Community identification
Bed bug
Cimex lectularius
- Order & Family
- Hemiptera, Cimicidae
- Size
- 4 to 5 millimeters in length.
Natural Habitat
Found exclusively indoors, primarily in crevices of mattresses, box springs, headboards, and furniture frames.
Diet & Feeding
Obligate hematophagous insect feeding exclusively on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded animals.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal parasites that hide in dark, tight harborage areas during the day and emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis through five nymphal stages.
Risks & Benefits
Bites cause localized itchy skin welts and psychological distress, but they do not transmit infectious diseases to humans.