What do water bedbugs feed on? - briefly
Water bedbugs are hematophagous insects that obtain nourishment by piercing the skin of humans (and occasionally other warm‑blooded animals) to ingest blood. They typically feed during nighttime when hosts are at rest.
What do water bedbugs feed on? - in detail
Water‑bed insects classified as bedbugs are obligate hematophages. Their sole nutritional source is the blood of warm‑blooded vertebrates that come into contact with the sleeping surface. Human blood provides the primary sustenance, but the insects will also accept mammals such as dogs, cats, rodents, and, less frequently, birds if the opportunity arises.
Feeding occurs through a specialized proboscis that pierces the skin, injects anticoagulant saliva, and draws blood. A single meal supplies enough protein and lipids to support egg production and sustain the insect for several days to weeks, depending on ambient temperature and metabolic rate. After ingesting a blood meal, the insect expands its abdomen, digests the blood, and stores nutrients in the form of lipoproteins and glycogen.
Key aspects of the feeding cycle:
- Host detection: Heat, carbon dioxide, and kairomones guide the insect to a resting host.
- Attachment: The insect anchors with its forelegs and inserts the proboscis.
- Blood intake: Typical volume ranges from 0.2 µL to 0.4 µL per feeding event.
- Digestive processing: Enzymes break down hemoglobin; excess water is excreted as urine.
- Reproductive output: A fully engorged female may lay 1–5 eggs per day for up to 5 weeks.
The insects do not derive nutrition from the water‑filled mattress itself; the term “water‑bed bug” refers only to their habitat, not to any aquatic feeding behavior. Survival without a blood meal is limited to several months under optimal conditions, after which starvation occurs. Consequently, the presence of a host and regular blood meals are essential for population maintenance.