Common Name:	Bed Bug
Size:	1/4 inch
Shape:	Flat, broad, oval
Colour:	Mahogany to rusty brown and they turn red after sucking blood
Legs:	6
Wings	No
Antenna:	Yes
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Family:	Cimicidae
Species:	Cimex lectularius

Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. Bed bugs prefer to hide in cracks and crevices during the daytime and come out to feed on the host’s blood at night, usually while the host is sleeping.

There are several methods to control bed bugs.

Bed Bug Control – Physical methods

• Steam cleaning
• Vacuuming
• Heating
• Freezing
• Washing,
• Throwing out items
• Natural products found at most stores.

Bed Bug Control – Non-chemical methods

The pest control operator will usually give you specific instructions to prepare for an inspection or treatment.

---

Diet:

Blood from any warm-blooded animal. Their most common targets are humans because, unlike animals with fur, we have a lot of exposed skin for them to bite.

Habitat:

Typically found in beds and small cracks and crevices.

Impact

When feeding, they inject the skin with their saliva (this keeps the blood from clotting) and an anesthetic (this keeps the host from feeling the bite and moving). Bed bugs do not spread disease, but their bites can become red and bites itchy.

Prevention

1. Don't take mattresses or padded furniture that has been left at the curb or on the street.
   Check your bed sheets for blood spots.
2. Keep your suitcases covered in plastic and off the floor when you travel.
3. When you travel, take a small flashlight to help you look for bed bugs.
4. Wash all of your clothes from a return trip/holiday including those that have not been worn.
5. Use hot water to ensure that any bed bugs that may have made it that far are not placed into your drawers/closet.
6. They are hard to see, so if you think you have bed bugs, call a pest management professional.