Adult bed bugs are oval, wingless, about 1/5 inch long, and rusty red or mahogany in color. Their bodies are flattened, they have well-developed antennae, their compound eyes are small, and the area behind
the head (the prothorax) expands forward on either side of the head. The immatures appear identical to the adults except for their smaller size, thinner cuticle, and a lighter, yellowish white color. Bed bugs are readily distinguished from another more common bloodsucking species, conenose bugs, by their smaller
size, more rounded shape, and lack of wings as adults.
Female bed bugs lay from 200 to 500 eggs (in batches of 10 to 50) on rough surfaces such as wood or
paper. Eggs are covered with a glue and hatch in about 10 days. After hatching, the egg shells frequently remain on the substrate. There are five progressively larger nymphal stages, each requiring a single
blood meal before molting to the next stage. The entire life cycle from egg to adult requires anywhere Page