Do Bed Bugs Come Out During the Day?
Bed bugs are some of the most common infesting creatures in America. Thankfully, depending on how bad the infestation is, you can figure out where they’re hiding and get to the root of the problem.
During the day, bed bugs are sensitive to light and prefer not to leave their crevice or hiding places. However, they may crawl out of the cracks to feed during the daytime to look for a blood meal.
If bed bugs haven’t had a host in several days they may become active during the daytime.
What Time of Day Are Bed Bugs Most Active?
Bedbugs are most active at night and prefer to feed while it’s dark. Afterward they nest in furniture or mattress seams for several days.
However, there are some cases in which the bugs are more active during the day:
- If their blood hosts are more active at night and hard to get access to they may choose to feed during daylight hours.
- If a home’s bed bug infestation is significant there may not be enough room within crevices and furniture for them which means some may come out into the open during the day.
How can anyone be sure of a bed bug problem if the insects are active primarily at night? The best way to find out is for someone to examine their skin, bed, or couch.
A welt or red area on exposed skin may indicate a bed bug bite and there are other telltale signs they leave on furniture.
How Do You Find Bed Bugs During the Day?
To find them during daylight hours look for them in their hiding places. Finding and treating them while their colonies are small will prevent bed bugs from infesting the area.
- Search through mattress seams, couches, bed sheets, the box spring, and other areas where they nest. Many hide within or around the bed frame, requiring dismantling to uncover.
- If bed bugs are present they usually reside within three and eight feet of a person’s sleeping area. They don’t travel far to feed, so they won’t usually nest any farther away than that.
Adult bed bugs are tiny and brown or dark-colored. Due to the pressure of laying on beds and couches, it‘s common to find smeared or crushed insects. If there aren’t any adult insects there may be bed bug eggs.
The insects typically lay eggs in joints or against the wall such as behind the headboard. A box spring may also be worth checking for bed bug eggs.
Lastly, bed bugs shed multiple times during their life cycle. As a result, it’s not unusual to find shed skin they left behind.
Do Bed Bugs Bite During Daytime?
Bed bugs are repelled by bright lighting (photophobic) and usually don’t leave their nesting hideaways during the day or under bright light.
However, bed bugs will bite during the daytime in two rare circumstances:
- If the host or home dweller is active primarily at night and sleeps during the day
- If the bed bugs haven’t had a blood meal for a long time
In these situations bed bugs are more likely to feed during the day than the night.
How Do You Draw Bed Bugs Out of Hiding?
Drawing bed bugs out of hiding is a great way to confirm an infestation before calling a pest control specialist. Thankfully there are a few reliable ways to test a target area of a bed, couch, or piece of furniture.
- The first method involves pesticide bug treatment. After locating an area with reddish-brown smearing or dark spots, squirt the area lightly with bottled bed bug killer. If there are any living creatures in the area they’ll flee or suffer the effects of the chemical.
- If the idea of fumes or chemicals near your bed is concerning, try a different safe method. Use an electric hair dryer to blow hot air onto the suspected area. Doing so will make the bed bugs react and run from the heat.
- Homemade or commercial bed bug traps may also work.
- If all else fails, enlist the help of a pest control specialist. They know how to spot and prevent infestations and can pretty efficiently get them under control in most cases.