Bug Identifier
Bed Bug
Community identification

Bed Bug

Cimex lectularius

Order & Family
Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae
Size
Adults are approximately 5 to 7 mm (about the size of an apple seed).
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

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.