What do bedbug nymphs feed on? - briefly
Bedbug juveniles require a blood meal from humans or other warm‑blooded animals to grow, with each instar taking a single feeding before molting. They cannot survive on plant material or other food sources.
What do bedbug nymphs feed on? - in detail
Bed‑bug juveniles require a blood meal at each developmental stage to progress to the next instar. The source of nourishment is the same as that of adult insects: the warm‑blooded vertebrate on which they reside. Humans are the most common hosts in domestic environments, but other mammals such as dogs, cats, rodents, and birds also provide viable meals. Each nymph ingests enough blood to fill its enlarged abdomen, then retreats to a harboring site to digest the intake before molting.
Feeding occurs after a period of starvation that can last several days to weeks, depending on the instar. First‑instar nymphs may survive on a single meal for up to 5 days, while fifth‑instar individuals can endure several weeks without feeding. The blood is drawn through the insect’s elongated beak, which pierces the skin and releases anticoagulants to keep the flow steady. The meal supplies proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates necessary for cuticle formation, energy production, and growth.
Key aspects of the juvenile diet include:
- Host variety: humans, domestic pets, laboratory rodents, wildlife birds.
- Meal size: increases with each instar; fifth‑instar consumes roughly three times the volume of a first‑instar.
- Feeding interval: shortens as the nymph matures; early stages require more frequent meals.
- Physiological impact: blood provides hemoglobin, iron, and essential amino acids critical for sclerotization of the exoskeleton during molting.
The requirement for a fresh blood meal after each molt makes access to a suitable host indispensable for successful development from egg to adult. Without regular feeding, nymphs cannot complete the five instars required for sexual maturity.