Who, besides humans, do bed bugs bite? - briefly
Bed bugs take blood meals from many warm‑blooded mammals, such as dogs, cats, rodents, and birds. They also bite other domestic animals, including rabbits and ferrets.
Who, besides humans, do bed bugs bite? - in detail
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) are obligate hematophagous insects that primarily target humans, yet they have been documented feeding on a variety of other vertebrate hosts. Laboratory experiments and field observations confirm that the insects can complete a blood meal on several mammalian and avian species when humans are unavailable.
- Domestic mammals – Dogs, cats, and laboratory mice have all supported successful feeding. In controlled studies, bed bugs acquired enough blood from these hosts to develop to adulthood, indicating that the blood composition is physiologically adequate.
- Livestock – Cattle, pigs, and goats have been reported as occasional hosts in farm environments. Infestations in animal shelters demonstrate that bed bugs can survive on these larger mammals, although population growth is slower compared with human‑only infestations.
- Wild mammals – Small rodents such as rats and squirrels are viable blood sources. Field surveys in peridomestic settings have recovered engorged bed bugs from nests of these species.
- Birds – Certain passerine birds, particularly those that roost in close proximity to human dwellings, have been shown to provide blood meals. Experiments with captive chickens resulted in successful engorgement and egg production.
- Exotic pets and captive wildlife – Reptiles, amphibians, and non‑human primates have rarely been reported as hosts, but isolated incidents in zoological facilities suggest that bed bugs may opportunistically feed when in direct contact with warm‑blooded vertebrates.
Feeding preferences depend on host availability, temperature, and carbon‑dioxide emission rates. Human skin odor and body heat remain the most attractive cues, which explains the predominance of human bites in domestic infestations. Nevertheless, the documented ability to utilize alternative vertebrate hosts underscores the ecological flexibility of bed bugs and informs pest‑management strategies in mixed‑use environments such as farms, animal shelters, and wildlife rehabilitation centers.