230 INSECTS 



ingenious measures adopted to reach sleepers in beds 

 which had been isolated so that the}^ nowhere touched 

 the wall and had the posts set in pans of water. The 

 bugs are normally red brown in color, but when first 

 hatched or when compelled to go without food for a 

 long period, they are almost transparent whitish. 

 Just how long they can go without food seems to be 

 not definitely determined, but it is certain that houses 

 entirely uninhabited for a year have been found infested 

 with very hungry bugs when again put to use. The 

 insects moult five times and normally feed only once 

 between moults, a period of five or six days. Nor, 

 when the insects have fed, do they always or even usually 

 stay in the bed occupied by the victim. On the con- 

 trary, especially where there is a metal bed, they are 

 very apt to leave it and seek some other piece of furni- 

 ture or get behind base-boards, picture mouldings, 

 trimmings or even behind the backing of picture frames. 

 In one case the resort for a considerable colony was 

 found in the large old-fashioned lock on the room door. 

 In the large wooden bed of the older type there was 

 usually abundant chance to hide and these beds were 

 difficult to get and keep clean, especially before the days 

 of gasoline. In such cases a large percentage of the 

 bug population might be confined to the bed; but the 

 life of the "chinch" becomes ever more difficult under 

 modem conditions, and with a little care, practical 

 exemption is securable in a well-ordered household. 

 Their occasional introduction is almost unavoidable 

 where public conveyances are used. I have seen them 

 in railroad cars, trolleys, boats, omnibuses and carriages, 

 and have noted them crawling on the clothing of well- 

 dressed fellow passengers who probably did not bring 

 them in. It means, therefore, in the average house- 

 hold, a more or less continual vigilance on the part of 



