Diet: Blood from any warm-blooded animal. Their most common targets are humans because, unlike animals with fur, we have a lot of exposed skin for them to bite.

Habitat: Typically found in beds and small cracks and crevices.

Impact: When feeding, they inject the skin with their saliva (this keeps the blood from clotting) and an anesthetic (this keeps the host from feeling the bite and moving). Bed bugs do not spread disease, but their bites can become red and bites itchy.

Prevention:

1. Don’t take mattresses or padded furniture that has been left at the curb or on the street.
   Check your bed sheets for blood spots.
2. Keep your suitcases covered in plastic and off the floor when you travel.
3. When you travel, take a small flashlight to help you look for bed bugs.
4. Wash all of your clothes from a return trip/holiday including those that have not been worn.
5. Use hot water to ensure that any bed bugs that may have made it that far are not placed into your drawers/closet.
6. They are hard to see, so if you think you have bed bugs, call a pest management professional.