Abstract
Emerging infestations of bed bugs are affecting normal human lifestyles globally. To perform a scientific experiment, there is a paramount requirement for an established rearing condition. Thus, this study has been conducted to optimize and establish the rearing conditions for bud bugs (Cimex lectularius L.) based upon temperature and relative humidity. The bed bugs have been projected onto three temperatures (20 ºC, 25 ºC, and 30 ºC) and relative humidity (50%, 70%, and 90%) conditions to check their overall growth and survival rate. Adult mortality, weight loss, egg laying, percentage egg hatching, hatching initiation and completion, nymph mortality, and molting have been evaluated to optimize the best rearing conditions. The temperature at 25 ºC with 90% RH showed minimum mortality for adults (female 13.33±3.33% and male 6.67±3.33%) and nymphs (13.33±3.33%), maximum egg laying (40.33±1.86), and percentage hatching (98.23±0.58%). Moreover, at 30ºC with 90% RH, both hatching initiation and completion (5.19±0.12 days and 7.23±0.16 days) as well as molting initiation and completion (3.73±0.12 days and 7.00±0.24 days) were found to be fastest. Thus, it can be concluded that 25 °C with 90% RH is ideal for the rearing of adults, while 30 °C with 90% RH will be appropriate for their overall development.