A common myth has been spreading online—and it’s time to set the record straight. A recent article labeled a garden insect as a “bedbug,” but the description didn’t match bedbugs at all. Misidentifying insects isn’t harmless: it leads to wasted time, ineffective remedies, and unnecessary panic.
Real bedbugs, scientifically known as Cimex lectularius, are very specific creatures. They live exclusively indoors, feed on human blood, and thrive in sleeping areas. Mattresses, box springs, bed frames, cracks in walls, and furniture seams are their hiding spots. They avoid light, emerge mostly at night, and cannot survive outdoors or on plants. If an insect is crawling on windows or walls during the day, it’s almost certainly not a bedbug.
Bedbugs are also reddish-brown, flat, and oval—not green. Any green insect is automatically something else. They spread almost exclusively via human activity: luggage, clothing, furniture, and shared living spaces. They are not attracted to houseplants, radiators, or garden vegetation.
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