Who drinks blood from bed bugs? - briefly
Predatory insects—including rove beetles (Staphylinidae), ant species that hunt arthropods, and certain mite families—consume bed bugs and thus ingest the blood the bugs have taken. Some spiders also capture and eat bed bugs, acquiring the blood within their prey.
Who drinks blood from bed bugs? - in detail
Bed bugs are hematophagous arthropods; the blood they ingest becomes a nutrient source for several other organisms. These secondary consumers include predatory insects, arachnids, parasitoid wasps, entomopathogenic fungi, nematodes, and, occasionally, vertebrate species that capture the bugs directly.
- Predatory beetles (e.g., Cercyon spp., rove beetles): Attack adult and nymphal bed bugs, seizing them with mandibles and ingesting the hemolymph. Laboratory studies show up to 70 % reduction in bed‑bug populations when beetles are introduced at a 1:10 predator‑prey ratio.
- Ant species (e.g., Solenopsis spp., Pheidole spp.): Scavenge dead bugs and may subdue live individuals, extracting internal fluids. Ant colonies can sustain modest populations of bed bugs as a protein supplement.
- Spiders (e.g., common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum): Capture wandering bed bugs in webs or via active hunting, injecting venom that liquefies tissues before ingestion.
- Parasitoid wasps (e.g., Aphytis spp.): Deposit eggs inside bed‑bug nymphs; emerging larvae consume the host from within, effectively converting the bug’s blood into wasp biomass.
- Entomopathogenic fungi (e.g., Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae): Infect the cuticle, proliferate internally, and degrade host tissues, including the stored blood, releasing spores that spread to neighboring bugs. Field applications report mortality rates between 40 % and 90 % depending on formulation.
- Entomopathogenic nematodes (e.g., Steinernema carpocapsae): Enter through natural openings, release symbiotic bacteria that kill the host, and consume the resultant nutrient pool. Controlled releases achieve significant suppression in laboratory arenas.
- Birds (e.g., domestic chickens, certain wild passerines): Occasionally ingest bed bugs while foraging in infested structures; the ingested blood is digested along with the insect’s tissues. Observational reports indicate low but measurable predation pressure in rural settings.
- Mammals (e.g., rodents, occasional pet cats): Capture and eat bed bugs when encountered; the blood within the bug contributes minimally to the predator’s diet but provides a source of protein and lipids.
Each of these organisms extracts the blood-derived nutrients that bed bugs have accumulated, converting them into growth, reproduction, or energy for the predator. Their effectiveness varies with environmental conditions, host availability, and the stage of the bed‑bug life cycle. Integrated pest‑management programs often combine several of these natural enemies to achieve sustained reduction of bed‑bug infestations.