Bed Bugs

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs are parasitic pests that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, and unfortunately for people, we are their favorite food source. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies, six legs, and are wingless. Adult bed bugs are about the size and shape of an apple seed. Before feeding, bed bugs are a reddish-brown to mahogany in coloration. After bed bugs feed, they turn a deeper purplish-red color, and their bodies swell and become more elongated. Bed bugs hide during the day in tight cracks and crevices, emerging at night to feed on their sleeping victims. Bed bugs can become a problem in any home or public place where people are found; professional home pest control is the most effective way to protect your home from bed bugs.

Are bed bugs dangerous?

Bed bugs are not considered dangerous pests, as they aren’t known to transmit a wide range of diseases. In fact, most people don’t even react to their bites. Some people, however, are allergic to their saliva. These bed bug bite victims could develop an itchy rash, which may become infected and require medical attention. Bed bugs are stressful pests to have inside your home. They are invasive and difficult to get rid of. This can cause added stress and sleepless nights for all members of a family. Professional help should be sought the moment bed bugs, or their signs, are discovered in your home.

Why do I have bed bug problems?

When it comes to bed bugs, they can be found where people are. Remember, we are their main food source! Bed bugs will inhabit almost any public place, where they can crawl onto a person’s clothing, bags, or other personal belongings, and then, unfortunately, into their home. Bed bugs may also be brought into homes through used furniture, mattresses, box springs, or in newly purchased clothing items.

Where will I find bed bugs?

Bed bugs live successfully in a variety of buildings, public transportation vehicles, or anywhere else people gather. Typical buildings they inhabit are homes, apartments, hotels, motels, offices, nursing homes, schools, daycares, dormitories, hospitals, and shopping centers. Airports, planes, trains, buses, and taxis can also house populations of bed bugs. Inside homes, bed bugs first invade sleeping areas. Then, if the infestation is allowed to continue, they will travel throughout your home, moving through walls, along wires, and through vents.
 
Typical bed bug hiding spots include:

How do I get rid of bed bugs?

The best solution to a bed bug infestation is a professional solution. At Pest Control Consultants, our certified residential and commercial pest control technicians provide outstanding bed bug control solutions to eliminate your current bed bug problems and prevent future problems with these parasitic pests.
 
The St. Charles pest experts at Pest Control Consultants are dedicated to using the latest scientific techniques and up-to-date products, practices, and procedures to get rid of and control bed bugs and other household-invading pests. To learn more about completely ridding bed bugs from your Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, or Central Wisconsin area home, or to schedule a free inspection, call PCC.

How can I prevent bed bugs in the future?

Keeping bed bugs out of your Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, or Central Wisconsin home can be difficult, but there are things you can do to avoid contact with them.

Our top bed bug prevention tips include:

• Be aware of your surroundings when in public places.

• Learn how to identify bed bugs.

• Know how to recognize the signs of bed bugs. 

• When traveling, inspect hotel or motel rooms for signs of bed bugs before bringing luggage and other belongings inside.

• Keep bags, purses, coats and other items up off the floor of public places.

• After returning home from a trip, immediately wash and dry all clothing taken on a high heat cycle.

• Regularly vacuum floors, upholstered furniture, and the seams of mattresses and box springs.

• Wash and dry all bedding on a weekly basis, inspecting mattresses and box springs for signs of bed bugs during the process.

• Never purchase used furniture, mattresses, or box springs for use inside your home - the risk of a bed bug infestation outweighs any savings!