Do Bed Bugs Prefer Certain Blood Types? Myth Busted (2026)

✅ Reviewed by our prevention editors • Updated June 2026 • 11 min read

A popular question — often born of the partner puzzle where one person gets bitten and another does not — is whether bed bugs prefer certain blood types. The short answer is no: there is no good evidence that bed bugs target a particular blood type. They are drawn to the general cues of a host, like body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale, and the differences people notice are mostly about reaction and access, not blood type.

This matters because believing bed bugs prefer a blood type can lead to false conclusions — like thinking you are safe because of your blood type, or that a certain person is the only one being bitten. In reality, anyone with blood is a potential meal, and protection is environmental (interceptors, encasements, treatment), not something you can change about your blood.

In this guide you will learn whether bed bugs prefer blood types, what actually attracts them, why the myth persists, why bite differences are about reaction, and what genuinely protects you. We will use clear tables and finish with a printable checklist. 💚

Do Bed Bugs Prefer Blood Types? Quick Answer

The quick answer is no — there is no good evidence that bed bugs prefer or target a particular blood type. Bed bugs locate a host using general cues like body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale while sleeping, not by detecting blood type. So the idea that they favor one blood type over another is a myth, and you cannot rely on (or blame) your blood type when it comes to bed bugs.

The differences people notice — like one partner getting bites while another does not — are mostly explained by how individuals react to bites (skin reactions vary enormously) and by minor differences in host cues, not by blood type. The practical takeaway is that anyone with blood is a potential meal, so you cannot avoid bed bugs through your blood type, and protection is environmental: interceptors, encasements, and treatment. Our guide on why bed bugs bite some people more covers the reaction differences.

No — there is no good evidence bed bugs prefer a blood type. They are drawn to host cues like heat and carbon dioxide. Bite differences are mostly about reaction, and protection is environmental, not blood-type-based.

No Good Evidence for a Blood-Type Preference

The blood-type preference idea is not supported by good evidence. Bed bugs find and feed on hosts based on cues that signal a living, blood-bearing creature is nearby — primarily warmth and carbon dioxide — rather than by sensing blood type from a distance or selecting hosts by blood type. There is no credible basis for the claim that they prefer type O, or any other type, over others.

This is a common kind of myth that arises around biting pests, where people look for a simple explanation (like blood type) for why some get bitten more. But for bed bugs, the evidence points to host cues and individual reaction differences, not blood type, as the relevant factors. The blood-type explanation is appealing but unfounded.

So you should treat the blood-type preference as a myth rather than a fact. It is not something to plan around or worry about. The real drivers of bed bug feeding are the host cues they detect and, for what people notice, how individuals react to bites. Understanding this keeps you focused on what actually matters. Our guide on bed bug myths vs facts addresses similar misconceptions.

What Actually Draws Bed Bugs

What actually draws bed bugs to a host are the cues of a living person: primarily body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale while sleeping, along with other body-related signals. These cues tell a bed bug that a host is present and guide it out of hiding toward a person to feed. Because everyone gives off heat and carbon dioxide, everyone is detectable and feedable — the bugs are responding to the signals of a host in general.

Blood type is not one of these cues — a bed bug detects that a warm, breathing host is nearby, not what blood type they have. So the bugs are drawn to you because you are a sleeping person emitting heat and carbon dioxide, regardless of your blood type. This is why anyone in an infested bed is a target.

Understanding the real cues clarifies why the blood-type myth is wrong and why you cannot avoid bed bugs by virtue of your blood. It also reinforces that protection must be environmental, since you cannot stop emitting the cues that draw them. The bugs come for the host signals, which everyone produces. Our guide on what attracts bed bugs covers these cues in detail.

Why the Blood-Type Myth Persists

The blood-type myth persists because it offers a simple, personal explanation for a puzzling observation: why does one person get bitten while another does not? People naturally look for a reason rooted in themselves, and blood type — a known biological difference between individuals — seems like a plausible candidate. It is an intuitive, if unfounded, guess.

The myth is also reinforced by the partner puzzle, where two people share a bed but only one shows bites. This vivid, common experience cries out for an explanation, and blood type is an easy one to reach for. But the real reason, as we will see, is usually that both are bitten and only one reacts visibly — a reaction difference, not a blood-type difference.

Like many pest myths, the blood-type idea spreads because it is simple and shareable, even without evidence. Recognizing that it is an appealing but unfounded explanation helps you set it aside and focus on the actual factors (host cues and reaction). The myth feels satisfying, but it does not hold up. Our guide on how appealing myths spread discusses this pattern.

