OT: Bed Bugs

[Kitaman]

A place where I worked had them recently. Last night my wife showed me some marks on her arm and asked me do I think they were from bedbugs. Of course I said no. She got paranoid stripped the bed. She showed me some tiny blood stains, and washed our sheets and linen (hot water). I placed just a white sheet on the bed and had her sleep in another room. At 3:30am I got up to use the bathroom. I then turned on the light and there were five or so of those fuuckers scurrying around. I captured them for the pest control person. I don't think the room or furniture is infected but certainly the mattress has some.

Anyone have any solutions that worked for them, before I pour hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars into solving this problem. Throwing out all of my furniture is not an option, as I think I have early detection. I like to try any 'home' remedies before I bring in the experts at a costly sum that may not even work, even though I can afford them.

With that said I'm considering buying a sealed mattress cover, getting some diatomaceous earth spray and using a steamer/vacuum on the mattress. Also I guess I have to be diligent for awhile.

I just don't want to make this a permanent stresser, more-so for my wife (who can get freaked out/paranoid for long periods of time).

BTW: The internet has a plethora of suggestions but quite frankly, its overwhelming.

 

[mauconnfan]

A place where I worked had them recently. Last night my wife showed me some marks on her arm and asked me do I think they were from bedbugs. Of course I said no. She got paranoid stripped the bed. She showed me some tiny blood stains, and washed our sheets and linen (hot water). I placed just a white sheet on the bed and had her sleep in another room. At 3:30am I got up to use the bathroom. I then turned on the light and there were five or so of those fuuckers scurrying around. I captured them for the pest control person. I don't think the room or furniture is infected but certainly the mattress has some.

Anyone have any solutions that worked for them, before I pour hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars into solving this problem. Throwing out all of my furniture is not an option, as I think I have early detection. I like to try any 'home' remedies before I bring in the experts at a costly sum that may not even work, even though I can afford them.

With that said I'm considering buying a sealed mattress cover, getting some diatomaceous earth spray and using a steamer/vacuum on the mattress. Also I guess I have to be diligent for awhile.

I just don't want to make this a permanent stresser, more-so for my wife (who can get freaked out/paranoid for long periods of time).

Sell the house.........or burn the room they are in. And where is the place you worked so I'm never near it? LOL

 

[Hoophound]

The options you listed are accurate. Diatomaceous earth is really the only home remedy that works but it isn't fool proof. I would immediately get mattress, box spring and pillow covers to lock them in.

You are going to need to wash and dry everything possible to kill them. Throw out old books and any clutter that you don't want so they can't hide. When applying DE, you need a puffer bottle. Something that has a small tip that will allow you to lightly dust everything. The light coat on the mattress, bed frame, baseboards etc will allow the bugs to walk through it. If you use too much, they will avoid it altogether.

I don't think you can deal with it yourself but you can try. The problem is that if you fail, they will spread to other parts of the house.

I would highly advise that you call in pros to inspect. They are probably still contained to your room and can be treated at a reasonable cost. Once they spread, you are looking at more cost.

Even after professional treatment, I would stay diligent with DE all over the house. They come back most of the time. It only takes one or two survivors to revive the colony.

You are in for a battle, don't kid yourself.
You are going to be worrying about this for years. When you travel or when your kids have a sleepover, you are exposed. This is a problem for everyone. It isn't just an issue of dirty people in dirty houses. Unfortunately, unless the government brings back more toxic treatments, we are all likely to get them eventually. Again, spend the money and the time now. It only gets worse trying to do it cheap.

 

[upstater]

I always google the name of my hotel and "bed bugs" when I travel. You'd be surprised.

 

[mauconnfan]

I always google the name of my hotel and "bed bugs" when I travel. You'd be surprised.

Yep agree.......heading to Philly area this week and already checked........

Still never know I guess.......Kitman could stay in my room the night before?!?!?

 

[noeynox]

Ugh, nightmare scenario. Fuckers probably jumped into the cuffs of your pants and you brought them home. Don't around. Get a professional that will gaurantee the work. things are disgusting.

 

[Dove]

My sister started talking about how she got bbs in her Queens apt during a summer we had our house on the market. I still never saw one but my wife freaked when she started getting marks...I never did. We did see two on the spare bed where sister in law slept. Stoopid chick denied it was her and continued to splay her laundry on the floor the next couple of visits.

We brought in a pro twice to battle the 6 we had left. He looked at some of my wife's captives and they turned out to be gnats or something. And threw out the spare bed and did the mattress and pillow covers on ours. We were confident that we eradicated the outbreak as it seemed early in the event and we got no marks in our last few weeks there. We also laundered and dried everything and put all clothes in large plastic bags as we were moving anyway and the cold storage was also gonna give us peace of mind. Do not bomb. That is useless.

Cats are a good indicator...they won't sleep on a bed with bedbugs.

Good luck, kitaman. Its very stressful. I tried hard to not see the issue while the Mrs. freaked daily.

 

[Rico444]

Sounds very similar to scabies, except not quite as awful. My roommate in college had a part-time job at a landscaping business cleaning machines,so he got them and of course so did I. Had to wash everything I had touched in the previous 72 hours - - clothes, sheets, towels. And since they get under your skin, I had to rub some topical cream all over my body; every single freaking crevice of my body. I have never been so miserable; at night, those mother f&#$ers would feast.

Hope bed bugs aren't nearly as bad, because I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

 

[mauconnfan]

Sounds also like the crabs..........uh.......never mind.......

