Bed bugs are one of those “invisible” problems that can linger for a long time before you realise there’s an issue. One of the reasons is that these bugs come out only during the night and people rarely see them moving about the house.
Or do they? People consider bed bugs to be nocturnal, but in reality, that’s not quite the case. The more accurate, but not scientific, the description would be “adaptive”. Bed bugs actually can adapt to their host’s habits.
What do bed bugs actually do
In general, bed bugs do prefer nighttime. But that won’t stop them from moving during the day if that’s what required to get to their food source. So, if you work a lot of nightshifts, the bugs can adapt to that and start to be more active during the day while you sleep.
They will also be on the move regardless of whether it’s day or night if they are starving and are looking for a meal. So, if they are hungry, they will be out and about, no matter the day time.
Bed bugs can also smell the carbon dioxide people exhale while they sleep. This is the signal that their food source is here and is resting, i.e. is in an ideal position for attack.
You see, bed bugs aren’t the most agile or powerful creatures around. In fact, they are very much the opposite. As such, they need their targets to be still so they can climb on, find it easy to reach the skin and suck the blood from it. Ideally, this means while you sleep, but it can also happen when you’re watching a movie on the sofa and staying still for a couple of hours.
Not just in the bed
Contrary to their popular name, bed bugs aren’t found only in the beds. They love chairs, electronics, sofas and more. It’s possible for them to even hide in clothes, stuffed animals and other items. If you’re working from home and spend a lot of time in one place, that can also make you a tasty target for bed bugs.
In general, the adult bugs feed once a week, but they are never alone. Even small infestations usually consist of several hundred critters. So, you can (and probably will) get bitten multiple times per day.
Spotting bed bugs and treatment
People already know most of the telltale signs of bed bug infestation. Those red, itchy spots on the skin and tiny blood marks on the bedding. Also – brown spots on the bedding and a not so pleasant smell.
Other ways to spot bed bugs is to look for small brown shells in the corners of cupboards, along the edges of walls or door frames and inside of drawers, dressers and nightstands. Basically, it’s everywhere where it can provide fast, easy access to the places most frequented by a human or a pet.
If you have a bed bug infestation, you can try and solve the issue by yourself. Do note that this will be very difficult. Bed bugs have become resilient to the majority of DIY treatments and products.
This is why you need the help of professionals. They can do a proper inspection of your property and find bed bug colonies. Then they can apply various methods for extermination, including the widespread bed bug heat treatment. This is a toxic-free method that uses heat, and therefore it’s safe for pets and completely eliminates all bugs.
So, if you have an issue with bed bugs, it won’t matter if it’s day or night. Don’t postpone your actions, as the infestation will only worsen and more difficult to terminate.
