DESCRIPTION:
Bed bugs are sometimes called "red coats," "chinches," or "mahogany flats."
The adult bed bug is a wingless insect that is flattened from top to bottom. The
common
bedbug is a reddish-brown insect that doesn't grow much more than a half
centimeter (cm)
in length.
HABITAT: At the beginning of an infestation, bed bugs are likely to be
found only in the tufts,
seams, and folds of mattresses and bed covers. In areas
of heavy infestation, bed bugs can be
found in crevices in the bedsteads.
Because bed bugs can live in bird nests, houses and buildings
with several bird
nests in the eaves and on the roof often will have bed bugs coming into the
living
areas.
LIFE CYCLE: The life cycle stages of a bed bug are egg, nymph, and
adult. The females lay about 200 eggs, usually at the rate of three or four a
day, in cracks and crevices in the floor or bed. Newly hatched bugs begin
feeding immediately. They shed their skin five times before becoming adults.
TYPE OF DAMAGE: They feed principally on human blood by piercing the
skin with a long beak and sucking blood into their stomachs. They feed mostly at
night, but will feed during the day if hungry and the light is dim.
Bedbugs aren't known to spread disease to humans. Bedbugs inject an
anticoagulant to keep your blood flowing as they suck, along with an anesthetic
agent to keep you from feeling them when they're at work.
CONTROL: In private homes, find all the areas that bed bugs hide in
during the day time. These must be treated with chemicals. In hotels,
apartments, and other multiple-type dwelling places, bed bugs may spread from
one unit to another. All units should be inspected. Remove bird nests.
INTERESTING FACTS: Usually discovered in unsuspected areas such as in
floor cracks, under carpets, behind loose wallpaper or wall pictures, and in
old, unused stoves.
Ermones® Pest Management 
SIZE: 1/4 to 3/8 inch (4-5 mm) 