Bed Bugs
Latin Name:

Cimex lectularius L.

Appearance:

Flat, reddish-brown, oval insects about 3/16 inch long or the size of an apple seed. Swollen and reddish after a blood meal.

Habit:

Cracks and crevices including mattress seams, sheets, furniture, behind baseboards, electrical outlet plates and picture frames. Often found in hotels, where they can travel from room to room and in visitors’ luggage.

Diet:

Feed on blood.

Reproduction:

Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in her lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, bed bugs can live over 300 days.

Other:

Bites can leave itchy, bloody welts on the skin and can cause allergic reactions, such as severe itching.