They were ubiquitous pests of human dwellings during historical times and still persist in some areas where densities of hosts is high and proper sanitation is lacking. Their decline as major pests during the latter half of the 20th century was partly due to improved household sanitation and pest control methods. Many cimicid species still occur in proximity to humans and occasionally present themselves as pests when they occur in large numbers on hosts that occupy inhabited structures.
Problems arise when the hosts build nests or roost in buildings.
Unless the cimicids are correctly identified and careful consideration is given to possible sources of the infestion, they may be mistakenly presumed to be bedbugs, causing unecessary anxiety to homeowners and implementation of inappropriate control measures. Here we report on the occurrence of an uncommonly encountered species of cimicid that has come to our attention as a pest of a local apartment building. All records cited by Usinger from the United States were from collections made prior to 1950. We are aware of no published records of this species in the United States since Usinger's 1966 monograph. The insects were entering the apartment along the baseboards of an outside-facing wall.