Do Bed Bugs Eat Other Things?

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What do bed bugs consume other than blood? This is one of the important things that you should learn if you are one of those people thinking that they can get rid of bed bugs if they lure them to other edible items. However, just like what most experts would say, bed bugs don’t eat anything other than blood.

Getting to know bed bugs’ eating habits, you’ll learn that they have been feeding off human blood ever since their existence was noted in history. They don’t eat spilled food or any human food that you’ll leave in the open for them.

Do Bed Bugs Eat Anything Other than Blood?

Most researchers believe that it’s the scent that humans give off; the carbon dioxide and the temperature that makes bed bugs choose to feed off humans instead of other things. From nymphs to adults, bed bugs only feed on blood.

In the wild, if there are no human hosts nearby, bed bugs will feed on other mammals, as long as they are warm-blooded. Certain insects can feed on bats and birds, but bed bugs rarely do this. Therefore, you need to properly identify the insect that you’re dealing with.

There are even reports in Scientific literature hundreds of years ago that bed bugs feed on cold-blooded animals when their preferred hosts are not available. However, this is less likely to happen now that bed bugs have landed in almost every home and the availability of hosts is no longer a problem.

When Do They Feed?

Though they usually climb up on your mattresses and box springs while you are in deep slumber to get a full blood meal, they can always feed off you whenever there’s an opportunity. Say for example you’re having an afternoon nap. They can crawl near you and get a full blood meal without your knowledge. As long as you - their host - is nearby, they will take every opportunity to feed off of your blood and nothing else.

Thus, the need to use bed bug mattress encasement or interceptors to prevent them from reaching, biting, and feeding off you while you sleep.

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