Bed Bug

Natural Habitat

Typically found in urban dwelling spaces, specifically in seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and behind wallpaper or baseboards.

Diet & Feeding

Strictly hematophagous (blood-eating), primarily feeding on human blood but will also bite other warm-blooded animals.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal insects that are most active at night while their host is sleeping. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis with five nymphal stages, requiring a blood meal to progress to each subsequent stage.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include itchy allergic reactions to bites, skin rashes, and psychological distress (anxiety/insomnia). While they can carry pathogens, they are not currently known to transmit diseases to humans. They provide no known ecological benefits to human environments.

Identified on: 4/16/2026