Here is an article in the New York Daily News about the outbreak of a bed bug infestation in the city. Bed bugs are members of the family Cimicidae and are primarily parasites of birds and bats. But two species are known to feed on man: Cimex lectularius and C. rotundatus although these two species will also feed on other animals. The bedbug found in NYC is most likely C. lectularius which is common in temperate and coastal regions.
Bed bugs feed on blood, but they do not appear to transmit disease in nature. They have been shown to transmit disease in the laboratory setting however, so the potential is there.
Female bed bugs lay eggs, at the rate of 2-3 a day, after they have taken a bloodmeal. The eggs are typically found in cracks and crevices in the floor, walls, furniture etc. The incubation period of the egg is dependent on temperature. Typically the eggs will hatch ~9-10 days after they are laid. However, at lower temperatures it may take as long as a month for the eggs to hatch. The eggs give rise to colorless larvae that are about 1.5 mm long. This baby bug must undergo 5 molts prior to becoming a sexually mature adult bug. Each molt requires that the bug take a bloodmeal. Although bed bugs tend to feed every few days, they can go for months without a bloodmeal.
You can find more than you want to know about bed bugs at this Harvard University website, this Cornell University website or this NYC health website.
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