Bed Bug Fact Sheet

• They feed solely on the blood of animals
• Cimex lectularius, is the species most adapted to living with humans
• Bed bugs are mentioned in, medieval European texts and in classical Greek writings
• Other species prefer to feed on wild hosts, especially bats and birds
• Bed bugs are small, brownish, flattened insects
• Adult bed bugs are about ¼ inch long
• Oval flattened bodies
• Sometimes mistaken for ticks or cockroaches
• Immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, but are smaller and lighter in color
• Bed bugs do not fly, but can move quickly over floors, wall, ceilings and other surfaces
• Bed bugs are persistent. Eradicating, exterminating or just killing an entire infestation requires persistence
• Can hide in extremely small cracks & crevices making it difficult to locate breeding sites
• Are rarely seen in daylight, they emerge from hiding spots at night
• Can live a year or longer without food (blood) thus stay their in hiding places
• Can travel long distances and survive in suitcases, clothing, vehicles, aircraft, cruise ships and other modes of transportation
• Feeds by piercing skin with elongated beak
• Saliva is injected, containing an anesthetic and anticoagulant
• Reactions vary from no reaction to severe skin inflammation and irritation
• Females lay their eggs in secluded areas, depositing up to 5 a day and about 500 during her lifetime
• Eggs hatch in about 10 days depending upon the environment
• The eggs are tiny, whitish and hard to see (individual eggs are the size of a dust spec).
• When first laid, the eggs are sticky, and adhere to substrates
• Newly hatched nymphs are the size of a pin head
• Nymphs molt (shed their skins) 5 times before reaching maturity
• Nymphs must have a blood meal between each molt
• Under favorable conditions (70 - 90° F), these bugs can go from egg to adult in as little as a month
• Cool temperatures or limited access to blood extends the development time
• Bed bugs are very resilient
• Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults up to 1 ½ years
• Infestations are unlikely to diminish by leaving the premises unoccupied
• Bed bugs are active mainly at night
• Prefer to hide in daytime close to where we sleep
• Their flattened bodies fit into tiny crevices
• Bed bugs do not have nests like ants or bees
• They do tend to congregate in habitual hiding places
• Hiding places are usually marked by dark spotting and staining
• Mattresses, box springs, bed frames, head boards, and other areas