What do bedbugs eat when there are no humans? - briefly
In the absence of human hosts, bed bugs can obtain blood from other warm‑blooded animals such as rodents, birds, or domestic pets; without any suitable host, they enter prolonged dormancy and ultimately perish.
What do bedbugs eat when there are no humans? - in detail
Bedbugs are obligate blood‑suckers; they require vertebrate blood to develop and reproduce. When human hosts are unavailable, they turn to other warm‑blooded animals that provide suitable blood meals.
The most common alternative hosts include:
- Domestic pets such as dogs and cats.
- Rodents, especially mice and rats, which often inhabit the same structures as bedbugs.
- Birds that roost in attics, closets, or near sleeping areas.
- Bats occupying roof voids or wall cavities.
- Wildlife that enters homes, for example squirrels or raccoons.
These animals supply the same nutrients—protein, lipids, and carbohydrates—that bedbugs obtain from human blood. The insects detect hosts through heat, carbon‑dioxide, and kairomones, allowing them to locate and feed on any available vertebrate.
In the complete absence of a host, bedbugs enter a prolonged dormant state called diapause. During this period, they reduce metabolic activity, conserve energy, and survive on the blood stored in their gut. Laboratory studies show that unfed adults can live 100–300 days, and nymphs can persist for several months without feeding. Some individuals have been recorded surviving up to a year under optimal temperature and humidity conditions, but eventual starvation leads to mortality.
Artificial feeding systems, using warmed blood behind a silicone membrane, can sustain colonies in research settings. These systems mimic natural feeding cues and provide a controlled source of nutrition when no live host is present.
In summary, without human blood, bedbugs exploit other mammals, birds, or bats, and can endure extended periods without feeding by entering diapause and relying on stored blood reserves. Their survival hinges on the availability of any warm‑blooded host or, in its absence, on the duration of their dormant state.