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	BED BUG Cimex lectularius (larger picture)	Preparing for a Bed Bug Service Call
Description: The adult bed bug is 3/16-inch long, oval, flat, and rusty-red or mahogany in color. The bed bug is flat and thin when unfed but becomes more elongate, plump, and red when it is full of blood. Four-segmented antennae are attached to the head between the prominent compound eyes. The three-segmented beak, or proboscis, is located beneath the head and passes back between the front legs. The beg bug cannot fly as its wings are reduced to short wing pads. Habits: The bed bug hides in cracks and crevices during the day, preferring to rest on wood and paper surfaces instead of stone and plaster. It leaves these harborage areas at night to feed on its host which includes humans, birds, hogs, and family pets. The blood meal requires three to ten minutes and usually goes unnoticed by the victim. After feeding, the bite site may become inflamed and itch severely in sensitive people. Although the bed bug has been associated with over 25 diseases, transmission has not been conclusively proven. Over time, harborage areas become filled with the molted skins, feces, and old egg shells of the resident bed bugs. These areas have a chracteristic "stink bug" smell caused by a secretion emmited by the bed bug.