 

[sledog]

Did you have Rosco sniff them??

 

[Storrsbred]

Put a couple of drops of Lemon Grass Oil on your sheets or mattress. Bedbugs can't stand the stuff.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The options you listed are accurate. Diatomaceous earth is really the only home remedy that works but it isn't fool proof. I would immediately get mattress, box spring and pillow covers to lock them in.

You are going to need to wash and dry everything possible to kill them. Throw out old books and any clutter that you don't want so they can't hide. When applying DE, you need a puffer bottle. Something that has a small tip that will allow you to lightly dust everything. The light coat on the mattress, bed frame, baseboards etc will allow the bugs to walk through it. If you use too much, they will avoid it altogether.

I don't think you can deal with it yourself but you can try. The problem is that if you fail, they will spread to other parts of the house.

I would highly advise that you call in pros to inspect. They are probably still contained to your room and can be treated at a reasonable cost. Once they spread, you are looking at more cost.

Even after professional treatment, I would stay diligent with DE all over the house. They come back most of the time. It only takes one or two survivors to revive the colony.

You are in for a battle, don't kid yourself.
You are going to be worrying about this for years. When you travel or when your kids have a sleepover, you are exposed. This is a problem for everyone. It isn't just an issue of dirty people in dirty houses. Unfortunately, unless the government brings back more toxic treatments, we are all likely to get them eventually. Again, spend the money and the time now. It only gets worse trying to do it cheap.

^^^^^^This

You may have to toss the matress, sheets, etc. Books are probably a lost cause as well. The only thing that works well without poising your home is intense heat. For this you need a professional service. They spread quickly so time is of the essense.

 

[NotADimeBack]

Exterminators... they will heat the home up killing the pests, & all is better

 

[Fishy]

Bed bugs are the bane of the real estate industry - if you think you're going to take care of this yourself, you're not.

A couple of things...

They move very slowly and are very difficult to detect. That's a blessing and a curse - if you do happen to catch them early, you can eradicate them quickly. The catch is that by the time you notice one, it might be too late.

If you saw anything 'scurrying' in the bathroom, odds are that they were not bed bugs. Bed bugs are about a quarter of an inch long and the color of a copper penny. They move slowly and they move in the direction of your sleeping quarters - they're drawn by the carbon dioxide and the only time they're 'fast' enough to bite you is when you're sleeping. They just wouldn't congregate in a bathroom because there's nothing there for them.

You really should have a professional come out and take a look. I don't know where you live, but we've had good luck with a couple of contractors in the tri-state and I can give you a reference. Unfortunately, with this particular pest, overkill is the best strategy.

 

[Dove]

Bed bugs are the bane of the real estate industry - if you think you're going to take care of this yourself, you're not.

A couple of things...

They move very slowly and are very difficult to detect. That's a blessing and a curse - if you do happen to catch them early, you can eradicate them quickly. The catch is that by the time you notice one, it might be too late.

If you saw anything 'scurrying' in the bathroom, odds are that they were not bed bugs. Bed bugs are about a quarter of an inch long and the color of a copper penny. They move slowly and they move in the direction of your sleeping quarters - they're drawn by the carbon dioxide and the only time they're 'fast' enough to bite you is when you're sleeping. They just wouldn't congregate in a bathroom because there's nothing there for them.

You really should have a professional come out and take a look. I don't know where you live, but we've had good luck with a couple of contractors in the tri-state and I can give you a reference. Unfortunately, with this particular pest, overkill is the best strategy.

I didn't catch the bathroom part of the post as I was thrown by the fact the thread did not pertain to Ray Kasongo.

Those bbs may have been in the laundry. Was there laundry nearby?

Bedbugs make you feel violated. To this day the sister in law wraps her bags in plastic and puts them out on the deck when she visits. Precautionary measures that will never cease.

 

[Fishy]

In the cases where we've seen it, they've inevitably been brought in by home health aides. Then you have an older or infirm person who just does not notice the pest and it ramps up from there -

If we go to a hotel these days, I ask at the front desk if the hotel and that room specifically has had bed bugs. If the answer is no, we never, ever put luggage or clothing on the carpeting or the bed - suitcases go on the tile floor of the bathroom or on a wooden table.

We have low-tech bed bug traps that are really just a first alert kind of deal - drives my wife crazy, but I leave some around just in case.

 

[Kitaman]

Thanks all. I had an inspection done today by Terminix. The problem is contained to just the bedroom. They recommended steaming the mattress/ and two recliners in our Master bedroom, using a powder spray for the baseboards in the rooms (they apparently live in the walls) and treatment of the curtains. They will provide a mattress cover to trap bbs and protect the mattress (i.e. us).

Strangely he stated that they don't live in the dressers, but to take all of the clothing out and run them through the dryer for safety. They will treat the dressers as precaution. I have a spare bedroom that is unused that they will treat for free. Lastly they will steam the hallway carpet for free.

They have a 90 day guarantee, and they guarantee that their treatment will 100% kill all bedbugs. The problem was detected early and it could actually have come from a hotel (summer travels) or my job. The cost if anyone is interested is $380. I don't have time to shop it, because of the paranoid/freaked-out Mrs.

Thanks to the BY as usual because my was going to try the DIY method, not because of cost but ego.

I did learn that you can visit someone who has them, stay at a hotel, or have someone come over and get bbs. They are some smart, conniving and proficient SOBs. Will update you come conference play the results.