Bed Bug Prevention
The Village of Schiller Park deals with a large number of bed bugs infesting hotel rooms as well as community homes. The Illinois Department of Public Health provides citizens guidelines regarding how to prevent and control bed bugs.
In order to control bed bugs, clues to help identify them include:
Managing bed bugs can be a difficult task. Recommendations for managing bed bugs include:
Identifying Bed Bugs
In order to control bed bugs, clues to help identify them include:
- Bed Bugs are found mostly in apartments, temporary housing, luggage, secondhand furniture, mattresses, bedding and clothing.
- Bed bugs can survive for up to 18 months without feeding.
- Bed bugs do not have wings, are only approximately ¼ in. long, and flat to fit into small cracks and crevices.
- Bed Bugs feed on the blood of animals including people and pets, and at night seek warm bodies.
- If you see spots of blood left on bed sheets, this can indicate a presence of bed bugs, biting during sleeping hours.
- The skin reaction can be identified as inflammation and swelling around the bite, accompanied by intense itching.
Managing Bed Bugs
Managing bed bugs can be a difficult task. Recommendations for managing bed bugs include:
- Contacting a pest control professional is the best way to eliminate bed bugs.
- Space treatments such as “bug bombs,” however these are ineffective against well-hidden bed bugs.
- Using pesticides, such as wettable powder, however do not apply pesticides to mattresses, bedding or furniture where they will be in contact with people.
- Vacuuming the bugs, and disposing them in a sealed bag or trash container as a non-toxic way to eliminate bed bugs.