Bed Bugs

Cimex lectularius

Appearance

Image of Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius) | Rentokil Pest Control Canada
  • Red to brown in colour. After feeding bed bugs become darker and rounder.
  • Oval and flattened from back to underside, well developed legs, but wings absent.
  • 4 to 5mm long.
  • Mouthparts adapted to piercing and sucking.

Lifecycle

  • 200 – 500 eggs laid over a 2 month period in batches of 10 to 50.
  • Nymphs hatch from eggs and are similar in appearance to adults. 
  • Undergo five instars (phases of growth)

Habits

  • Feed on human blood and can consume four times their body weight in a single feeding.
  • Found in cracks and crevices, headboards, behind peeling wallpaper, broken plaster, light switches, under carpets and skirting boards etc.
  • Bed bugs are nocturnal.
  • Can survive up to a year while in dormancy.