What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed solely upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Certain kinds inhabit bird nests and bat roosts and await the return of their hosts; others have adapted well to living in the ‘nests’ (homes) of people.  They are usually found in bedrooms and they tend to hide in the bed or near the bed in nightstands, behind picture frames and under the mattress.  Their flattened bodies allow them to conceal themselves in cracks and crevices around the room and within furniture  Clutter around the room offers additional sites for these bugs to hide, and increases the difficulty in eliminating bed bugs once they have become established. Now, understanding how to identify bed bugs will help you recognize the signs of their presence quickly.

Hatchling bed bugs are about the size of a poppy seed, and adults are about 1/4 of an inch in length. From above they are oval in shape, but are flattened from top to bottom.  Their color ranges from nearly white (just after molting) or a light tan to a deep brown or burnt orange. The host’s blood may appear as a dark red or black mass within the bug’s body. Because they never develop wings, bed bugs cannot fly. To identify bed bugs accurately, look for a combination of these shapes and colors.