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Hemiptera: Cimicidae, Cimex lectularius.

An adult bed bug is not very large; it is usually about 1/4 an inch long. The small body size helps this pest to hide in areas that make their elimination difficult. The bed bug nymph succumbs to pest control products easier than their adult counterparts but (just like adults) can go for long periods without food. Blood taken from humans is the preferred food of young and adult common bed bugs.

A bed bug’s secretive nature makes it a difficult pest to identify and eliminate. These insects are not seen crawling around in the daylight hours where they would be easily identified. They hide in various areas during the day and come out at quiet times of the night to feed on human blood. Since they usually wait for their host to go to sleep, the host does not see or feel their presence. The obvious sign that a bed bug infestation is in a room is the presence of small drops of blood on sheets and pillows or pillow cases.