Community identification
Bed Bug
Cimex lectularius
- Order & Family
- Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
- Size
- 1 to 7 millimeters (about the size of an apple seed when fully grown).
Natural Habitat
Dwellings where humans sleep, residing in mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, and cracks or crevices nearby.
Diet & Feeding
Strictly hematophagous (blood-feeders), primarily feeding on human blood during the night.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and elusive; they hide during the day and are attracted to the carbon dioxide and warmth emitted by sleeping hosts. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).
Risks & Benefits
Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, sleep deprivation, and psychological distress. They are not known to transmit diseases to humans but infestations are difficult and expensive to eradicate. They offer no ecological benefits in a domestic setting.