What are bed bugs? Well, we’ve all heard that little saying before we go to bed: “Nitey nite, sleep tite, don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Often people think this is just a made up saying because it sounds cute and it rhymes and that these so-called ‘bed bugs’ aren’t actually real. Well, in case you’re one of these people then we hate to break it to you but the protagonists of this ‘cute’ little saying are very real…and they most certainly are not cute. Oh, and yes, they bite!

Cimex lectularius, which is the Latin name for bed bugs, inhabit all of Earth’s countries but are predominantly found in the northern hemisphere. Cimex hemipterus, the southern cousin of the former, prefer the warmer more tropical parts of the world. The female bed bug can lay up to three hundred eggs, which then hatch about ten days later, thus causing the population to proliferate at a very rapid pace.

Adult bed bugs are not unlike ticks in appearance. They are brownish in color and have a flat, oval body that measures approximately ¼ of an inch (6.35 mm) long. Their diets are similar to that of ticks as well. They are active mainly during the night and survive by feeding on the blood of well, anything that has blood, although they have a preference for humans.  Their saliva contains a pain killer and coagulant that keeps warm blood flowing. They are small and quiet pests that move quickly and seek refuge in cracks, nooks or crannies in the area surrounding where their host sleeps. 

Bed bugs frequently latch on to a traveler’s luggage and are transported to their new homes in this way. When one thinks about how many travelers and motels, hotels and other lodgings there are, it kind of makes sense that these little critters are making a comeback. It is not uncommon for bed bugs to end up infesting an entire apartment complex or even a large hotel – and getting rid of bed bugs on this scale can get rather costly. On a side note if you are planning to stay in a hotel in the United States or Canada, be sure to check out our chapter on bed bugs in hotels, where you’ll learn how to find out which hotels are infested as well as how to prevent an encounter with bed bugs while staying at a hotel. 

Frankly speaking, bed bugs are disgusting little creatures and you are really better off not having them around.  The problem is that oftentimes you may be unaware that bed bugs are present in your home until a fully-fledged infestation has occurred. Instead of waiting for this to happen, it is best to be proactive and go looking for bed bugs signs yourself. As with most things, the sooner you become aware of the problem, the easier it will be to address. 

You’ve really got to know what to look for in order to track them down and nine times out of ten you are more likely to find evidence of one, such as a little bloody spot on a sheet or mattress where a bed bug was squashed, before you find the actual bed bug itself. You should also be on the lookout for the bed bug’s faces, which looks like little dark specs. Finding these little spores are a good indication that an infestation has taken place at which point you will want to take action.