Bedbugs are flat, wingless insects about 0.25 in. in length. Like mosquitoes, bedbugs feed on blood from animals or people. They have mouth parts that saw through the skin, and inject saliva into the body with anticoagulants and painkillers. The bite usually produces a swelling of the skin with no red spot, but when many bugs feed on a small area, reddish spots may appear after the swelling subsides. The variety of reactions of different people to the bites range from extreme allergic reaction to no reaction at all.
Bedbugs have that name because they like to hide in bedding and mattresses and are usually hiding during the day and are active at night when they feed. They can go for weeks without feeding and are found all over the world. Most often they are found in hotels, motels, hostels, shelters, and apartment complexes where large numbers of people come and go. Their appearance generally doesn’t coincide with a lack of hygiene, as they are more often transferred from another place, and since they can be hard to detect, it is very easy for them to spread. They can most commonly be seen hiding around the edges of a mattress and can leave dark brown or black spots on areas that they frequently travel.
