Bed Bugs (Cimex Lectularius)

Bed bugs are parasitic insects. The Cimex Lectularius is the most common bed bug species. These small insects are usually active when people are sleeping and feed on human blood. 

Bedbugs are not known to transmit disease; bed bugs can bite and cause rashes. They like to hide in warm spaces, including the cracks and crevices of mattresses, furniture, and bedding. Bed bugs are approximately ¼ inch in size with flat oval bodies, long thin legs, and antennae. They are reddish-brown. The young nymphs resemble the adults but are light in color, translucent color. That's why it's essential to identify what bed bugs look like before you begin treating for the pests, as other insects can be mistaken for bed bugs that require a different treatment plan.

Bed bugs must feed on blood to grow, and the females need blood to develop eggs. She lays her eggs in secluded areas, depositing up to 5 a day and 500 during a year. The eggs are whitish, small, and hard to see on most surfaces. Without feeding, a nymph can survive for months, while adults can survive for more than a year. They complete the five growth stages from an egg to an adult in approximately one month.