Bed Bugs — Entomology — Penn State University

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All members of the bed bug family feed on the blood of birds or mammals. The bed bug, Cimex lectularius, attacks man, as does the Eastern bat bed bug, Cimex adjunctus. Other species exist that attack bats, pigeons, and rodents. Bed bugs are active only at night, usually just before dawn. During the day, they hide in cracks and crevices in walls, floors, beds, and furniture. When only a few bed bugs are present, they live close to human sleeping areas; when numerous, they can be found in many rooms of the house. A characteristic bed bug odor is frequently present in a home infested with bed bugs.

Image 1. Adult bed bug

Bed bugs are oval, chestnut-brown insects and are flattened from top to bottom. Adult bed bugs (Fig. 1) measure about inch in length. The mouthparts are shaped into an elongated proboscis, which, when not in use, is held directed backward underneath the body. When a bug is ready to feed, the proboscis is extended forward and the stylets within are thrust into the skin of a host. Mated female bed bugs deposit their eggs in their resting places. One female will produce about 345 eggs during her lifespan.

Bed bugs grow by molting several times. Nymphs look very much like the adults, except they are smaller and not sexually mature. There are five nymphal molts, and each nymph must have a blood meal to be able to molt to the next stage. Adults feed once a week on average but feed many times during their four-month or longer lifespan.

Bed bugs often come into a home via secondhand articles and furniture. They may also migrate between homes via wires, plumbing, or rain gutters. In addition, since warehouses, trucks, and railroad cars may be infested, common bed bugs can infest homes by stowing away on new furniture stored or shipped from these places.

The Eastern bat bed bug comes into homes in the spring with colonies of bats. They can be found in the living quarters of homes in many of the same places as common bed bugs, but the source of the infestation is located within walls or attic areas.

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Bed Bugs — Entomology — Penn State University

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