What happens if I don’t treat for Bed Bugs?

You’re horrified… you wake up in the middle of the night with what appears to be a mosquito bite.  But, instead of a mosquito, you find a small, reddish bug the size of an apple seed (photos of bed bugs).  After research on the internet and then an inspection from your local pest control exterminator, it proves to be a nightmare… your first case of Bed Bugs (click here for photos of bed bug bites). It can happen to anyone.   Chicago Area movie theaters, restaurants, hotels and casinos – all locations where bed bugs exist in abundance and hitchhike back to your home on clothing or in suitcases.

Next step… what do you do?

A typical three bedroom Chicago area home will run in the neighborhood of $1,500 to $3,500 to treat.  For most, that’s a shocking dollar amount and it’s never convenient.   After your Bed Bug inspected you have three options:

1. You research and purchase products for a ‘do it yourself’ project.
2. You decide to use a pest control company to tackle the problem for you.
3. Or, you decide to hold-off on any treatment option praying it was a remote case of one or two bugs and you hope the problem will simply vanish on its own.

Do it yourself options, although not impossible, are extremely difficult.  You need to be prepared for four to six weeks of non-stop ‘Bed Bug’ warfare:  purchasing chemicals, mattress encasements and interceptors, frequent applications, the constant washing of bedding and clothing, daily inspections and vacuuming… all with the fear you’re not solving the problem.   After a month and a half of ‘DYI’ treatments and money invested, it’s typical for a homeowner or tenant to re-engage with a Chicago Bed Bug professional to finish the job.

Employing the services of a certified pest control company appear to be the best solution.  Although, selecting the right pest control company (with a specialty in Bed Bug eradication) makes great sense.  If you are going to invest in Bed Bug extermination, make sure you are working with a company with a history of success and one that provides a warranty through the first 30 days after treatment.  Although remote, if bed bugs survive an initial heat treatment, you will certainly know within 30 days.  Your exterminator should provide a follow-up treatment at no additional cost.

Finally, you decide to simply postpone any treatment or service hoping it was an isolated incident.  Unfortunately, Bed Bugs in Chicago don’t simply disappear.  Once you find a single bug, it’s highly likely you have many more.  One pregnant female Bed Bug may lay up to 5-7 eggs per day and 200 to 500 over the course of a lifespan.  In just 90 days one female Bed Bug is capable of growing to a population of 100 adults and over 1,000 nymphs and eggs.  In 120 days, well over 5,000 Bed Bugs and eggs!   Six months… 100,000+!  Doing nothing is not any option.  Be proactive and take the steps necessary to insure your Bed Bug problem doesn’t grow into a full infestation.   Early detection and treatment is the key.   Call or visit with your local Chicago Area Bed Bug extermination expert to find out more.