Amy Arnett, age 9, of Speedway, Ind., for her question:

ARE THERE REALLY BEDBUGS?

Bedbugs do indeed exist. They're small insects about a quarter of an inch long and they can be found in some hotels and homes.

A bedbug likes to attack by piercing the skin with his sharp beak and then sucks blood. The bite can cause the skin of some people to itch and swell.

The flat, oval bedbug can hide in tiny crevices and cracks. During the day he usually hides in mattresses, in bedsprings or between floorboards and cracks in plaster. He comes out at night in search of food.

The insects can be controlled by spraying all of the hiding places with the right kind of insecticide. In a few cases fumigation is necessary to drive out the bedbugs.