Community identification
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera / Cimicidae
- Size
- 4 to 5 mm (adults), roughly the size of an apple seed.
Natural Habitat
Indoor environments, primarily in cracks and crevices of beds, mattresses, and furniture near human sleeping areas.
Diet & Feeding
Hematophagous; they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and elusive; they hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and require blood meals to advance to each life stage.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, skin rashes, and potential psychological distress or insomnia. They are not known to transmit diseases but are difficult and costly to eradicate. They offer no ecological benefits in a domestic human setting.