From Jennifer Lai,
Your Guide to Apartment Living / Rental.
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Bedbugs are basically vampires in six-legged insect form. These reddish brown bugs are no bigger than about a half a centimeter and suck on our blood. According to the MayoClinic, they inject an anticoagulant into the bloodstream, which prevents the blood from clotting as they dine—and a numbing agent so we can't feel them. Shudder.

Contrary to perceptions that bedbugs infiltrate only dirty or rundown homes, these bloodsuckers don't discriminate. From the most luxurious condos to cheap rentals, bedbugs invade all types of apartments. And bedbugs are growing in numbers, reports the Harvard School of Public Health, with an increase in complaints from all types of domiciles, including apartments. This means that if you haven’t had the misfortune of having bedbugs, you may know of someone who has.

Bedbugs can be easily mistaken for other bugs. If you fear you have an infestation, confirm their identity by checking out these photographs.

Sources: Harvard School of Public Health; MayoClinic; and the New York Times' article, "Everything You Need to Know About Bedbugs but Were Afraid to Ask"