Bed bugs are oval, chestnut-brown insects and are flattened from top to bottom.
Adult bed bugs measure about ¼ inch in length.
The mouthparts are shaped into an elongated proboscis, which, when not in use, is held directed backward underneath the body. When a bug is ready to feed, the proboscis is extended forward and the stylets within are thrust into the skin of a host.
Mated female bed bugs deposit their eggs in their resting places.
One female will produce about 345 eggs during her lifespan.
Bed bugs grow by molting several times. Nymphs look very much like the adults, except they are smaller and not sexually mature.
There are five nymphal molts, and each nymph must have a blood meal to be able to molt to the next stage.
Adults feed once a week on average but feed many times during their four-month or longer lifespan.
Bed bugs often come into a home via secondhand articles and furniture. They may also migrate between homes via wires or plumbing. In addition, since warehouses, trucks, and railroad cars may be infested, common bed bugs can infest homes by stowing away on new furniture stored or shipped from these places.