Bite Differences Are About Reaction

The real explanation for the partner puzzle — and most apparent differences in who gets bitten — is that people react to bites very differently, not that the bugs target certain people by blood type. The same bed bug feeding can cause obvious itchy welts on one person and no visible reaction at all on another, because skin responses vary enormously. So one partner covered in bites and another with none usually means both are bitten, but only one reacts visibly.

This reaction-based explanation accounts for the observation far better than blood type. It also means that a person with no bites is not protected by their blood type — they may simply not be reacting, while still being fed on. Reading bite differences as blood-type preferences leads to the wrong conclusion and a false sense of safety for non-reactors.

So when you notice that some people seem to get bitten more, attribute it to reaction differences, not blood type. This is why bites are an unreliable measure and why detection should rely on physical evidence rather than on who has bites. The reaction explanation is the accurate one. Our guide on why bed bugs bite some people more covers this in depth.

Myth vs Fact

Myth	Fact
Bed bugs prefer certain blood types	No good evidence; they use host cues
A blood type makes you safe	Anyone with blood is a potential meal
One partner is bitten due to blood type	Usually reaction differences, not blood type
Bed bugs sense blood type	They sense heat and carbon dioxide
You can avoid bites via blood type	Protection is environmental, not blood-based

Anyone With Blood Is a Target

The bottom line is that anyone with blood is a potential bed bug meal — the bugs do not screen for blood type. Since they are drawn to the universal cues of a host (heat, carbon dioxide), every sleeping person is detectable and feedable. There is no blood type that bed bugs avoid, so no one is safe from being bitten by virtue of their blood.

This universality is important for two reasons. First, it means you cannot count on your blood type to protect you — if you are in an infested bed, you are a target. Second, it means that in a household, everyone is potentially being fed on, even those without visible bites (who may simply not be reacting). So bed bugs should be treated as a problem affecting everyone in the space, not just the person with bites.

Recognizing that everyone is a target removes the false comfort of the blood-type myth and reinforces a shared, evidence-based approach: protect the bed, monitor for evidence, and treat the infestation for the whole household. The bugs feed on people, plural, regardless of blood type. Our guide on protecting the bed for everyone covers this.

You Cannot Change Your Blood to Avoid Them

An obvious but worth-stating point: even if blood type did matter (which the evidence says it does not), you cannot change your blood type to avoid bed bugs. So pinning hopes on blood type as a defense is doubly futile — it is both unsupported and unchangeable. There is no blood-based strategy to avoid bites.

This reinforces that protection against bed bugs is entirely environmental and behavioral, not biological. You protect yourself by managing the environment (interceptors, encasements, isolating the bed), preventing introduction (travel and used-item caution), and treating any infestation — none of which depends on your blood. These are the levers you can actually pull.

So rather than wondering about your blood type, focus on the things within your control that genuinely protect you. The blood-type question is a distraction from the effective, actionable measures. Your blood is not the issue; the bed and the infestation are. Our guide on prevention covers the controllable levers.

The Real Factors in Who Gets Bitten

If not blood type, what really determines who gets bitten (or appears to)? The main factors are reaction differences (who shows visible bites), proximity and access (who is sleeping in the infested bed and how exposed their skin is), and minor differences in host cues. None of these is about blood type, and the dominant one for what people notice is reaction.

Proximity matters in the sense that the person sleeping in the infested bed is the one being fed on, and exposed skin is more accessible — but everyone in that bed is a target. Minor cue differences might make one person marginally more detectable, but this is small compared to reaction variation. So the visible pattern of bites reflects reaction and exposure far more than any targeting.

Understanding the real factors keeps you from chasing the blood-type myth and points to the right response: since everyone is a potential target and bites are unreliable, protect the whole bed, monitor with evidence, and treat the infestation for the household. The factors that matter are environmental and reaction-based, not blood-based. Our guide on why bites are unreliable reinforces using evidence over bite patterns.

Does NOT Determine Who Gets Bitten	What Actually Plays a Role
Blood type	How your skin reacts (visible vs not)
A “sweet blood” trait	Sleeping in the infested bed (proximity)
Anything you can change biologically	How much skin is exposed during sleep
Diet or eating certain foods	Minor differences in host cues (heat, CO2)
Being “lucky” or “unlucky”	Whether the bed and home are protected

What Actually Protects You

Since you cannot rely on blood type, what actually protects you from bed bugs is environmental and behavioral. Protect and isolate your bed with an encasement and interceptors so bugs cannot hide in or reach it, and treat any infestation thoroughly. Prevent introduction by managing travel (inspecting lodging, handling luggage carefully, heat-treating clothes) and being cautious with used items. Monitor for evidence so you catch problems early.

