Bed bugs are a common household nuisance, notorious for their presence in sleeping areas and the irritation they cause. Understanding the factors that draw these insects to human environments is important for effective prevention and management. Pinpointing what truly attracts them helps clarify common misconceptions about these pests.
The Bed Bug Diet
Bed bugs are hematophagous insects, meaning they feed exclusively on blood. Their primary food source is the blood of warm-blooded animals, with humans being their most frequent hosts. A bed bug uses specialized mouthparts to pierce the skin and access a blood vessel. Once attached, they feed for about three to ten minutes, then withdraw and return to their hiding places.
What Truly Attracts Bed Bugs
Bed bugs rely on specific sensory cues to locate a host. Their primary attractants are the carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaled by humans and our body heat. These signals indicate the presence of a living, breathing individual, especially during sleep when hosts are stationary. Bed bugs also detect certain chemical signals, including natural scents like those from human skin and sweat. These insects possess poor eyesight, making their reliance on chemical and thermal cues pronounced for host-seeking.
Why Blood Itself Isn’t the Magnet
While blood is the sole nutritional requirement for bed bugs, they are not attracted to blood itself in isolation. For instance, a spilled drop of blood on a sheet will not draw them in. Instead, their attraction mechanisms are geared towards finding a living source. The cues from a living body guide bed bugs to a potential meal rather than to static blood. Therefore, the presence of a host, not the blood outside a body, is the true magnet for these insects.
Beyond Attraction: Bed Bug Survival
Bed bugs exhibit resilience and can survive for extended periods without a blood meal. Adult bed bugs can endure anywhere from 20 to 400 days without feeding, depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. Some adult bed bugs can even survive for up to a year under ideal cool conditions. To conserve energy, they can reduce their metabolic rate and enter a dormant state, similar to hibernation. While bed bugs need regular blood meals to grow through their nymphal stages and reproduce, their ability to withstand long stretches without food contributes significantly to their persistence in infestations.