Bed Bug

Natural Habitat

Indoor environments, predominantly within mattress seams, bed frames, cracks/crevices, and behind wallpaper in human dwellings.

Diet & Feeding

Obligate hematophages; they feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, primarily humans.

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 allergic reactions to bites, sleep deprivation, and secondary skin infections from scratching. They are significant psychological stressors and expensive to eradicate, though they are not known to transmit diseases to humans.

Identified on: 3/27/2026