◉ Why do bedbugs not bite all people in the family: why do they bite some and not others, and can they bite only one person in the house?

Why bed bugs do not bite all people: some family members suffer more from parasites

It is believed that parasites attack selectively. This is explained by the fact that not all family members have bites in the morning. In fact, there is an explanation for this behavior. If you are wondering why bedbugs do not bite all people, you should keep in mind that there are no obstacles for a hungry parasite. They rush to the source of the smell that attracts them. This is carbon dioxide emitted by humans, as well as heat.

By and large, insects don’t care who becomes the victim. The answer to the question why bedbugs bite some and not others is simple: they prefer to choose those who are closest to the pests’ habitat.

In the case when there is only one nest in the room, and there are several sleeping places, then first of all, red spots will appear on people who sleep on the sofa/bed, where insects have gathered together.

The favorite place of bedbugs is the wrist

Favorite bite spots

Bed bugs have a piercing-sucking mouthpart. This means that it is not powerful enough to pierce tough, fairly dense, significant skin thickness. Insects prefer to choose places on the human body where it will be easier for them to get a portion of food. These include:

wrists;
shin;
neck;

shoulders;
hips;
back or stomach.

The bug bites the path. In the areas listed above, lines formed by red spots remain. Their quantity differs, which depends on the age of the insect and the degree of its saturation. In addition, pests attack exposed areas of the body. For this reason, in the warm season there are many more bites.

Bedbug bites

Bedbug bites on the leg

What do bedbugs look like?

Bug

A bedbug (photo) has a flattened body, from two to eight millimeters long, the size depends on how much blood it drank, and a bedbug can drink 3 times more than it weighs. Its color is brown (black) when the bug is hungry, or burgundy-brown and even scarlet when it sucks blood. Male bedbugs are usually smaller than females. On the front of the head there is something like a sting that serves to suck blood and pierce the skin. The upper jaw of the insect is divided into two canals, narrow and wide. The narrow one is used to secrete special saliva, which does not allow a person to understand that a parasite has attached itself to him, and the wide one is for the flow of blood into the body of the bedbug.

When a bug is hungry and has not drunk human blood, it is very fast and it is very difficult to kill it mechanically. If he has been pumped with blood, he takes on rounded shapes and is inactive.

Selection of a potential victim. Who do bed parasites prey on?

Nature has defined several rules that form the basis for the life activity of insects. Thanks to this, bedbugs remain alive after biting the owner and can leave him without hindrance.

Definition of a victim

The insect makes a choice taking into account factors:

thin outer coverings of the human body: insects smell because they have a highly developed sense of smell;
low hairiness of the skin or absence of hair, which facilitates the process of puncturing the skin, and at the same time makes it safe for the parasite to leave the human body;
a person sleeps without clothes or blankets: the bloodsucker attacks those who have the habit of sleeping without unnecessary things.

Bedbugs are mainly active at night

Features of vital activity and lifestyle of parasites

Bed parasites emerge from hiding at night. During the daytime, such pests rest. In fact, sleep for them means being at peace. At this time they do not feed and do not crawl out of their shelters. Bedbugs feel safe when they are in a nest. In addition, they have some degree of photophobia. They do not tolerate not only solar radiation, but also artificial light. But this is not a strict condition for the existence of insects.

If they feel hungry, they are able to emerge from the nest during the daytime, but this does not happen often.

Characteristics of bed bug bites

Understanding when bed bugs bite is not at all difficult. The fact is that the period of their activity occurs at night, which is when they begin their attacks. While a person is immersed in deep sleep, insects freely feed on his blood. Most often this is between two and six hours.

If you suspect that these pests live in your apartment, then there is an accurate way to find out about it. At about three o'clock in the morning you need to turn on the light, then parasites can be found in the bed and on the wallpaper.

The secret to their survival, besides their nightly forays, lies in the way bed bugs bite. The process itself is absolutely painless, and one individual can bite through the human body three times.

It is not difficult to understand where bedbugs bite; most often these are open places - arms, legs, face. Therefore, those who are worried about whether bedbugs bite through clothes need not worry.

What causes selectivity?

There are several reasons why parasites bite only some individuals. Among them, not only external but also internal factors are noted. To predict an attack on a person, you should learn more about the preferences of pests.

The first symptom of a bite is irritation and itching

Which people are at risk?

Bloodsuckers have no special criteria when choosing a victim. If you are wondering who is not bitten by bedbugs, you need to consider 2 factors:

the composition of the air exhaled by humans (insects focus on the carbon dioxide content);
the thickness of the outer integument.

