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The physiology and activity of the bed-bug (Cimex lectularius L.) in a natural infestation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Kenneth Mellanby
Kenneth Mellanby
Affiliation:
The University of Sheffield
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Extract

A natural infestation of bed-bugs which has existed for several years in an animal room has been studied. The bugs feed on the rats kept in cages in the room.

Methods are described by which the bugs were trapped during their periods of normal activity.

Adult bugs appear to feed on an average once every 5 or 6 days when the temperature is in the region of 20–27° C. (68–80·6° F.). Most of the female bugs lay a continuous series of eggs at the rate of nearly three per day.

Female bugs are not usually fertilized more than once a week in this wild population. In laboratory cultures copulation is much more frequent.

In the animal house the bugs were most active between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. This activity seems to be controlled by some inherent rhythm.

Some marked bugs were released and the proportion of recaptures to others in the total catch was noted. From this a rough estimate of the population was made. It appears that few adults live more than 29 days as they are probably killed by the rats when trying to feed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , July 1939 , pp. 200 - 211
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1939

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References

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