Bedbug infestation

[Lizzy Liz]

Bedbugs are tiny, wingless insects whose bites are usually painless but can cause itchy skin reactions.
Parasites are organisms that live on or inside another organism (the host) and depend on the host for nutrition to live. Bedbugs are parasites because they live by sucking the blood of humans and some other animals. The most common bedbugs affecting humans are Cimex lectularis (in climates that are mild or moderate in temperature) and Cimex hemipterus (mainly in climates that are tropical). Bedbugs are reddish brown in color and have no wings. They range in size from 1/25 to more than a 1/4 inch (1 to 7 millimeters). They can live for several months without feeding on blood.
Bedbug infestations have become more common in the developed world in recent years. Bedbugs are flat and hide in the cracks and crevices of mattresses and in other structures such as bed frames, cushions, and walls. People may see bedbug feces or blood on bed linens or behind wallpaper. In undeveloped regions, they hide in structures such as mud houses and thatched roofs.
Bedbugs move slowly. They are attracted from their hiding places by the body heat and carbon dioxide that people produce. They bite any area of exposed skin, usually when people are sleeping. Before feeding, bedbugs are flat and reddish brown. After a blood meal, they are less flat and more red. A feeding is completed in 5 to 10 minutes, after which the bedbugs return to their hiding places.