So, if several people act as potential victims at once, they will have different smells. For this reason, the pest will choose the one with thinner skin. Such people are at risk.

But despite this, it is still difficult to predict who the bedbug will choose.

Does the gender of the victim matter?

It is believed that bed parasites do not bite men, but only attack women and children. In fact, this is a misconception. For bedbugs, it doesn’t matter who becomes the owner, the main thing is that there is an opportunity to safely approach to get a portion of blood.

At the same time, the insect does not recognize the external sexual characteristics of a person. Moreover, bed parasites do not have the physical ability to do this: firstly, there is no awareness, so there is no understanding of such features, and secondly, the organs of vision are underdeveloped, which means insects also cannot study the structure of the human body.

They navigate through their senses, so smell, not gender, plays a role when the pest approaches people.

Bedbugs bite those close to their habitat

Age does not matter

There are no age restrictions when choosing a food source for insects. They can feed on the blood of people whose body odor suits them. It happens that bites are more often found in infants. Probable reasons:

the nest is in the crib, insects can get to the child faster;
thin skin;
the smell is more attractive.

Blood type as one of the factors determining the choice of victim for bedbugs

The likelihood of an attack on people with different compositions of biological fluid is the same. Blood itself is important to domestic parasites. They cannot determine its parameters, but only need a portion of food. If it seems that some family members are more likely to be attacked by bedbugs at home, you should not associate this with your blood type. The key parameter, again, is the smell, as well as the warmth of the human body.

Treating the bite with gel

Determining the food source for parasites

Sometimes home parasites bite one person but not others. The reason lies in the parameters of the skin. If insects are satisfied with the smell of all family members, they make a choice of victim based on other parameters. For example, they take into account the thickness of the skin, assess how soft it is and how pliable it is to the proboscis.

Potential victims of bedbugs are women and children

It is in young girls and children that the outer integument meets the needs of bedbugs. Their skin is soft and delicate. Piercing it will not be difficult not only for the imago, but also for the larvae. Initially, this parameter is not key; if necessary, insects can bite any person (if they are hungry). If the choice of victims is large enough, according to the main criteria, bedbugs can choose any person, and next time they will return to the place where they found a suitable food source.

In addition to people, bedbugs also attack animals

Features of choosing a victim

As mentioned above, bedbugs do not bite just one person.

However, it is possible to highlight a number of aspects according to which insects choose the most suitable victim for themselves.:

Bedbugs do not bite people who have bad habits or do so extremely rarely. Alcohol consumption and smoking can be considered as effective methods of scaring away bloodsuckers.
Bedbugs cannot tolerate strong odors. Using perfumes, deodorants and other personal care products that have a strong odor will help prevent parasite bites.
Insects readily attack people who lead a healthy lifestyle and eat high-quality products of natural origin. For this reason, bedbugs often bite children.

The above rules can only work if the number of bedbugs in the apartment is small. In large numbers, insects attack all family members without exception.

Which types of pets suffer from bed parasites?

Insects in 98% of cases choose people to get a portion of blood. However, the answer to the question of whether bed bugs bite pets is positive. When the parasites have nowhere else to get a portion of blood, they will begin to approach animals. If you are wondering whether bedbugs bite cats, you need to take into account the degree of density of the fur of such pets. Short-haired pets are the easiest to bite.

But another difficulty arises - the significant thickness of the skin, as well as many sebaceous glands in its structure, which makes it difficult for insects to eat.

Bedbug bite on a pet's body

Table: 8 steps to remove bedbugs from pets

If there is a tart, cloying smell of parasites at home, red spots appear and itching is felt in the morning, you need to look for the cause of the pests. One of the probable ones is the infection of pets; bedbugs enter the apartment on their fur.

Treatment	Recommendations
Cleaning your pet's bedding	Removing litter will help detect bedbugs immediately
Collected garbage must be burned; if you simply throw it away, the bugs it contains will spread to new objects	It is not recommended to use a vacuum cleaner for this purpose, insects may remain inside, sooner or later they will find a way out
Treating litter with hot water	This is an effective method of quickly killing parasites
Use a dryer or iron to tidy up the pet’s area.	For reliability, after washing, re-treat the product with a heat source
Instead of the washing method, electrical appliances are considered: hair dryer, steam generator	A steam generator is periodically used, which will kill insects that appear at home but go unnoticed
For further use, the litter is protected with a sealed cover.	It will be more difficult for insects to find shelter here
Eliminate ways for insects to spread – cracks	In this way, bedbugs are prevented from falling onto an object, as well as their spread to neighboring areas.
Treat areas nearby (plinths, floors) where the pet lives	This is a method of combating the new generation of individuals emerging from eggs.

