198 THE BED-BUG. 



tant from the "twin cities," they should have numerous 

 broods ever\' few weeks. With plenty of food and a warm 

 temperature, thej' multiply rapidly; and if things are favor- 

 able it requires only eleven weeks for the bug to undergo its 

 transformation from egg to adult. Only the adult insects 

 hibernate or are able to withstand severe cold. It is not 

 necessary to describe this insect in detail, as the illustration 

 shows well the structure of this yellowish-brown parasite. 

 The disagreeable "bed-buggy" odor is produced in minute 

 glands which are situated in the adult bug on the under side 

 of the body, and in the young one on the back of the thorax. 

 The peculiar and penetrating odor of these parasites is, to 

 many persons, even worse than their bites. Those who have 

 been forced to sleep in a room which had not been occupied 

 for weeks, and in a bed alive with hungry bed-bugs, know- 

 how interesting these parasites can make it, and how active 

 they become as soon as the light is extinguished. Like 

 harpies they attack the would-be sleeper and their bites pro- 

 duce the sensation of being stung with hot needles; soon the 

 whole body is in a fever, and big swellings appear wdierever 

 a bug has inserted his beak. If a light is suddenl3^ ignited, 

 the bugs run away as quickl3' as they can to their hiding- 

 places. A glance at the ceiling of the occupied rooms will re- 

 veal many bugs, w-hich have crawled therewith the intention 

 of dropping dowm upon the sleeper. Though always hungry 

 and ready to imbibe blood bed-bugs can also exist for a long 

 time, even for a year, without any food. Prof. Leunis kept 

 a female bed-bug in an empty paper-box for six months; when 

 the box w^as opened not only the living female was found, 

 but she was surrounded by numerous young bugs, which, 

 like the mother, were white and transparent as glass. 



We have a large number of remedies against this insect. 

 Cleanliness is, of course, the best preventive. Yet with all 

 care bed-bugs can and w^ill enter houses, because they are so 

 readily carried with trunks, etc. from infested places, and if 

 thcA' once find a home thej' are, on account of their form, 

 w^hich is well adapted for hiding, and their capacity for fast- 

 ing, not readily driven away. The free use of benzine, or of 

 kerosene, sprayed with a hand-atomizer into all suspected 



