Adult bed bugs are wingless insects about one-quarter of an inch long and oval in shape. Their color is nearly white after molting, then ranges from tan to burnt orange. After a blood meal, they'll appear dark red or black.

Their flat bodies enable them to hide in dark, cozy cracks and crevices in beds, baseboards, sofas, and drawers, and even behind wallpaper and electrical switchplates. That's where they nest during the day, typically not far from where they'll find their host -- that's you -- at night.