BED BUGS are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of animals. The scientific name of bed bug is Cimex lectularius and it belongs to order Hemiptera. It is cosmopolitan pest usually found in human habitation. Body length of bed bugs is ¼ inch; rusty red to brown in colour, adults are oval in shape with flattened body.

Female lays near about 500 eggs in lifetime and can complete development in as little as a month producing three or more generations in a year. Nymphs can survive months without feeding and the adults more than a year. Bed bugs are active during nighttime.

During daytime they prefer to hide in the places where people rest. Hiding places of bed bugs are cracks and crevices in the walls, beds and furniture and also along the folds of mattresses and gaps in plywood. Bed bugs infestation is often picked up from cinema theaters, hospitals, hotels and public transport. Sleepless nights with constant irritation due to injection of the minute doses of bed bug saliva into the blood are likely contribute to the ill-health of children and even adults. Bed bugs are not considered as human parasite and their medical significance is limited to itching and inflammation from their bites. The bugs are efficient hitchhikers and are usually transported on luggage, clothing, beds and furniture brought into the homes.