• Blog
  • Main Website
  • Commercial Pest Control
  • Pest Control Reviews
  • Contact Us
deBugged
  • Blog
  • Main Website
  • Commercial Pest Control
  • Pest Control Reviews
  • Contact Us
Home  /  Countries  /  Do Bed Bugs Prefer Hairy Humans?
15 December 2011

Do Bed Bugs Prefer Hairy Humans?

Written by admin
Countries bed bugs, biting, body hair, insects, parasites, Sheffield University Leave a Comment

I’ve often wondered if the hairs on my arms and legs actually benefit me in any way, because they are certainly not providing any insulation against the bitter winds currently sweeping the UK. Researchers from Sheffield Do Bed Bugs Prefer Hairy Humans?University have been exploring the theory that human hair may act as a detection system for parasites. If parasites such as mosquitoes or fleas trigger the hair alarm system, our brain signals the hand to move in with a sharp slap. That’s the theory anyway.

Just to see what would happen, Sheffield University researchers placed hungry bed bugs on the arms of 29 brave volunteers (obviously not me).  Half the bed bug victims had shaved arms and the other half retained their body hair. The test was to discover if  the bed bugs preferred their humans hairy or not hairy.

The findings were published in the journal Biology Letters and researchers reported that bed bugs preferred the hairless arms, probably because it gave them an easier access to blood vessels. A bed bug takes between three and 10 minutes to feed, a long time to avoid a good slap from a human. Bed bugs prefer to bite under the cover of darkness and leave three tell-tale bite marks, referred to in the pest control industry as breakfast, lunch and dinner. An even more sinister fact about bed bugs is that they are unlikely to wake their victim, because they inject an anaesthetic whilst drawing the blood from its host.

In the summer I often bitten on my hair-free ankles by beasts unknown and I only ever get bitten below the knee by mosquitoes. But then the OH is very hairy and get eaten alive by anything with six legs. What does that mean?

Share On
 Previous Article Halloween Super Heroes
Next Article   10 Amazing Facts about Rats

Related Posts

  • Sting for Irish homeowners as wasps may be sticking around!

    August 31, 2022
  • How to Prevent Flies in House

    July 21, 2022
  • The amount of silverfish in Ireland’s capital has been nearly ‘Dublin’!

    March 24, 2022
  • Top counties for fleas in Ireland in 2021

    Ireland’s Top 5 Worst Affected Counties For Fleas In 2021

    February 23, 2022
admin

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Need some advice?

Talk to one of our experts:

For your Home

0818 882 438

For your Business

0818 882 428

Checking...

Ouch! There was a server error.
Retry »

Sending message...

Quick Form

Fill in the form below and we will be in touch soon


Find us on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

Find Us on LinkedIn

Rentokil Pest Control

Rentokil Pest Control is part of Rentokil Initial — one of the world’s largest providers of business services. Formed over 80 years ago, the company has grown to become UK’s longest-established, best known and most trusted pest control service provider.

Camberley.
3,500+ employees



Rentokil Pest Control

Categories

  • Birds
  • Commercial Pest Control
  • Countries
  • Crawling Insects
  • Flying Insects
  • Property Care
  • Rodents

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DEBUGGED BLOG


Latest Video

Recent Posts

  • Bed Bugs Are Back September 29, 2022
  • Sting for Irish homeowners as wasps may be sticking around! August 31, 2022
  • How to Prevent Flies in House July 21, 2022
  • Are Horse Fly Bites Harmful? June 20, 2022

© 2022 Rentokil Initial plc and subject to the conditions in the Legal Statement.

  • Pestaurant
  • Noises in the Attic
  • Top Household Pests
  • Specialist Services
  • Why Rentokil
  • RI Supplier Code
  • Supplier Terms and Conditions
  • Manage Cookies
  • Company Information
  • Legal Statement
  • RI Supplier Code
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • eBilling
myRentokil
myLearning
  • Ambius.ie Ambius.ie
  • Initial.ie Initial.ie
  • Rentokil-Initial.com Rentokil-Initial.com