What Blood Type Do Bed Bugs Like Best?

“Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” This was a common phrase that many American children grew up with before the 1950s, when bed bugs were a common pest in many homes because mattresses were made from either straw, shredded corn husks, and down feathers.

These natural materials were a haven for bed bugs. But these days this isn’t a problem. Unfortunately, though, there has been a huge rise in these annoying pests, with experts believing that this has come about due to a rise in travel, increased resistance to pesticides that irradiate them, and a lack of common knowledge about preventing infestations in the first place.

Is it because bed bugs could have a preference for blood type? Why don’t they bite everyone?

If so, what blood type do bed bugs like best? Bed bugs tend to keep a taste for the first blood type they’ve feasted on. In this article, we’ll explain how it all works, and why bed bugs love some people but ignore others.


What Blood Type Do Bed Bugs Like Best?

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a bed bug infestation, then you’ll know that it’s the stuff of nightmares. Being fed on while you’re asleep and unconscious of their feasting on your tasty, tasty blood is no joke.

But why is it that you were bitten? Because the fact is, almost 50% of people don’t react to bed bug bites.

So, why is this the case?

Although they were mostly eradicated in the United States in the 1940s, during the past 10 years or so, there has been a rapid resurgence in bed bug infestations in hotels, shelters, AirBnBs, college dorms, apartment buildings, and even in single-family homes.

And this has nothing to do with unsanitary conditions, which may be your first thought. It also has nothing to do with the climate of the residence or even the geographic location.

More than likely, experts believe that it does have to do with population density, though.

During the day, bed bugs can hide in places like telephones, door frames, wall cracks, car seats, clothing, furniture, and even in movie theater seats.

So it’s easy to see how you or someone else may have brought them into your home completely unaware of the havoc they can cause.

So, if you have been unfortunate enough to wake up one morning after a decent night’s slumber, only to discover itchy and annoying bites all over your body, then this means you’ve probably been bitten by bed bugs while you were asleep.

If you have been unfortunate enough to wake up one morning after a decent night’s slumber, only to discover itchy and annoying bites all over your body, then this means that you’ve probably been bitten by bed bugs while you were asleep.

It’s a nightmare that many of us have experienced, and not something that you want to repeat. It’s essential that you do something about it immediately.

But why did you get bitten in the first place, knowing that half the population doesn’t react in the same way that you did?

Bed bugs feast on your blood, because they need it to survive. And although not everyone has a reaction to the bites, absolutely everyone who is in their path will be fed upon.

This is because bed bugs don’t have a preference to any one blood type overall, which may seem a bit confusing if you are getting bitten and you have a partner who isn’t, for example.

Why is this? Well, because when a bed bug hatches and has its first feast on a person, if that victim’s blood type is AB+, for instance, then that individual bed bug will continue to feed on people who are AB+.

The same thing goes for all blood types.

Therefore, a bed bug that begins its feeding frenzy on an O+ person will continue to feed on people with the same blood type. And because most people in the world have an O+ blood type, this could explain why you keep getting bitten and other people that you know might not be.

When a bed bug hatches and has its first feast on a person, if that victim’s blood type is AB+, for instance, then that individual bed bug will continue to feed on people who are AB+.

However, another thing to know is that in general, bed bugs can feed on all blood types. So your partner might not always be safe — or vice versa.

And bed bugs don’t prefer feasting on men or women, so where you are in your menstrual cycle has nothing to do with being bitten, which is a common myth.

Although bed bugs do have a preference for the blood type that they began feeding on, that’s not to say that they won’t partake in other blood types if they are hungry. Bed bugs can and will feed on any blood type because they need blood to survive.

Typically, bed bugs will bite anyone in the general area where they are hiding. It’s just that half the population doesn’t notice that they’re being bitten, because their histamine response means that their skin won’t react to the bites.

Bed bugs are attracted to pheromones in your sweat, as well as dirty clothes. They will also seek you out from your body heat and the carbon dioxide that you breathe out, so they will bite any exposed skin that they come into contact with.


The Histamine Response

The swelling that happens when you get bed bug bites is a result of the histamine response. Your body’s immune system reacts every time it comes into contact with something it thinks is toxic, which is why some people have this response to dust mites, for example, others from similar-looking phenomena like hot tub folliculitis.

However, some people have a stronger histamine response to certain things than others. This is why some people can eat peanuts and others cannot. It all depends on the individual because everyone is different.

This also explains why some people will react to bed bug bites while others don’t. Bed bugs will feed off of anyone who sleeps in the same bed that is infested. But not everyone will notice that they are being bitten.

If the bites do swell up, then this just means that the person is allergic to bed bug bites.


Where Bed Bugs Live

Bed bug infestations begin with a single female that searches for a dark place in which to lay her eggs. So, she can move easily from room to room, but can also hitch a ride on dark clothing after you sit in a movie theater seat, for example, or even in a bag that you carry that has been in a room where there were bed bugs present.

Once the female bed bug finds a new place to hide, she will search for a safe place in which to lay her eggs.

And while she continues to feast off of any humans that she finds during the night, she’ll also continue laying her eggs around the room in her hiding spots.

Eventually when her eggs hatch, she will mate with her offspring(!) to keep producing more eggs. And so, the cycle continues on and on until you have an infestation that needs dealing with. This means not only calling in the exterminators but also getting rid of all soft furnishings, bedding, and possibly even your mattress if it has been seriously contaminated.

When one room is infested, it could take a while for the bed bugs to find another room to take over. That’s because the female will only move to another room when all the available spaces she can find to lay eggs are taken up.  


What Color Are Your Pajamas?

The above may seem like a completely silly question, but it is a known fact that bed bugs do prefer some colors over others. Why is this the case? Because bed bugs search for black and red when they’re looking for somewhere safe to hide. And that’s because they can easily camouflage themselves in these dark places.

It is a known fact that bed bugs do prefer some colors over others. Why is this the case? Because bed bugs search for black and red when they’re looking for somewhere safe to hide. And that’s because they can easily camouflage themselves in these dark places.

Therefore, if you wear dark-colored or red pajamas, then it’s probably time to reconsider getting some brighter-colored ones to wear to bed instead. And you’ll definitely want to wear pajamas if you have to sleep in a room that you think might have an issue with bed bugs.

That’s because bed bugs search for exposed skin to feast on, and will bite those who sleep in t-shirts or in the nude before they’ll do so to someone who is wearing black pajamas.

So, by wearing lighter-colored pajamas that cover most of your skin, you will be making it much more difficult for them to feed off of you during the night.


Last Bites

So, what blood type do bed bugs like best? Well, you now know that they don’t have a particular preference for any blood type. However, if you have O+ blood, which is the most common blood type for us humans, this means that the likelihood of you being attacked is higher if you’re sleeping in a room with an infestation.

To combat this, make sure that when you are sleep in a different bed away from your home, do a bed bug check. Inspect the bedding, mattress, curtains, carpets, door frames, headboard, window sills, and floor corners of the room where they can hide before you go to sleep.

Yeah, this might seem like an annoying chore that needs doing before you go turn in for the night. But come morning, you’ll be glad that you did so when you wake up free from bed bug bites.

If you do find any bed bugs, then reconsider sleeping in that room. And make sure that you wash any clothing that has been exposed in hot water when you get home.

Also check any pocketbooks, backpacks, or luggage for signs as well, so that you’re not the one passing these annoying pests and giving someone else a headache.