The bed bug is considered a public health pest by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Typically just 5 millimeters long, and as thin as a credit card, bed bugs can be very difficult to identify with the naked eye. Despite their small size, they can be more obvious during an infestation. Their size also allows them to infiltrate hard to reach spaces—seams of mattresses, electrical receptacles and even the head of a screw! A bed bug’s diet consists of blood meals, which results in itchy sores on the humans and/or animals who become the unfortunate food sources. People often develop allergic reactions to the bites. 

Other health risks from bed bugs include a secondary infection of the skin from the reaction to the bite. People who are living in bed bug infested areas also experience increased stress, which can manifest itself as anxiety, insomnia or other reactions.