Community identification
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
- Order & Family
- Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
- Size
- 1 to 7 millimeters in length, depending on life stage and feeding status
Natural Habitat
Indoor environments, specifically in cracks, crevices, mattress seams, and bedding near human sleep areas
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophagous (consumes only blood), primarily from humans but occasionally other warm-blooded animals
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and elusive; they hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult)
Risks & Benefits
Significant risk as a domestic pest causing skin rashes, psychological distress, and allergic reactions; they are not known to transmit diseases but are difficult and costly to eradicate