The notorious blood-sucking pests known as bed bugs have been plaguing people for generations. As unsettling as it may sound, their main food source is our blood. However, have you ever questioned why bed bugs have such a strong attraction to people? We’ll explore the fascinating factors that contribute to their fondness for the human blood diet in this article.
Natural Host Selection
Being ectoparasites, bed bugs spend their entire lives outside of their hosts and only consume their blood. Bed bugs have historically been connected to bats and birds, and they probably consumed their blood before humans became their favoured hosts. Bed bugs have, however, developed a variety of host situations over time, and human homes have turned into their main hunting grounds.
Accessible and plenty
The accessibility and abundance of humans is one of the key reasons bed bugs favour them. Homes, hotels, and other human-occupied spaces make the perfect habitat for these pests. Inadvertently, we provide bed bugs plenty of places to hide, such as fissures, cracks, and seams in mattresses and furniture. Since people frequent these areas, bed bugs have access to a consistent supply of prospective blood meals.
Nighttime Behaviour
Being nocturnal, bed bugs spend the most of the day sleeping. Since most people are not around during this time, bed bugs have an ideal opportunity to feed unhindered. Our sleeping rhythms perfectly coincide with their feeding schedules, making us easy targets while we sleep.
Attraction Elements
Bed bugs are drawn to us by a number of different attraction criteria besides accessibility and timing, including:
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Bed bugs can detect the carbon dioxide we exhale when we breathe thanks to their highly developed CO2 receptors. Elevated CO2 levels direct bed bugs to their source of blood meals by indicating the presence of a possible host.
- Bed bugs may more easily feed when blood vessels are close to the skin’s surface, which is where our body heat works as another beacon, directing bed bugs thither.
- Bed bugs are sensitive to chemical substances and the smell of our bodies coming from our skin. They are able to find a good feeding place because to their recognizable smells.
Evolution and Adaptation
Insects like bed bugs are incredibly adaptive. They have developed over time to flourish in human contexts and are now well suited to living with us. Their adaptability and broad infestations have been facilitated by their capacity to survive in human environments and feed on human blood.
Insufficient natural defences
Natural defences against bed bugs are absent in humans. We have open skin, which gives these pests easy access, unlike certain animals that have fur or other protective coverings. The saliva of bed bugs also contains substances that have minor anaesthetic and anticoagulant properties, which ensures that we are unconscious of their existence and unhindered while they feed.
Conclusion
Human blood is preferred by bed bugs for a variety of reasons, including accessibility, availability, nocturnal activity, and our allure as hosts. Human homes are the perfect environment for them to flourish since they attract them with our breath, body heat, and distinctive odour. They are successful parasites that continue to present a chronic problem for both homeowners and businesses due to their adaptability and evolution throughout time.
Effective bed bug management measures can be developed with the help of an understanding of the factors that contribute to their attraction to people. For effective bed bug eradication and infestation prevention, comprehensive pest control strategies that take into account the pests’ particular feeding and breeding habits are required. We may reduce the likelihood of coming into contact with these blood-sucking parasites and enjoy a bed bug-free home by being aware of these variables and taking preventative action.
Bed Bug Control Newmarket, we understand just how revolting and disturbing a bed bug infestation can be. Therefore, we have devised perfect procedures to not only exterminate the current population of adult bed bugs in your home but also to prevent a repeat infestation led by the nymphs and eggs.