Habits of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs feed on warm-blooded animals, with their favorite hosts being humans. They were first introduced into the U.S. by colonists, according to the Ohio State University. Bed bugs don't spread disease. However, they can cause annoyances like skin irritations if you develop an allergic response. The creatures are small in size, which allows them to easily hide within your home.

Nocturnal

• Bed bugs dislike light. They'll hide until dark, responding to the warmth of your body and the exhalation of carbon dioxide. Though bed bugs tend to stay close to where you sleep, they can crawl over 100 feet to reach a blood meal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dermatologist Barry Galitzer states that bed bugs tend to feed just before sunrise.

Feeding Habits

• A bed bug has two injector tubes capable of penetrating your skin. One tube dispenses the insect's saliva. It contains anesthetics, making you incapable of feeling the bed bug's bite. The other tube withdraws your blood. While a bed bug can go months without eating, it may try to eat once every week. A bed bug may bite several times before finding an optimal spot to siphon blood. Because of its saliva, you may develop an itchy, red and swollen bite mark.

Reproduction

• Bed bugs have a bizarre mating ritual involving traumatic insemination. After feeding, the male will find a mate and impale her with a specialized organ The organ, known as the Organ of Belese, deposits sperm into the female. Females can hold sperm within their ovaries, fertilizing the eggs as necessary. When the female runs out of sperm, she'll look for a new mate.

Growth

• Females can lay up to 700 eggs in their lifetime. They lay their fertilized eggs in your floors, walls and furniture. The eggs appear white and pearly. It can take up to four days for eggs to hatch, and nearly a month for a hatched nymph (a young bed bug) to reach adult size. Bed bugs go through molting phases before becoming sexually mature.