Bed bugs are sometimes called "red 

 coats," "chinches," or "mahogany flats." 



In most parts of the United States 

 there is only one species, known scien- 

 tifically as Cimex lectularius. Another 

 species, Cimex hemipterus, is common in 

 Florida and perhaps in some of the other 

 Southern States. 



The bed bug feeds on blood— princi- 

 pally that of man. It feeds by piercing 

 the skin with its elongated beak. 



Bed bugs are spread chiefly by these 

 means: Clothing and baggage of travelers 

 and visitors; secondhand beds, bedding, 

 and furniture; and laundry. 



What they look like 



The mature bed bug is a brown, wing- 

 less insect. Its size depends on the 

 amount of food (blood) that the body 

 contains. An unfed bed bug is between 

 Va and Ys inch long. The upper sur- 

 face of the body has a flimsy, crinkly 

 appearance. 



When engorged with blood, the body 

 becomes elongated and swollen and the 

 color changes from brown to dull red. 

 The change in size, shape, and color is 

 so great that persons seeing a number 

 of the bugs in different degrees of dis- 

 tention may believe that they are look- 

 ing at different species. 



Bed bug eggs are white and about 

 x hi inch long. 



Newly hatched bugs are translucent 



and nearly colorless. Young bugs are 

 similar in shape to the adults. As they 

 grow, they molt (shed their skins). After 

 each molt they are pale at first, then 

 become brownish. 



To know that bed bugs are in a room, 

 you do not always have to see them. 

 There usually is an offensive odor in 

 rooms where they are numerous. The 

 odor comes from an oily liquid that 

 they emit. 



Feeding habits 



Bed bugs feed mostly at night, by 

 biting people who are asleep. But if 

 they are very hungry and if the light is 

 dim, they will feed during the day. 



When bed bugs bite, they inject'a fluid 

 into the skin that assists them in ob- 

 taining blood. Often the fluid causes 

 the skin to become irritated and inflamed; 

 welts develop and there is much itch- 

 ing. It has never been proved that bed 

 bugs are disease carriers in the United 

 States. 



If its feeding is undisturbed, a full- 

 grown bed bug becomes engorged with 

 blood in 3 to 5 minutes. It then crawls to 

 its hiding place, where it remains for 

 several days digesting its meal. When 

 hunger returns, the bug emerges from 

 hiding and seeks another meal of blood. 



Bed bugs may be serious pests in ani- 

 mal and poultry houses and in labora- 

 tories where rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, 



