Pest Library

Bedbug
An adult bedbug (Cimex lectularius) is about 1/5" long and 1/8" wide. Its reddish-brown body is greatly flattened and oval-shaped. A bedbug has piercing-sucking mouthparts which enable it to piece the skin and suck blood from its host.

Bedbugs are generally active only at dawn, with a peak feeding period about an hour before sunrise. Attracted by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, the bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. After feeding for about five minutes, the bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some minutes or hours later, as a dermatological reaction to the injected agents, and the first indication of a bite usually comes from the desire to scratch the bite site. Because of their dislike for sunlight, bedbugs come out at night.

Brown Dog Tick
Adults are flat, about 1/8" long and uniformly red-brown with tiny pits scattered over the back. Unlike the male, the female enlarges after feeding to about 1/2" long and 1/4" wide. The enlarged portion of the body becomes gray-blue to olive in color. Found most often in the ears, between the toes and on the backs of dogs. After feeding they retire to baseboards, molding, around window cord pulleys and protected openings.

The most common roach in United States homes. Breeds throughout the year. Favors humid atmosphere and an average temperature 70°.

Cat Flea
Most common during the summer, especially when homes are reoccupied after vacation. Most common hosts are cats, dogs, man and a wide variety of animals. These fleas are extremely small and are wingless.