Cimex lectularius is an insect commonly referred to as the bed bug, order Hemiptera (the true bugs). The flat, oval-shaped, reddish-brown insect is about 1/5 inch long and 1/8 inch wide, although the body transforms into an elongated blood-filled tube after a three to ten minute feeding on a warm-blooded animal's blood.

Bed bugs have an elongated proboscis, or beak, which is a special mouthpart enabling the insect to break skin very easily. When it isn't feeding, the proboscis rests under the body. When it's needed, it extends and thrust into the victims' skin to retrieve blood nutrients.

Bed bugs feed primarily on human blood, but can be found on bats, rabbits, domestic animals, and other warm-blooded mammals. They also have the ability to survive long periods of starvation and adverse temperatures. Bed bugs are mentioned in early European history and literature and are believed to have been transported around the world by clothing and bedding. Today, they are found in both temperate and tropical regions. These bugs have the potential to carry diseases, however, there isn't any evidence that they have ever transmitted disease. Some people aren't affected by bed bug bites, but others can have an allergic reaction to the bug's saliva resulting in uncomfortable itching and red welts. Dried blood, fecal spots, and a sweet odor may indicate bed bug infestations.

Reproduction is an important part of female bed bugs' life. They lay a total of approximately 200 eggs, usually at the rate of three or four a day. The male punctures the female's body wall in order to inject sperm into her abdomen. The female lays these eggs in or near her resting-place, and the eggs will hatch a week or two later and will live for about four months. The nymphs molt five times before becoming adults, which takes about four to nine weeks. Blood meals are necessary during each stage of growth. So sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.