It is necessary to periodically treat the animal's bedding

Are bedbug bites dangerous?

Are bedbug bites dangerous for humans? Without a doubt. Do not forget that the insect feeds on the blood of different people. This means that the parasite can be a carrier of various diseases for a long time, transmitting the pathogen to a new “client”. This is the main danger. A person can get serious infections such as:

viral hepatitis;
plague;
tularemia;
Q fever, etc.
allergic reactions

It is worth noting that there are few cases of infection with serious diseases after an attack by bed bugs, but, nevertheless, doctors warn about this possibility.

Allergic reactions

A possible allergic reaction is no less dangerous (see photo). During feeding, the parasite injects saliva into the wound, which contains special anesthetic components. They can cause a violent allergic reaction in a child and an adult man or woman.

What do the symptoms of the pathological condition look like? Differently. Allergy symptoms are usually divided into local reactions and general ones.

Most often, an attack by bloodsuckers ends with the development of such manifestations of an allergen that has entered the blood, such as:

itching;
the appearance of swelling;
redness.

These allergy symptoms may go away on their own. But if the itching is severe, then the damage can be treated with any antihistamine.

Bed bug saliva can also cause general allergy symptoms. These reactions include:

hives Reddish rashes appear on the body of a child or adult. They will look like a nettle burn and be accompanied by itching;
runny nose and watery eyes. The symptoms resemble the onset of acute respiratory infections, but disappear after taking an antihistamine;
bronchospasm. Its appearance is dangerous due to the development of breathing difficulties;
Quincke's edema. This is one of the most serious consequences, in which swelling of the larynx is possible;
anaphylactic shock. In this case, the victim needs urgent medical attention.

If the manifestation of allergies is limited to a runny nose, itching or slight swelling, then it is enough to use any antihistamine. In other cases, accompanied by severe swelling or difficulty breathing, qualified medical assistance is necessary.

In the photo you see waste products of bedbugs. They can also provoke severe allergies. The reaction may be unpredictable.

Allergies during pregnancy

Bed bugs pose a danger to pregnant women, since if an allergy develops, taking any antihistamines without prior medical advice is prohibited. Even slight swelling of the larynx is especially dangerous for a pregnant woman. During this period, the child experiences oxygen starvation, which is not very good for the developing brain of the fetus. To treat an allergy to bed bugs, a pregnant woman should contact a leading physician.

Why do bed bugs bite only at night?

Safety is extremely important to insects, so much so that they will go elsewhere if they feel threatened. They can lay eggs, mate, move, but all this is possible when night falls. In addition, another reason for the appearance not during the day, but in the dark is free access to the owner’s body. If you are wondering whether bedbugs bite dogs, the answer is yes, but this happens at night.

The day is not suitable for such a task, because... a calmly resting pet will quickly detect the parasite.

It's better to sleep dressed

If a person rests without clothes to sleep, a large area opens up for bedbugs to attack - they can bite in any area. The same thing happens if the potential victim is not covered. For example, only the legs are visible from under the blanket, and this is where the bites will appear. Insects cannot overcome such complex obstacles as, for example, a blanket.

If there are bedbugs in the house, then you need to sleep dressed to protect yourself from bites

How dangerous are they?

Bedbug bite

It has been scientifically proven that the house bug is a carrier of infections. The greatest harm bedbugs bring to a person is by depriving him of peace and sleep. Bites can lead to skin rashes and skin diseases. If we compare bedbugs with mosquitoes, then these insects do not bite in one place, but can move across a person’s skin, making more and more new bites, looking for “sweeter” blood. If your premises are infested, a person can suffer up to 500 bites per night. This will be indicated in the morning by red spots similar to allergies. How to get rid of bed bugs at home.

Science has proven that 70% of people do not feel a bug bite, which makes it even more difficult to detect this insect. Most often, people find brown marks on the bed in the morning; these are traces of a crushed bed bug, which was crushed by a person tossing and turning in his sleep.

If your apartment or house is heavily infested with bedbugs, a characteristic, specific smell appears.

Do bedbugs bite drunk people?

Parasites are considered food for people in different states. They can also bite a drunk person, but in this case some of the alcohol will enter the parasite's body. Alcohol has a negative effect on the bug - females stop laying eggs. Parasites almost always choose sober people; they smell the alcohol that is released from the skin.

Despite the accessibility of a drunk person (sleeping in one position for a long time), parasites prefer to bite other victims.

Question-answer section

You can find out why parasites attack only certain victims, and whether bedbugs bite dogs, from a specialist online. Answered by Petrova Irina Igorevna, work experience - 24 years.