Bed Bug
Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius
Order & Family: Order Hemiptera, Family Cimicidae
Size: 4 to 5 mm (about the size of an apple seed) when fully grown.
Natural Habitat
Found primarily in human dwellings, typically hiding in mattress seams, bed frames, cracks, crevices, and baseboards near sleeping areas.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophages, meaning they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, specifically preferring humans.
Behavior Patterns
They are nocturnal, emerging from hiding at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and can survive for months without a blood meal.
Risks & Benefits
They do not transmit diseases but their bites can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes, itching, and significant psychological distress and insomnia. They offer no known benefits to the ecosystem in human environments.
Identified on: 5/19/2026