Bed Bug

Natural Habitat

Human dwellings, specifically in mattresses, bed frames, headboards, and cracks or crevices near sleeping areas.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophages, meaning they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal insects that emerge at night to feed. They are attracted to carbon dioxide and body heat. After feeding, they retreat to dark hiding places to digest and reproduce. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).

Risks & Benefits

Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, skin rashes, and potential psychological distress or insomnia. While they do not transmit diseases, they are difficult and expensive to eradicate. They offer no known benefits to the human ecosystem.

Identified on: 1/13/2026