Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Qjurious
Type:
Info
Chapter:
4-4__.__.__
Cimex lectularius
Zoology
Bed bug (in latin Cimex lectularius) is a species of Cimicidae. Its primary hosts are mammals including humans, and it is one of the nuisance pests.
Bed bug is small, oval-shaped and reddish-brown, flattened insect with no wings. Adult bed bugs are about 5 – 9 mm long. Bed bugs attack their victims when they are asleep. Throughout the day, they are hiding in the slits of furniture and walls, behind paintings, garments, wallpapers and so on. They like to get into the electrical sockets where we can easily find them. They live in chicken coops, pigeon houses, in the nests of swallows or sparrows. In the summer, they scatter through the windows over the outer walls of the buildings. All year round, they go through the outer corridors, the shafts of engineering nets, the slots of the central heating ducts, etc.
Bed bug bites may lead to a range of skin manifestations from no visible effects to prominent blisters from 1 – 3 centimetres big. The most common body parts affected are areas commonly exposed such as the arms, legs, head and sometimes even the feet. Effects include skin rashes, psychological effects, and allergic symptoms throughout the whole body.