Bed Bugs In Chicago Can Be Very Hard To Get Rid Of

There are many reasons why bed bugs are hard to control. Some reasons have to do with the bugs themselves. These insects are adaptable and can develop an immunity to harmful materials. Over the last century, we've tried many things to harm them, and now bed bugs are resistant to materials we've used in the past. But the primary reason bed bugs elude treatments is a lack of knowledge. Do you know that you can see a bed bug and not realize it is a bed bug? Do you know that the early warning signs of a bed bug infestation are easy to overlook? Join us as we look at the challenges of detecting a bed bug infestation early and six easy ways to get rid of bed bugs in your Chicago home. We'll also discuss how your Aerex Pest Control technician uses training and experience to stop bed bugs in their tracks.

Before we get started, we'd like to remind you that you don't have to read an article about bed bug control to deal with a bed bug problem. You can jump over to our contact page right now for professional pest control in Chicago and get immediate assistance. With that said, let's get into today's topic.

close up of bed bug on brown cloth

What Do Bed Bugs In Chicago Look Like?

You've likely seen a bed bug on television or the internet. These are notorious pests. But you may still not recognize one if you were to see it in your home. Why? Here are a few reasons:

Bed bugs are small insects that can be easily overlooked. A full-grown adult bed bug is a mere ⅙ of an inch long. But they're not just easily overlooked. A small insect has small features. You won't easily see the identifiable features seen in magnified images of bed bugs. A real bed bug looks like a speck. Bed bugs are so small that you may have difficulty distinguishing the seed-like shape of these insects.
Many insects can get into your home. The sheer variety of insects makes identification a challenge. Bed bugs are often mistaken for tiny beetles.
Bed bugs are not always reddish-brown. If you've seen adult bed bugs, you might think bed bugs are always that color, but baby bed bugs are pale white. When an infestation begins, you might see a baby bed bug. They are more daring than the adults. Adult bed bugs are far more likely to wait until you're sleeping. A baby bed bug can bite you while you're awake.
When you see a baby bed bug attached to your skin, you may not realize what it is, even if you know these immature nymphs are pale white. Why? Because the abdomen of a bed bug is more than three times the size of the head and thorax put together. An abdomen filled with blood will make baby bed bugs look like tiny red bugs. You might even mistake one for a clover mite or a chigger and wipe it away with little or no thought.
As bed bugs develop, they become tan before they eventually turn reddish-brown. If you put your sheet on and notice a tiny tan speck disappear underneath your mattress, you might not know it is a bed bug.
Adult bed bugs aren't always reddish-brown. After digesting a meal, a bed bug's abdomen may appear black in dim lighting. You may see a bed bug and think it is a black insect, not a reddish-brown bed bug.

It is often difficult to identify bed bugs—assuming you see them at all. Bed bugs are experts at hiding. They avoid light and hide in extremely tight spaces. You're more likely to see evidence of an infestation than the bugs themselves.

Are You Struggling With A Bed Bug Infestation?

Now that you know how to identify bed bugs, you need one more layer of knowledge. You need to know how to identify a bed bug infestation. It might seem odd that you need this information if you know that bed bugs leave numerous bites on your skin. Waking up with bug bites is an obvious sign. Right? Don't count on it.

Bed Bug Bites

When these insects invade your home, they will bite you. There is no doubt. They'll also leave several bites on your skin because each bed bug typically bites three times during the night. But you may not realize that bed bugs are biting you.

You may not know that you have bug bites. Early bites can result in plentiful tiny bumps in an extensive rash. You might think you've had an allergic reaction to food, clothing, or something else. The bites will worsen over time and with repeated exposure, but you need to recognize a bumpy rash as a potential bed bug problem if you want to catch these pests early.
Many bugs can bite you in your home while you sleep. If one adult bed bug bites you while you sleep, you might wake up with three bites on your skin and mistake them for bites from another pest, like fleas or spiders. You may distinguish bed bug bites by considering the pattern. One bed bug will leave three bites in a line or zig-zag pattern, and multiple bed bugs will create a path of bites across your skin.
You may get bites from an outdoor pest and think something is biting you while you sleep. Why? Because it can take hours or even days for a bug bite to swell and become a rashy, itchy irritation.

Do you see the problem? You might shrug off early bites, not realizing they are bed bug bites. Over time, as your infestation grows, you'll eventually know that bed bugs are your problem.

Other Bed Bug Signs

There are a few warning signs bed bugs leave in bed bug-infested areas. All of these signs increase the longer you have an infestation.

Black feces or fecal spotting on mattresses, box springs, bedding, furniture, bed frames, baseboards, outlet covers, and crown molding
Dried blood stains on pillowcases, sheets, and other fabrics
Shed skins scattered about or tucked in seams, creases, and cracks
Tiny white eggs in tight spaces, such as between your mattress and box spring or inside mattress seams
A faint and unpleasant scent around infested items

When you detect bed bugs or need assistance detecting them, a licensed pest management professional can help. A professional can offer effective bed bug detection and control. But do you need to contact local pest control for bed bugs immediately? Not necessarily.

Six Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

When you catch bed bugs early, you might have the opportunity to deal with them yourself effectively. You may notice that a piece of luggage has bed bugs when returning from a trip. If so, you can act fast and apply these six tips:

Bring your luggage item out into your yard.
Spray your luggage with a mixture of lavender essential oil and water to drive the bed bugs out.
Keep your luggage isolated until you know that the bugs are gone.
Put all your laundry through a hot wash and dryer cycle. Heat exterminates bed bugs in all stages of development.
If you have bags from your trip, you can put dryer-safe items through a thirty-minute dryer cycle to eradicate the bed bugs inside.
Put items in a plastic bag and store them in your freezer for four days if they aren't able to go in the dryer and if they are small enough to fit in your freezer.

Taking these steps can prevent bed bugs from getting into your home and spreading to places that aren't easy to treat. If you don't catch your infestation early, contact a licensed professional for treatment.

Professional Bed Bug Control In Chicago

Are you in Chicago? If so, you're in our service area. Contact Aerex Pest Control for bed bug control. Our technicians know where bed bugs hide and how to prevent bed bugs from evading treatments. A common reason why DIY bed bug control fails is that it is more about the process and less about the products. Our technicians use field-tested methods designed by industry experts. We locate and coral bed bugs so that they don't get away when treatments are applied. Through a process of inspection, treatment, and evaluation, we systematically address your infestation until no bugs remain.

It is easy to get started. Navigate to our contact page and request service. We'll take care of the rest. There are many details when dealing with bed bug infestations. You can rely on your Aerex Pest Control technician to guide you every step of the way and make your treatment run smoothly. We have the experience and professionalism to provide the service and results you want. Connect with us today to get relief from your bed bug problem. You don't have to let the bed bugs bite. We have the solution to all your bed bug problems.