# Bedbug (*Cimex lectularius*)

Bedbugs are tiny insects that like to live in beds and feed on blood. They are good at hiding and come out at night to bite people while they sleep.

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Indoor areas
- **Also known as:** Cimex lectularius, Common Bedbug

![Bedbug](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424706/objects/5894.jpg)

## Appearance

The Bedbug is a tiny, reddish-brown insect, flat and oval-shaped like an apple seed. Its segmented body and short antennae help it squeeze into narrow cracks, making it visually different from many other small bugs.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hemiptera
- **Family:** Cimicidae
- **Genus:** Cimex

## Interesting facts

- A female bedbug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime!
- Baby bedbugs, called nymphs, are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
- Bedbugs have bothered humans for thousands of years, even ancient Egyptians.
- They pierce skin with two tiny tubes, one to numb and one to feed.

## Special abilities

- **Nighttime Navigator:** Bedbugs can find sleeping hosts in the dark because they detect the carbon dioxide we breathe out, helping them locate a blood meal.
- **Super Squirmer:** Bedbugs have incredibly flat bodies that allow them to flatten themselves even more, helping them hide in cracks as thin as a credit card.
- **Anesthetic Bite:** Bedbugs can bite without waking their host because their saliva contains an anesthetic and anticoagulant, making the bite painless at first.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 4-7 mm
- **Lifespan:** 180-365 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

Bedbugs are tiny vampires, only feeding on the blood of warm-blooded animals!

- **Primary Foods:** Human blood, Bat blood, Bird blood, Pet blood
- **Foraging Method:** Ambush

## Ecological connections

- **Parasitizes:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Feeds on human blood while sleeping.
- **Eats:** Masked Hunter (*Reduvius personatus*) — A specialized predator that hunts bedbugs.
- **Eats:** [Pharaoh Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pharaoh-ant) (*Monomorium pharaonis*) — Known to prey on bedbug eggs and nymphs.
- **Parasitizes:** [Little Brown Bat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/little-brown-bat) (*Myotis lucifugus*) — Can infest bat colonies, feeding on their blood.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment.
- [Parasitic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/parasitic): This trait describes organisms that live on or in a host organism, obtaining nutrients at the host's expense.
- [Vampiric](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/vampiric): Vampiric organisms are those that obtain nutrients by feeding on the blood or bodily fluids of other animals.
- [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Always tell an adult if you think you have bedbugs at home. Don't try to get rid of them yourself.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Bedbug?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Bedbug?

4-7 mm

### How long does Bedbug live?

180-365 days

### What does Bedbug eat?

Bedbugs are tiny vampires, only feeding on the blood of warm-blooded animals!

### Where is Bedbug usually found?

Indoor areas

### How does Bedbug hunt?

Ambush

### How many legs does Bedbug have?

6

## Where to spot

- [Main Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/main-avenue-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District
- [Opelousas Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/opelousas-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District
- [Tifton Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tifton-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District

[View all places to see Bedbug](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bedbug)

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

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Source: [Bedbug: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bedbug)