New readers: if you have a current infestation and want your questions answered, or want feedback of some kind, this is the place to post your message. Click comments to do so.
I’ll start things off with Redhead, who asked in the “What are bed bugs?” FAQ“:
RedheadFeb 1st 2007 at 10:31 pm
I have a bedbug infestation. This situation is completly new to me. Is it possible with this bedbug infestation to salvage both my mattress, box springs and fabric hide-a-bed? I have been told that covering both pieces of the bed in plastic would suffocate the bugs.
Redhead, sorry for your troubles with bed bugs,but you came to the right place. First, you need to go back and read the relevant FAQs, starting with “Think You Have Bed Bugs? Some Do’s and Don’ts.” The FAQs on getting a Pest Control Operator, tenants, and doing your own pest control are probably also key. The three FAQs on protecting your bed will answer the question posed above. Then come back and let us know what else we can help with.
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Hi Wantmyskin,
I would, if I were you, ask Jeff at Pest Away (and I hope you’ll share what he advises!)
One of the reservations I have about their treatment, which otherwise sounds stellar, is that this is not clear.
Other PCOs specifically tell people to seal up stuff just for the actual treatment, and to release them later.
It seems like Pest Away is setting people up for a long period of storage, but I’d love to know for sure. And if people aren’t being told when to bring it all out, well, it seems like results will vary a great deal!
Thanks!
Hey I was wondering if anyone knows if you could put a printer and coffee maker and blender into a freezer? We are moving and need to take all the neccesary precations.
nbon thanks for the re-welcome.
concerning the feb 4 op-ed article – just goes to show what we all know. anyone, anytime, any age, any income, any race, anywhere.
it was sad that nothing came of the sept 06 meeting. WHY? and how is a “poor” person supposed to afford treatment on their own? it is a really horrific experience as we all know and to abondon needy people would get bb’s just be a disgrace. i count my blessings.
my experience with pest away was informational. i read about them, called them after my first pco only sprayed with tempro and i needed to know why they were coming back so quickly. the first pco did not use the igr or drione. pest away told me about those chemicals needed to complete a spray cycle. they also told me about bagging, vacuuming, washing clothes, etc.
they also told me that they were $500 first room, $400 second room, etc. on down to $100, $100 etc. i thought that pricey since whoever sprays YOU MUST TO ALL THE PREP ANYWAY.
That bg said, after my fourth spray with the second pco who used all the right stuff my husband found 3 baby smears on our bed. i freaked b/c i assumed that they came from a small bug, i.e. newly born. that means eggs were not killed and they are hatching. hatching leads to reporduction. leads to new adults and new infestation?
since i was sleeping on the couch with our recovering dog (hes fine) we assumed he was getting bit and not having a reaction. or shuold i move back to the bed and let myself get bit b/c i get a reaction and then we could be sure?
so complicated!
thanks.
Do you have both a mattress and boxspring ? And if so, are they both covered with securely zippered protective bed bug covers ? If the bugs don’t pass across a chemical barrier they won’t die. If they bite and then slink back into your mattress the only way to kill them is to “trap them inside” with secure covers, which will lead to eventual death, or allow them to live within your unprotected mattress , set yourself up as bait, and eventually , very carefully and securely…cart it away, with the bug population inside..just some thoughts..Bugalina
Nightshirt, You have to keep getting the PCO in to treat every 10-14 days until the bites and bugs are totally gone. Spraying anything (even the right stuff) does not EVER kill the eggs. Your goal is to get treated so often that when those eggs hatch, the nymphs will be killed before they can lay eggs. If you’re persistent with the treatments within 2 weeks, every time, you will get there soon (assuming they are not coming from elsewhere to reinfest you.)
Wow, thanks for the feedback guys.
I didnt think when I disposed of the matress, it was 3 in the morning, and I was in a state of panic.
I pray that the garbage collectors took it.
I am going back to the apartment, and will be “bait”.
