreads the possibility of having a bed bug infestation and you should too.
So, are these pests active all through the day, or are there specific times when they come out to feed? Before we go further, it’s important to state that these pests feed solely on blood.
They need blood to produce eggs which in turn hatch into offspring.
So, when faced with an active infestation, expect some good bites when you rest on your favorite couch or the bed. The good news is, such bites won’t go on forever as long as you apply the right treatment.
Best Feeding Time For Bed Bugs
Bed bugs only come out to feed. These pests do not move aimlessly unless a potential host is nearby.
The best feeding time for these bugs is at night. This is the reason why they’re called nocturnal feeders. This is perfectly timed as most people go to rest at night and move about their business during day time.
So, a situation where you arrive home stressed out from your job only to lie down at night to get woken up by itchy and uncomfortable bites is worrisome. This can be frustrating for a lot of people. The best response to bed bug presence is to have your home thoroughly fumigated.
Bed Bugs Need the Cover of Darkness to Take a Blood Meal
These pests are shy of the daytime only to come out at night with a bang.
However, one thing must be stated. Bed bugs are attracted to dark rooms. Now we all know that certain areas in a home can be dark during the daytime. It all depends on how poorly lit such a room is.
In a nutshell, bed bugs will come out from hiding to pounce on the nearest person sitting or lying still in a dark room. This situation points to the type of discomfort these tiny creatures can bring. With bed bugs, there’s no escape in terms of the time of day.
The best control strategy to adopt is by having your room and entire home fumigated. Now, getting rid of bed bugs can be a difficult undertaking. These pests are among the most challenging to control. Given this, it’s best to avoid DIY control strategies and go for professional treatment.
Professional bed bug extermination is performed by trained pest control technicians. These professionals have years of experience in handling bed bug issues. They know where to look, how best to apply treatment, and how long until effective treatment is completed.
What are Bed Bugs attracted to?
Asides from coming out to take a blood meal, certain conditions give the signal for bed bugs to come out.
Unfortunately, your body warmth is one of such conditions. Bed bugs will easily navigate to areas of warmth. Carbon dioxide given off during respiration is another attractant for these bugs.
Dirt and grime are other attractions pulling these bugs out. With this knowledge, it’s clear that your presence alone is the major incentive for bed bug action. Normally, bed bugs won’t bite when you’re moving around.
They only do so when you’re resting.
This is the reason why their nests or hiding spots are never far from where you sleep or rest. Such strategic positioning enables each reach or access to a blood meal.
After taking their fair share, bed bugs scamper to safety.
Will Bed Bugs Avoid Me When I’m Awake?
Whether you’re sleeping during the day or not, bed bugs will readily troop out when the room is dark or conducive enough. However, you won’t experience any bites when you’re carrying out an activity that requires movement.
They only pounce on you for a meal when you’re in a still position.
So, you’ll have to be awake and actively moving to avoid bed bug bites. Anything less than that won’t be good enough. Rather than asking whether staying awake will keep these bugs out, it’s best to consider launching an offensive against them.
Active bed bug treatment should do the trick.
Can I go for a Vacation to Avoid Bed Bug Presence?
Some homeowners, rather than adopting a more comprehensive approach to treatment may consider taking a vacation as an easy escape from bed bug issues.
This is just wishful thinking that won’t materialize.
Adult bed bugs can stay alive or survive for five long months without food. These pests are hard to get rid of by simply absconding or disappearing from your home for long.
As stated earlier, you’ll still need to face the problem squarely by applying the right treatment.
Bed Bugs Can Change their Active Feeding Times
Although bed bugs are well known to be nocturnal creatures, they can change such behavior to suit the conditions around them. For instance, when residents work at night but rest during the daytime, bed bugs will change their active feeding times from night to day time.
This is a scary prospect for many people. It simply means when a bed bug infestation is discovered, taking the easy way out isn’t an option. This won’t solve the problem but only worsen it.
When it’s professionally handled, bed bugs are easily exterminated.
Bed Bugs Can Come Out when Infestation is Large
Having identified nighttime as the most active period for bed bugs to come out, it’s necessary to consider another scenario. Sometimes, you may stumble across one or more bed bugs during the day.
When this is noticed, there’s a likelihood that the infestation is large.
Major bed bug infestation leads to a situation where adequate hiding spots are limited. You’re likely to find one or more of these pests looking for or moving to a new hideout.
This is even more reason why you should move fast to decimate their populations.
The time bed bugs come out for a feast is mostly when the place is dark. Evenings and nights are the best times.
Here, see other factors that make bed bugs come out of hiding.