Do Bed Bugs Drink Period Blood?
WouterThe common myth that bedbugs drink period blood is not accurate. While they do like to feed on blood from humans, pets, and rodents, period blood is not suitable for them. It is not rich in bacteria and proteins, and lacks the odor and nutrients needed for eggs. Also, most women do not have a period every month.
One study found that bedbugs in hotels ingest about 51 mg of blood per box. This was lower than the average amount of blood eaten by rodents, which were fed with 10% heparinized blood through a parafilm membrane. Despite these findings, only one individual reached the fourth nymph stage in 175 days after the experiment began. However, artificially fed bedbugs and rodent-fed ones did not differ significantly from each other. In both conditions, bedbugs fed on 1% heparinized blood through a parafilm membrane were equally successful in developing into adults. In both treatments, 25% of the initial cohort reached the second, third, and fourth nymph stages, and 75% of the population reached adulthood.
While bedbugs may also snack on bats and animals, they primarily feed on human blood. Those who suspect they might have a bedbug infestation should call a pest management professional. The main identifier for identifying bedbugs is the length of the pronotum (the head of the insect) and the size of its eyes.