These measures work for everyone regardless of blood type, because they address the bugs movement, hiding, and introduction rather than anything about your biology. They are the genuine defenses — the levers you can actually control — as opposed to the imaginary protection of a blood type. Putting your effort here is what keeps you bite-free.

So forget about blood type and focus on the real protections: a defended, monitored bed; prevention of introduction; and treatment of any infestation. These environmental and behavioral measures are what stand between you and bed bug bites, for you and everyone in your home. Our guide on reducing bites covers protecting yourself.

Protecting and Monitoring Your Bed

The real protection comes from tools that address the environment, not your blood. The two most valuable are interceptors and an encasement. Interceptors placed under the bed and furniture legs catch crawling bugs and reveal activity (protecting everyone in the bed regardless of blood type), while an encasement seals your mattress and box spring so bugs cannot hide there. You can view interceptor options on Amazon and protect the bed with a mattress encasement (see options on Amazon).

A flashlight makes inspections effective, revealing bugs and evidence in seams and cracks — the reliable way to detect bed bugs, independent of who has bites. A detection flashlight (view on Amazon) helps you check for actual evidence.

These tools protect and monitor based on the bugs behavior, not your biology, so they work for everyone. Pair them with prevention habits and treatment of any infestation. Our complete prevention guide ties it together.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Mistake: Believing a blood type makes you safe. Fix: anyone with blood is a target — rely on environmental protection.
• Mistake: Blaming bite differences on blood type. Fix: they are usually reaction differences, not blood type.
• Mistake: Assuming a non-reactor is not bitten. Fix: they may be bitten without reacting — treat it as a shared problem.
• Mistake: Looking for a blood-based defense. Fix: protection is environmental — use interceptors, encasements, and treatment.
• Mistake: Trusting bites to gauge the problem. Fix: use physical evidence and monitoring instead.

Expert Pro Tips

• Forget blood type. It is a myth — the bugs use heat and carbon dioxide.
• Think reaction, not preference. Bite differences are about how skin responds.
• Everyone is a target. Treat bed bugs as a whole-household problem.
• Protect environmentally. Interceptors, encasements, and treatment are your real defenses.

Bed bugs do not check your blood type — they follow your warmth and breath. You cannot blood-type your way to safety, so protect the bed and treat the problem; that is what actually keeps everyone bite-free.

Real-Life Scenarios

The false comfort. Tom assumed his blood type kept bed bugs away because he had no bites, but his partner was covered. In reality both were bitten — Tom just was not reacting. Recognizing this, they protected the whole bed.

The reaction reveal. Mia thought the bugs preferred her over her partner, but an inspection found evidence across the bed — both were targets, with reaction explaining the difference.

The right focus. Instead of wondering about blood types, Dana set up interceptors and an encasement and treated the infestation — the environmental measures that actually protect everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do bed bugs prefer certain blood types?

No. There is no good evidence that bed bugs prefer or target a particular blood type. They are drawn to host cues like body heat and carbon dioxide, not blood type. Anyone with blood is a potential meal.

Why does one person get bitten and another does not?

Usually because people react to bites very differently — the same feeding can cause welts on one person and no visible reaction on another. This reaction difference, not blood type, explains the common partner puzzle. Both may be bitten; only one reacts.

What actually attracts bed bugs to a person?

The cues of a host — primarily body heat and the carbon dioxide we exhale while sleeping — not blood type. Because everyone emits these cues, everyone in an infested bed is detectable and feedable.

Can I avoid bed bugs because of my blood type?

No. Blood type does not protect you (the preference is a myth), and you cannot change your blood type anyway. Protection is environmental and behavioral — interceptors, encasements, prevention, and treatment.

Does having no bites mean my blood type repels bed bugs?

No. Having no visible bites usually means you are not reacting to them, not that your blood repels bed bugs. You may still be bitten. Rely on physical evidence and monitoring, not bites, to assess the situation.

How do I actually protect myself from bed bugs?

Protect and isolate your bed with an encasement and interceptors, prevent introduction through travel and used-item caution, monitor for evidence, and treat any infestation. These work for everyone, regardless of blood type.

Final Verdict + Checklist

Do bed bugs prefer certain blood types? No — there is no good evidence for it. Bed bugs are drawn to the universal cues of a host (heat and carbon dioxide), so anyone with blood is a potential meal. The differences people notice are about how individuals react to bites, not blood type, and a lack of bites does not mean your blood repels them. You cannot — and need not — rely on blood type; protection is environmental: a defended, monitored bed, prevention of introduction, and treatment of any infestation. Forget the myth and focus on what actually works.

This guide is educational and prevention-focused. It does not provide medical advice. Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.