What else do bedbugs feed on besides blood? - briefly
Bedbugs are obligate hematophages that consume only the blood of humans and other warm‑blooded animals; they cannot obtain nutrition from plant material, nectar, or any non‑blood sources. Their diet is exclusively hematological.
What else do bedbugs feed on besides blood? - in detail
Bedbugs are obligate hematophages; their digestive system is specialized for liquid vertebrate blood. The organism cannot process solid plant material, detritus, or typical animal tissue.
Alternative vertebrate hosts include:
- Rodents such as mice and rats
- Birds, especially pigeons and sparrows
- Bats and other chiropteran species
- Domestic pets, including cats and dogs
These hosts provide the same nutritional profile as human blood—hemoglobin, serum proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates—allowing normal development and reproduction.
Laboratory studies have demonstrated that bedbugs can ingest and survive on sucrose solutions for short periods. Sugar water supplies limited energy but does not support egg production or molting; the insects eventually require a blood meal to complete their life cycle.
Occasional ingestion of non‑blood material has been recorded:
- Consumed exuviae (shed skins) may recycle chitin and associated proteins.
- Ingested fungal spores have been observed, yet they do not serve as a primary nutrient source.
During prolonged fasting, bedbugs rely on stored lipids and glycogen accumulated from previous blood meals. Metabolic rate declines, and activity is reduced until a new host is located.
In summary, while bedbugs can temporarily utilize sugary solutions and recycle minor amounts of exuviae or spores, their essential and exclusive nutritional requirement remains vertebrate blood, obtained from a range of mammalian, avian, and chiropteran hosts.