I will also call the exterminators to ask what chemical they used.
Any thoughts about the cold remedy?
We’re looking at 34 degrees and lower for the next week, at least.
I have also fumigated twice with “Raid”, I think. Have I done more harm than good? I have one more can left, but I hear it just makes them spread out.
I purchased a spray that seems to kill them within a few seconds. Can that be used as a barrier around the bed, does it stay in carpet and kill them? I have so many questions, and there doesnt seem to be a definate answer to any of them.
For those who missed the first part of Cincy’s story, here is her first message and the responses.
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cincybugged // Feb 6th 2007 at 5:28 pm (edit)
I live in cincinnati, ohio, and have been dealing with bed-bugs for over two months. When I moved into the apt. in August of 2006, a friend said some tenants had left a mattress, and it seemed to be in good condition. Ignorant to bed bugs, I took it. I started noticing “the spots†on my sheets in december. I was in denial for awhile about my situation until January. I called my landlord,and evacuated the premisis. I am now staying with a friend, while I decide what to do next. I have laundered all clothing, and havent seen any bed-bugs in his place. (please God)
I talked to my landlord about moving into another unit, but see that is not exactly the way to handle the situation. Ihave also considered putting some of my belongings outside, as it is very cold here now, and have heard that the cold will kill the bugs. I have to say that this has been an unbelievable nightmare. I tossed my mattress, and am going to throw out what little upholstered furniture I have.
When I discussed the problem with my landlord, he said that another tenant has conplained about bed bugs. I get the feeling that he does indeed think that I have brought in the problem bugs.
I now do not have a mattress, and cant really afford one right now. I am terrifed to sleep on an air-mattress in my apartment, and have no couch.
An exterminator has sprayed twice, but I have still found live bugs. I have seen, according to your blogs, that I have not handled this in the best way possible. I guess I will return to my aprtment, and fight these buggers till they die.
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buggedinbrooklyn // Feb 6th 2007 at 6:06 pm (edit)
hi cincy,
first off, stop blaming yourself, even if you did bring them in–and you might not have.
I’m not convinced that bedbugs spread fast to other apts, so you might have had them there as you oved in.
but now that you understand that you do have bedbugs, and you seem to have started to read the FAQs, it’s time to start a plan to fight them.
above all, you need to be the “BAIT” in order to help kill the bugs–
and the eggs don’t die, so new ones will hatch, this is normal.
anyway, noone likes to get bites less then me, but we all have to get some more to help fight and kill them vampires.
please try to be strong and sleep in your APT as much as posable to be the bait. they will die off in time. it will be faster with you there to draw them across the chemicals to kill them.
buggedinbrooklyn
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Bugalina // Feb 6th 2007 at 9:10 pm (edit)
Cincybugged..This speaks to the criminal act of throwing out an infested mattress –This mattress should have been tagged and defaced with orange fluorescent spray paint..BED BUGS–Cincybugged, You should be supplementing your professional extermination with some of your own products. If your exterminator is doing a good job, then you should be setting yourself up for bait, presupposing that the bugs are crossing an effective chemical barrier–but if the exterminator isn’t that good, you could be feeding them..and breeding them–that’s not good..You should be kept informed of what methods this exterminator is using, and what chemicals they are applying–An educated bed bugger is a warrior…Bugalina
Aslan, I am not an expert on electronics, but I would not put your electronics in a freezer.
I’m also not a PCO, but you may be able to isolate the items in your new home with a ring of drione sprayed around them, so that if they come out to bite you, they will walk through it and die. This would only work if they cannot escape but by walking through the poison. I realize you don’t want any chance of bugs in your new home. I’d seek the advice of a PCO.
At least one person has commented that they found one who would treat their new home to help prevent bed bugs which may have moved with them. PCOs are not supposed to treat a home without evidence of bed bugs, but since you are likely to have a few hangers on, that may be sufficient grounds. If you do get someone, make sure they know what they’re doing.
