Bed bugs belong to parasitic insects that like to feed on blood. Females at all stages of development tend to require blood to grow, reproduce, and mature eggs. Males will also need it to achieve reproductive success! The frequency with which bed bugs feed is directly related to producing new generations.
Scientists have found that bed bugs can easily starve when living under laboratory conditions. This is in the absence of a host animal or when their food needs lack. Expect it when they are exposed to extreme temperatures in an environment. There is no way for them to fully digest their meal before it spoils.
How The Bed Bugs Extract Blood from You?
Bed bugs pierce the skin of their host with two hollow feeding tubes. One is for injecting saliva that contains anticoagulants and anesthetics. The other tube allows them to suck up blood once they have numbed you. They will insert these into your body in areas like the face, neck, arms, hands, and any other part without dense body hair such as the stomach.
Some reports say it stings a bit at first but goes away after prolonged contact. Typically though it does not hurt too much unless you are allergic or hypersensitive to the bed bug’s saliva.
Scientists also found that bed bugs prefer to feed on specific parts of people’s bodies. It depends on their age and individual variation between hosts. This means that you are more likely to get bitten on your stomach when you are a child or teenager. Adults are most likely to have bites appear on their arms, neck, hands, and face.
This is because bed bugs inject higher amounts of anesthetic into children than adults. It makes young blood easy for them to suck up without causing pain. Older people experience the opposite effect with the reduced amount of anesthetics they receive from bed bug bites.
What are The Typical Bed Bug Feeding Times?
Bed bugs typically feed and mate for around 3 to 10 minutes. However, it can vary in frequency and time depending on the availability of a host and other factors such as temperature. Dr. Russell also stated that studies show bed bugs tend to become very active when their environment has higher temperatures!
Researchers have found that the frequency of bed bug feeding fluctuates with the light-dark cycle. They prefer to feed during nighttime hours when you sleep. During this time, they can grow their population rapidly because there are more hosts for them to attack!
Bed bugs also eat at different times depending on their life stage. The newborn nymphs, which appear almost translucent in color, need the most frequent meals to develop bright red abdomens containing blood. You may find them biting around your ankles and other areas where your body is exposed while sleeping.
Adult bed bugs will take infrequent but larger meals from any part of your body where it is easy to access blood vessels. This includes arms, hands, neck, face, legs, or feet.
How Often Do Bed Bugs Feed During Their Life Cycle?
Bed bugs usually take one or two feedings per week to survive. When it comes time to mate, they become hungry again! Females will need their first blood meal before laying eggs. That is around five to 10 days after hatching from the egg sacs. You can call them nymphs during this period of their life cycle. They are smaller in size and lack wings or reproductive organs.
Nymph bed bugs prefer tiny blood meals that are only 2% of their body weight each time. This frequency may increase as they grow into adults and develop mature reproductive systems. Adult females do not even need a full meal every time they lay an egg batch, however.
How Long Can Bed Bugs Survive Without Food?
Bed bugs can survive six to a year and six months without feeding. However, they typically die within a month when their habitat or host is extremely dry or cold. This frequency increases to two years when hosts like humans provide them with continuous sources of food.
Adult bed bugs usually feed at least once every five to 10 days before mating at night. Females will need to molt after each successful egg production which takes one week to complete. It takes around two weeks for them to grow into adults capable of taking on blood meals again!
Is a Bed Bug Bite Painful?
Bed bugs inject saliva into your bloodstream when they bite. This compound contains anesthetic and anticoagulant chemicals that numb your pain receptors for several hours! These two compounds also thin your blood to make it easier for them to feed without breaking the surface of the skin.
This is why you will not feel a thing when they suck on your blood until five or 10 minutes have passed. However, being allergic or hypersensitive to bed bug bites can cause people intense irritation almost instantly! It can even lead to more serious symptoms like large blisters filled with fluid, skin infections, and other complications in extreme cases.
Why Bed Bugs Don’t Drink Blood Frequently?
Bed bug frequency of feeding depends on several factors including the age of the individual, availability of host, blood source, and related risk factors. Adult bed bugs can take larger meals while nymphs have to eat more frequently to help develop their bright red abdomens. You can call them babies during this period.
Do Female Bed Bugs Eat More Frequently Than Male and Vice Versa?
Females need more frequent meals when they are ready to lay eggs. Researchers have not identified whether male bed bugs drink blood during mating or how often. They may feed at least once to hold their mate after obtaining her.
Females will only drink the smallest amounts of blood necessary to survive until the next meal. Males may remain hungry even after taking a larger meal during sex. Their genitalia is designed for holding rather than biting. This means that they can wait longer until eating again without dying.
Thoughts
What do you think about the frequency that bed bugs feed? The idea that bed bug bites occur only once per month is frightening! Think about it from the perspective of an infestation spreading throughout your home or office building quickly! This is especially since these blood-sucking insects do not always leave telltale marks behind on your skin when biting.
It is important to take your time and learn the basics of killing bed bugs because they are nasty! Protect yourself from their bites. For more information, call our team of bed bug exterminators.