Do Bed Bugs Drink Your Blood?
WouterYou may be wondering, “Do bed bugs drink your blood?” The truth is that bed bugs feed on blood, and although they may eat other animals such as cats and dogs, they prefer human blood. Moreover, human blood is rich in protein and vitamins that are beneficial to bedbugs. However, if you suspect that you have bed bugs in your home, contact a pest management specialist. One of the key indicators to identify bedbugs is the relationship between their pronotum hairs and the size of their eyes.
The researchers observed the blood consumption of bedbugs on a human for seven days, but compared the numbers with a natural host. They found that bedbugs ingested an average of 51 mg of blood per box. In comparison, a laboratory culture ingested about 48 mg of blood per box. This difference was not statistically significant. They also found that the amount of blood consumed by different strains depends on the quality of the blood. This suggests that bed bugs assess the quality of the blood in their diet.
To feed, bedbugs must pierce the skin and drink blood. They prefer to live near humans and are attracted to inactive people. They may be five to 20 feet away when they want to feed, but then retreat to a hiding place to digest the blood. Researchers have also found that bedbugs sense carbon dioxide and body heat, so they need to mimic these factors to feed.
