Bed Bug Basics

Bed bugs are small insects that are usually active at night when people are sleeping. Adult bed bugs have flat rusty-red-colored oval bodies.

Adult bed bugs are about 1/4 inch long (about the size of an apple seed). They are big enough to be easily seen, but often hide in cracks in furniture, floors, or walls.

Bed bugs feed on human blood. They can live for over a year without feeding on a host.

Bed Bug Life Cycle

• Bed bugs must feed on blood in order to grow and reproduce

• Females lay eggs which hatch and go through five growth stages before becoming adults

• See Myths and Facts and Bed Bug Biology and Behavior (PDF) for more information