Genus Cimex

• Lectularius
• Hemipterus (Rotundatus)
• Pilosellus
• Pipistrella

Genus Leptocimex

• Boueti

Genus Haematosiphon

• Inodora

Genus Oeciacus

• Hirudinis
• Vicarius

Bedbugs (or bed bugs) are small nocturnal insects of the family Cimicidae that feed on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts.

Genera and species

The common bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is the best adapted to human environments. It is found in temperate climates throughout the world and has been known since ancient times.

Other species include Cimex hemipterus, found in tropical regions (including Florida), which also infests poultry and bats, and Leptocimex boueti, found in the tropics of West Africa and South America, which infests bats and humans. Cimex pilosellus and pipistrella primarily infest bats, while Haematosiphon inodora, a species of North America, primarily infests poultry.

Oeciacus, while not strictly a bedbug, is a closely related genus primarily affecting birds.

Physical characteristics

Adult bedbugs are reddish brown, flattened, oval, and wingless, with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. A common misconception is that they are not visible to the naked eye, but adults grow to 4 to 5 mm in length and do not move quickly enough to escape the notice of an attentive observer. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent and lighter in color and continue to become browner and molt as they reach maturity.

Female bed bugs can lay up to five eggs in a day and 500 during a lifetime. The eggs are almost invisible to the naked eye and are a milky white tone in color.

Bedbugs are generally active only at night. Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. It injects an anticoagulant with one and withdraws the blood of its host with the other. After feeding—a typical meal lasts about 5 minutes—the bug returns to its lair.

Human interaction

The effect of bites to humans varies with the individual. Bites often produce itchy welts or localized swelling, but some people have little or no reaction. While bedbugs have been known to harbor pathogens in their bodies, including plague and hepatitis B, they have not been linked to the transmission of any disease and are not regarded as a medical threat. Nevertheless, they are regarded as highly unwelcome pests, as evidenced by the nursery rhyme, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite." In addition to the discomfort of their bites, bedbugs pose hygiene concerns, producing an odor and staining beddings through the deposit of fecal matter.

With the widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and '50s, bedbugs all but disappeared from North America in the mid-twentieth century. Infestations remained common in many other parts of the world, however, and in recent years have begun to rebound in North America.

Removal

Some convenient and do-it-yourself ways of removing bedbugs will involve a variety of products and several weeks/months of effort to completely eradicate the household of bedbugs. It is recommended that all cracks, crevices, corners and moldings be sprayed using a can of any kind of insect killer. Kerosene mixed with insect poison (available at any hardware store or exterminator) and dissolved mothballs in warm water will create a mixture that is very potent in removing bedbugs. The elements of the mixture should be mixed in equal portions. The mixture should be sprayed along the sides of walls on the floor.

Indoor foggers with a dispersion of mothballs all over the room(s) should be set. Allow a minimum of twelve hours for the clean up of mothballs and fogger. This process should be repeated if bedbugs resurface.

It is highly recommended that mattresses should be replaced or heavily treated with any insect spray and that all clothing and bedding items should be washed with hot water (50° C and above). Carpetting should be replaced.

External links

• University of Kentucky Entomology Department article
• Dermatology Online Journal article
• "Hey! A Bedbug Bit Me!" (KidsHealth)