(see understanding, prevention and control information pdf's below)

Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of people and animals while they sleep. They are easily moved from room to room on infested objects. Bedbugs cannot easily climb metal or polished surfaces and cannot fly or jump. Adult bedbugs can be as long as 10 mm. 

They have an oval, broad, flat body and a short, broad head. Adult bedbugs are brown, but darken to a blood red colour after feeding. Young bedbugs are shaped like adults, but are smaller (1.5 mm long) and lighter in colour. They also darken after feeding. Bedbug eggs are white, about one millimetre long, and are almost impossible to see on most surfaces. The female bedbug lays at least 200 eggs in her lifetime, at a rate of about two to four each day. The eggs have a sticky coating and are laid in cracks and crevices, behind woodwork and other hidden locations. They usually hatch in 6 to 17 days. 

Paul's (Technician) notes: Vacuuming and steaming is essential for controlling them and reducing the population without using harmful chemicals, and sometimes, it will eliminate them completely. They do not discriminate against clean or dirty environments, so be careful in public places such as libraries, movie theatres, public transit, etc. 

It is best to use a vacuum that has a bag and remove the bag outside to prevent re-infestation.