Question: I think I need to dispose of my desk, and upholstered desk chair. The desk is made of wood, it is a one of a kind, artist designed. I used to love it. I don’t think it’s infested, it has been treated, and is currently empty, except for my computer and printer….but I think there could be a connection to the desk, the chair and my bites. How would you guys recommend I do it? I hate to give up the desk, should I clean it with Murphy Soap and try and find a new home for it? Where would that be? Thanks in advance for your suggestions. BL
Buggy,
I would personally not dispose of a special desk unless there were evidence it was infested. You need to treat your entire home every two weeks until this is gone, but you should not need to throw away posessions you love that are not clearly infested.
An upholstered desk chair can be a problem, but the bed bugs could just as easily walk up the legs of any chair. Unless they’re living in these items, there’s no reason to get rid of them in my opinion. I would get a PCO to retreat the desk. Remember bed bugs can hide in screw heads and even beneath the veneer on certain kinds of wood (as Parakeets has said). But a PCO should be able to help you determine if this is the type of wood you’re dealing with. Otherwise, you may dispose of something needlessly.
If you did think it was infested, then what would be an appropriate home for it? Who would you like to infest?
Cincy,
I would take a different line than Bugalina above, in that I think the key is to have a GOOD PCO working in your home and to have them come back and treat every two weeks until the bites and bugs and all signs are gone. I think that if you’re doing just that, you do not need to do your own pest control. Please read our FAQs (linked at the top of the blog) especially “Think you have bed bugs? Some Do’s and don’ts” and also the FAQs on pest control.
You do need to be in the apartment sleeping, as bait, in the bedroom, but this will only work if you have the right pesticides and so I recommend making sure you have a good PCO doing what they should.
Did you use a raid bug bomb, or did you just spray some raid? Bug bombs disperse bed bugs–no good. Raid spray (not fogger) may not do harm, but is probably not much help. These are some serious bugs and if you’ve seen them, you need serious help. Your landlord needs to become educated, and perhaps the PCO can help–bed bugs do spread out, but Bugged is right in that they probably would not spread too quickly. There’s good chance the building had them and you did not notice bites at first.
editor’s note: Jane, I moved your question here.
cincy..Everything depends on the expertise of your pest control operator…If you are at the mercy of a landlord and they hire a lousy PCO, then I think supplementing their work is necessary, esp. if you are going to leave your bed unprotected.( you should take some protection steps ..feeding them leads to breeding them ) ..If your PCO is really good, then you have a better chance to beat them…Are you vacuuming your carpet? Ask your PCO a lot of questions, and then tell us what they said..based on this, we can give you better advice….when I said that throwing an infested mattress away was criminal..I was referring to the fact that YOU took off of the curb it to use it…Not that you threw it away…although you wound up doing both, so now you know …never take anything off a curb and destroy or deface any infested items before you throw them away…Please read all of the FAQ’’s …Bugalina
wow. the newcomer list just keeps getting longer and longer.
my bed is a platform bed queen 4 drawers on each side and each side also has a cabinet that does not go through to the other side. it has been treated 7 times.
it is isolated but i did not do any vasoline etc. to the foundation after the treatments. it is away from the walls – that is how i mean isolated.
my friend who works at home depot sealed the floor molding to the wall and to the floor (meaning top and bottom only around the floor. will do the ceiling modings next. he also has opened each radiator and redone the innerds with that liquid wood stuff and insulation so there are no cracks. the apartment is soooooooooooooooo hot now. im afraid it is a breeding ground but cant leave all windows open b/c my dog is home during the day alone.
i think i am on the right track for finishing this. i just need to finish hermetically sealing all the cracks in OLD apartment.
if after last spray on jan 24th 3 little bb smears on bedding – does this mean i need another spray?
damn.
