Where Can I Find Information on Bed Bugs?

It is no secret that the United States is experiencing a "bed bug dilemma," and it has long been taught that knowledge is power. Finding information on bed bugs and learning how to identify, react to and treat a bed bug infestation can be one of the most useful tools to avoiding one in the first place.

Cimex lectularius

• Cimex lectularius, or bed bugs as we more commonly know them, are small (about 1/4-inch long) insects whose diet consists of the blood of warm-blooded animals (including humans). After satisfying their appetites, they can swell up to three times their original size, and their color often changes to a dark red.

Hiding places

• Bed bugs are nocturnal insects, so during the daylight hours they hide in bed sheets, couches, box-spring mattresses, laundry baskets, under carpet edges and even in electrical outlets.

Statistics

• About 37 percent of bed bug related pest control calls in 2007 were from hotels and motels. According to the National Pest Management Association, the amount of bed bug reports increased by 71 percent between 2000 and 2005.