What do apartment bedbugs eat? - briefly
Bedbugs in residential units subsist exclusively on the blood of humans or other warm‑blooded animals they can access during nighttime feeding. Their diet does not include food residues, plant material, or other household substances.
What do apartment bedbugs eat? - in detail
Apartment bedbugs in multi‑unit dwellings rely exclusively on blood meals. Their diet consists of the following sources:
- Human blood, accessed through exposed skin during night‑time resting periods.
- Blood from domestic animals such as cats, dogs, and occasionally small mammals that share the living space.
- Blood from birds or other warm‑blooded pets if present in the unit.
Feeding occurs through a specialized stylet that pierces the skin, injects anticoagulant saliva, and draws a small volume of blood, typically 0.001–0.005 ml per session. A single adult may ingest blood up to five times per week, while nymphal stages require more frequent meals to complete development. Between feedings, bedbugs can survive for several weeks, relying on the stored blood in their digestive tract.
Bedbugs do not consume fabrics, food residues, or inorganic material. Their digestive system is adapted solely for liquid blood, and they lack enzymes to break down solid matter. Consequently, infestations persist in apartments because the insects can locate hosts throughout the building, moving between units via cracks, wiring, and furniture.
Key aspects of their feeding behavior include:
- Preference for warm, carbon‑rich environments that facilitate host detection.
- Activation by host body heat, carbon dioxide, and skin odors.
- Rapid engorgement lasting 3–10 minutes, after which the insect retreats to a concealed harbor.
- Ability to resume feeding after a dormant period if the host is unavailable.
Understanding these dietary constraints clarifies why control measures focus on eliminating host access, reducing harborages, and disrupting the blood‑feeding cycle.