Surprise! Bed Bugs Live less than Five months w/o Blood

I have personally reiterated that bed bugs can survive up to 18 months without a meal. It sounds sensational but  in fact was supported by studies done prior to 1950.

A paper in the publication, Insects, published on May 11, 2011 finally brings sobering evidence that in fact, bed bugs are not indestructible.  You can find that paper here. This research done at Virginia tech suggests that bed bugs can only survive a modest 3-5 months at most without feeding. Furthermore, having genetic resistance to pesticides shortens the survival rate even further. The additional energy expended on thickening exoskeletons and producing large amounts of detoxification enzyme diminished their survival rates considerably.

The researchers at Virginia tech were specifically trying to find out if this new resistance to pesticides changed the survival rate during starvation. The results are dramatic to say the least. The study was conducted using 2 strains that were susceptible to pyrethroids and two that were resistant. Ist instar nymphs had the shortest  survival time, 13.8–36.3 days mean, 13.8 representing survival time for one of the two resistant strains and 36.3 representing one of the two non-resistant strains. The differences in survival rates varied between all strains, showing the greatest survival rate to be 3rd and 4th instars of the non-resistant strains at 116.4–142.6. Adults bed bugs maxed out at 106 days of survival after their last blood meal.

The paper points out that in addition to the older studies not accounting for resistance to pyrethroids, they were conducted with bed bugs being held at a temperature below 11°C  (51.8°F).  It is unlikely that residential temperatures would ever dip that low.

I don’t know enough microbiology to know if the following is significant, however, it should be noted that the study was conducted using chicken blood as the food source for the bed bugs as they were being reared and also as their final blood meal. Though the bed bugs were kept in optimal conditions for longevity until their final blood meal, I can’t help but wonder if the source of the blood could possibly contribute to the difference in survivorship compared to the studies from prior to 1950. It seems reasonable that if there is any difference in the nutrient density of human blood and chicken blood, it could make a difference.

Still, the results found in this paper are good news. At the very least, one can conceivably wait out an infestation by moving into the shed for 5 months.