Bed bug blood intake is 7 times that of mosquitoes... Bloodsucking lasts from 3 to 10 minutes

Professor Donggyu Lee, Department of Health and Environment, Kosin University
YTN Radio Interview "Human Blood is Bedbug Food"

"(Bedbugs) feed on blood itself, so from hatching from the egg until they die, until they become adults, they continuously suck blood."

Professor Dong-gyu Lee of the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences at Kosin University said this in an interview with YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' on the 9th. He explained that the danger of bedbugs is related to their characteristic of feeding on human blood. Bedbugs were commonly found in Korea until the 1970s, but they almost disappeared after being eradicated with DDT insecticide and improvements in living environments.

However, since the mid-2000s, bedbugs have been found through people entering from abroad, and recently, they are known to have spread domestically through entrants from countries such as France.

As reports of bedbugs continue nationwide, the government decided to operate a 'National Bedbug Joint Situation Board.' On the 7th, a bedbug-related promotional poster was put up in Yeongdeungpo jjokbangchon, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Professor Lee explained, "Taxonomically, mosquitoes belong to the order Diptera. Bedbugs belong to the order Hemiptera and do not have wings. Mosquitoes do, and only adult female mosquitoes suck blood. However, bedbugs also have nymphs that suck blood."

Professor Lee said, "(When bitten by bedbugs) it itches much more compared to mosquito bites. The amount of blood sucked is more than seven times that of mosquitoes, and the feeding time ranges from as short as 3 minutes to as long as 10 minutes."

Professor Lee added, "They don't bite just one spot but at least three or more, so the swelling is significant. During this time, the saliva in their bodies enters our bodies, causing a lot of swelling," and he said, "If there are multiple swollen spots or bite marks, bedbugs are suspected."

Professor Lee pointed out mental anxiety as another problem caused by bedbugs. He said, "You feel uneasy when lying down. People who have been bitten once worry about being bitten again if they share the same room. This causes insomnia and stress, and they show hypersensitive reactions."

Regarding bedbug control methods, Professor Lee said, "What we can do is frequently vacuum clean, wash bedding often, wash clothes in contaminated rooms with hot water, replace mattresses, and repair damaged parts such as gaps between wallpapers where bedbugs hide. This can minimize bedbug habitats."