Bed Bug

Scientific Name: Cimex lectularius

Order & Family: Order: Hemiptera, Family: Cimicidae

Size: 4 to 5 mm in length (roughly the size of an apple seed).

Bed Bug

Natural Habitat

Indoor environments, specifically in cracks and crevices of beds, furniture, wall voids, and floorboards near human sleeping areas.

Diet & Feeding

Strictly hematophagous (blood-feeders), primarily targeting humans but also feeding on other warm-blooded animals.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal parasites that hide during the day and emerge at night to feed. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and require a blood meal to progress through each growth stage.

Risks & Benefits

Risks include itchy skin welts, allergic reactions, secondary skin infections from scratching, and significant psychological distress/insomnia. They are not known to transmit diseases to humans but cause ecosystem harm through infestations.

Identified on: 5/21/2026