Bed bugs are on the rise in Illinois after a dramatic decline in the 1940s and 1950s. A couple reasons for the return are more world-wide travel and the fact that today’s insecticides, although safer for people, are less effective in killing these bugs.
The Vector (Pest) Control program involves surveillance of mosquito pools, birds, and mammals for West Nile Virus and other mosquito related diseases, in addition to collection of specimens for testing through the USDA.