BED BUGS (Cimex hemipterus)

APPEARANCE:

Bed bugs measure from 1 – 6mm in length, and are flattened from top to bottom (dorsoventrally). Large nymphs and adults are a reddish-brown colour, while the young nymphs are more usually straw-coloured.

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR:

Female bed bug lay a few eggs daily, which they cement onto surfaces close to their harbourage, usually close to their host animal. After a week the nymph emerges from the egg, and then develops to the adult stage over a period of around 5 weeks. On a local scale, apartments can become infested by bed bugs crawling in directly from adjoining infested premises, mainly through electric wiring and sockets. Over longer distances, bed bugs may be carried into premises on infested furniture or luggage.

Bed bugs can be found wherever people sleep, including domestic premises, hotels, student or military accommodation, ships and even aircraft. They are usually hidden in cracks and crevices close to the bed, e.g. on the bedding around the mattress, in crevices on the bed frame, behind the headboard, or between the floorboards.

Bed bugs usually feed at night when the host is asleep. If deprived of a blood meal, bed bugs can survive for up to a year.