Summary
Bed bugs are flat, sneaky biters that hide in mattress seams and come out at night -- but a rough surface can stop them cold. Deep Look shows how these pests move and how tiny hooks can trap them.
Viewer safety
This one shows a tiny animal feeding on blood, including human blood (a normal part of how these creatures live) -- preview if that might unsettle your class.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
A bed bug's flat body lets it squeeze into tiny cracks near where people sleep. Its legs grip smooth surfaces, but scientists found that microscopic hooks on certain leaves snag a bed bug's feet -- a natural idea for stopping the pests.
- How does a flat body help a bed bug hide?
- What did scientists discover could snag a bed bug's feet?
- Why is knowing how a pest moves useful for stopping it?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: bed bug, flat, snag, control.
Try it: Draw a leaf surface with tiny hooks catching a bed bug's foot. Write how the pest's body helps it hide and how it can be stopped.