Bug Identifier
Bed Bug
Community identification

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius

Order & Family
Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
Size
4–5 mm (about the size of an apple seed)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Typically found in human dwellings, hidden in mattresses, bed frames, cracks, and crevices in bedrooms or furniture.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophagous (blood-feeders), primarily feeding on human blood, though they may occasionally feed on other mammals or birds.

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 a blood meal to progress through each growth stage.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: They are significant household pests causing itchy welts, allergic reactions, and psychological distress/insomnia. Benefits: They have no known benefits to humans or ecosystems and are not known to transmit diseases under normal circumstances.