During which stage do bed bugs typically feed on blood?

Bed bugs typically feed on blood during their adult stage. This stage is crucial for their life cycle, as blood feeding provides the necessary nutrients for reproduction and energy to sustain their activities. Adult bed bugs are fully developed, allowing them to reproduce and continue the cycle by laying eggs, which then hatch into larvae.

Although larvae can also feed on blood, the feeding primarily occurs in the nymph stage as well. However, it is the adults that are most commonly recognized for their feeding behavior, as they are the stage that is often encountered in human dwellings. The nymphs, which are immature stages of the bed bug, also require blood meals for growth and development, but they go through several molts to reach the adult stage, at which point their ability to reproduce begins.

The egg stage does not involve feeding at all, as the eggs are merely a precursor to the next stages of development. Thus, the adult stage is the correct answer when identifying the primary stage during which bed bugs feed on blood.