Bed Bugs

Your Chicagoland Guide on Bed Bugs

The Breakdown

COLOR	SIZE	LEGS	DANGER RATING
Reddish Brown	3/16 in	Six	HIGH

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are reddish-brown insects with and flat, oval-shaped bodies. They measure about 3/16 inches long which is about the size of an apple seed. After they have sucked on your blood, they tend to look swollen and red.

Bed bugs earned their name from their preferred habitat, your bed. However, they can also be found in your blankets, furniture and clothes. They are not strictly nocturnal, but come out most often at night while you are fast asleep. These pests normally climb the walls to the ceiling and drop down to their host as they are attracted to the warmth and presence of carbon dioxide. Bed bugs can live for a little over a year without feeding, but they normally try to feed every five to ten days.

Signs of an Infestation

Bed bug infestations are very dangerous. These bugs will suck your blood, and can potentially damage your health. Bed bug bites appear as little itchy red welts and are sometimes arranged in lines. They also tend to target exposed skin, so if you wear pajamas, they will target your face, arms and any other exposed areas.

Bed bugs gorge themselves on your blood and defecate at the same time leaving behind tiny reddish brown spots. Try inspecting your bed sheets and your pajamas. You may see tiny red blood spots on your mattress which may be the remnants of bed bugs that have been crushed. If you are not certain, get a bit of water on your finger and rub it across the mark. If it turns red, you are looking at your blood after it has passed through a bed bug. Finding these spots is an indicator of a bed bug infestation.

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Understanding the Seasons

Weather has a profound effect on pest life cycle. Most pests, rodents and insects breed aggressively during spring and go through periods of hibernation during autumn and winter.

Spring

When the weather slowly begins to heat up, pests start to get more active after having stayed dormant over the colder winter months.

Birds often start to find mates and start building their nests.
Moths which consumer leaves usually become active again.
Flies often emerge from their winter hibernation places and start to breed and spread out.
Squirrels also spend the winter in hibernation. When spring approaches these creatures start looking for a new home. This is usually the time when they make their way into lofts and other spaces.

Summer

Summer is arguably the best season for pests. It is the time when they are in full swing and breed as rapidly as they can. Wasps are one of the most common summer pests followed by flies and rodents. Many a summer picnics and BBQs have been ruined by the ‘home invasion’ of these pests.

Wasps build their nesting grounds and lay their eggs during this time. Although the creatures are not directly harmful, they can be very aggressive and territorial at this time of the year, because they’re at their strongest.
The number of fleas also multiplies. Since pets spend more time outdoors during summer, they are more likely to bring the pests back indoors with them.
Bees are also more active during summer as they go out to gather nectar. Many times, homeowners find a new beehive in their garden and require pest control to take care of it. Because of their sting, bees are more dangerous than some of the other pests and you should call our professional service to get rid of them.
Moths and flies usually start to multiply significantly during summer.
Ants begin to swarm to find new mates and start new colonies during summer.
Cockroaches become very noticeable in the summer, especially in the kitchen and toilets. This is due to the hotter temperatures and stronger smells.
Bedbugs are also very active in the summer.

Autumn

Autumn is the month when things start to get cooler. The number of pests starts to dwindle as they begin to slow down their breeding activities.

Wasps start becoming dozy and docile. You may find them buzzing around occasionally as if they are drunk. This is usually the end-time for their life.
Spiders in particular are more active at this time of the year.
Squirrels will gather their food and start to look for shelter.
The second breeding phase for flies begins. These pests remain active during the season.
Rodents also become more active. Due to the approaching cold, rodents usually find shelter inside homes in the loft or inside walls.

Winter

The coldest months are when pests seek out warmth and shelter. You will find a number of insects especially rodents and lizards make their way inside your home.

Spiders come into our homes to escape the web-destroying frosts.
Rodents move indoors to escape the cold, increasing infestations.
In many cases, homeowners find squirrels nesting in lofts when they go to get their Christmas decorations.