
Community identification
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
- Order & Family
- Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
- Size
- 4 to 5 mm (size of an apple seed)
Natural Habitat
Primarily resides in human dwellings, hidden in mattresses, bed frames, and wall crevices
Diet & Feeding
Obligate blood-feeders, primarily consuming human blood but also bite warm-blooded animals
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal parasites that hide during the day and emerge at night to feed on sleeping hosts; they undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis
Risks & Benefits
A major public health pest that causes itchy bites, sleep deprivation, and psychological distress; they do not transmit diseases but can cause allergic reactions