What do red bed bugs feed on? - briefly
Red bed bugs subsist on the blood of warm‑blooded hosts, primarily humans, and occasionally other mammals such as dogs or rodents. They obtain nutrients by piercing the skin and extracting a small meal of blood at each feeding.
What do red bed bugs feed on? - in detail
Red bed bugs are obligate hematophages; their entire life cycle depends on ingesting vertebrate blood. Adult insects and each nymphal instar require a single blood meal to molt to the next stage, and females need an additional meal to produce eggs. Feeding occurs primarily at night when hosts are at rest. The insect locates a host by detecting carbon‑dioxide, body heat, and skin odors, then pierces the epidermis with a slender proboscis. Saliva containing anticoagulants and vasodilators is injected, preventing clotting and prolonging blood flow. A typical feeding session lasts five to ten minutes, after which the bug retreats to a concealed harbor.
Key aspects of the diet include:
- Primary hosts: humans are the most common source, but the bugs also accept birds, rodents, dogs, cats, and, in tropical regions, reptiles.
- Blood composition: they extract plasma and erythrocytes, obtaining proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and iron essential for growth and reproduction.
- Feeding frequency: after a successful meal, a nymph may remain dormant for several days to weeks before the next intake; adults can survive up to several months without feeding under optimal temperature and humidity.
- Physiological impact: each blood meal supplies enough nutrients for an egg batch of 5–7 eggs in females; the ingested blood is stored in a distended abdomen and gradually digested.
- Environmental influences: temperature above 20 °C accelerates digestion and reduces the interval between meals, while low humidity increases desiccation risk and may extend fasting periods.
Laboratory observations confirm that red bed bugs will also ingest artificial blood substitutes when presented, indicating flexibility in the source of nutrients as long as the fluid provides adequate protein and iron. However, in natural settings, the insects rely exclusively on vertebrate hosts for survival and reproduction.