Visibility

• The belief that bedbugs are too small to see is a common misconception. Their habit of living in groups, and the stains they leave behind, make detection possible without any special equipment. Adults have flat, brown bodies that grow to approximately 3/8 inch long. Eggs are white, oval and approximately 1 mm long. After hatching, nymphs, or juveniles, are smaller, lighter versions of adults that gradually darken as they grow.
  
  

Environment

• When bedbugs are discovered, the entire building is sometimes presumed to be filthy. However, a dirty environment doesn't attract or keep bedbugs. They are found in expensive hotels and sanitized hospitals, as well as cheap motels or dirty apartments. They feed on blood, and they live where the food supply is steady, unless they are killed. Bedbugs are not known to transfer any diseases to humans through bites, but they do leave droppings behind. Their bites can cause itchy, inflamed skin, but some people do not experience a reaction.
  
  

Transmission

• Bedbugs can live for weeks or months without food. If they find their way onto your clothing or luggage, you could unwittingly start a new colony in your own home. While traveling, keep your luggage and other belongings in an area less susceptible to bedbugs, like a bathtub. Use discretion about what you carry into your home. Used or rented furniture and castoff, thrift-store or yard-sale items can also harbor bedbugs. Thoroughly inspect and clean anything that has been in someone else's home before bringing it into your own.
  
  

Extermination

• Bedbugs have developed resistance to many pesticides, and they hide in hard-to-reach areas. Outdoor pesticides are not intended for indoor use, and they might not kill the bugs anyway. If an infestation is discovered, quarantine the area and clean it. Seal anything that contains obvious bedbugs in plastic. Wrap mattresses in plastic sheeting and seal with strong tape to prevent their escape. Place toys, pillows and other small items in sealed plastic bags. Vacuuming helps remove bugs and their eggs. Remove and seal the vacuum bag in plastic afterward to prevent another infestation. Launder washable items in hot water and dry on the hottest heat possible to kill any that might survive. Place items like shoes and toys in the dryer on the hottest setting that won't cause damage. Seal cleaned items in new plastic containers until the extermination is complete. Although special pesticides formulated for bedbugs can work, professional extermination is wise.