Bed Bugs

Information

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, are reddish-brown, oval-shaped, flattened insects that are about 1/4 inch long. Nymphs (immature bed bugs) resemble the adult bugs but are often smaller and lighter in color. Bed bugs usually feed on the blood of humans during the night-time hours and crawl away to hide in nearby cracks, crevices and recesses of furniture (especially mattresses) and walls of the home during the day. Most people experience itching, pain and/or swelling of the skin where a bed bug bite occurs (such as the arms, face or back) within 1 day of a bite. Although the bites can cause considerable discomfort and loss of sleep, bed bugs do not transmit disease after feeding on multiple hosts.

Webinar

• Resurgence of Bed Bugs

ISDH Links

• Bed Bugs Quick Facts
• Burmese Quick Facts on Bed Bugs
• Bed Bug Poster
• School Guidance on Bed Bugs 
• Bed Bug Brochure
• Controlling Bed Bugs at Home

External Links

• Bed Bug Control - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Bed Bug Information - University of Kentucky
• Bed Bugs: What Schools Need to Know (contains sample letters for parents) – MI Dept. of Community Health
• Bed Bugs - National Pesticide Information Center

Page last updated: July 31, 2015

Page last reviewed: June 16, 2015