So, I thinking about just cutting my losses and moving in with a friend. I will not take any furniture in his house, but was thinking about bringing in my TV andDVD player and CD’s. Is this a problem? Can I store things in his garage over the winter? What is the bare minimum? I alrready know that all clothes would have to be laundered, blah blah blah. Any thoughts?
No one can tell you for certain. You can store things in his garage, as long as they are completely , tightly sealed, with no chance for a bed bug to escape. Everything stored in Plastic bins, with tightly sealed lids. If they was a bed bug in anything it can live for up to a year and a half, so you would have to take much precaution upon opening any thing stored. I was told by my exterminator that it would be unlikely for a bed bug to be in my TV or DVD player, but he would not guarantee it. You can take these items outside and inspect them in bright sunlight and spray all screwheads and crevices with a can of Dust Off compressed gas, which might make any bugs come out, but this is all speculation. When I moved the first time I transported the bed bugs with me. When I moved the second time I took nothing with me and I was ok…Be careful with things you think are safe…like your pocketbook and shoes…Bugalina
Cincy, there’s a new thread about moving–I hate to tell you to move to another thread again, of course, but it might be a better place to discuss it there–since you can benefit from the responses the other person (Jane) is getting. And she can benefit from the responses you get. Give serious thought to how you will feel if by some chance you do take bed bugs to your friend’s home. It has happened to people here, so I thought I’d mention it. It can ruin friendships and people can expect you to pay for treatment.
Nightshirt, a wooden platform bed with drawers is a prime bedbug infestation setting. Ideal. Here’s the thing, your bed is not touching the wall, but this is not what we mean by isolated. Bedbugs can walk 20 feet for a meal, so a few feet to the base of the bed is nothing. Away from the wall is always good, but not sufficient. See FAQs on isolating beds.
If you’re still being bitten and your mattress is encased in a National Allergy bed bug-proof case (which we recommend because they do not tear the way cheaper ones do), you need to consider whether they could be harbored in the frame.
PCOs can and should be treating that wooden bed every time they come.
And they should come every two weeks until all signs (bites, bugs, new bloodstains, or black specks) are gone. Period. Can’t say that often enough.
nbom – thanks for the isolation info. i will read right now. each time the platform has been sprayed. can i just get the frame re-done again or do i have to do the whole place. we have still been isolating clothes – designating for each room and not cross mixing.
i dont have enough room in my bedroom for 20 feet each side of bed before a wall happens.
i lost my energy for this.
I know–it is exhausting.
I would retreat not just the bed bug the whole home–because you do not know where the bugs are living. If you skimp on treatment this can go on longer.
As far as clothes–are you washing all your clothes on hot and drying on hot and keeping them in sealed airtight bags (like XL ziplocs) until used?
The twenty foot issue is unrelated to the bed touching the wall. My point is that separating a bed from the wall is good, but isn’t isolation. The bugs can come out of the wall and reach the bed unless you do more to prevent it. It is imposssible to fully isolate a wooden bed.
buggedout also said (re-posted from another thread):
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buggedout // Feb 9th 2007 at 3:02 am (edit)
Hi all,
I think I have a very heavy infestation of bed bugs that have gone onto my clothes and are eating me alive! Has anyone else had such an experience where they are bitten constantly during the day because the bugs are on my clothes? I can’t sleep or work and I think they are making me literally sick and very weak/low in iron. Can someone please help! I am afraid I am passing them onto others because they are scratching too.
Someone please HELP! I am living in a nightmare and I don’t know what to do! I can’t sleep at all. I have bed bugs and I see the white eggs all over my clothes and house. I believe I have spread them to my car and office because I am constantly being bitten. I think they are living off me if that is possible? I am feeling very sick and weak. I have read in some heavy infestations, the ‘victim’ can become anaemic.
I do have birds and bats in our garden, so I am wondering if I have some combination of bed bugs and something from the birds?
Is there someone out there who has had such a horrible experience – feeling bitten all the time by microsopic bugs? I’m scared I am also spreading it to others because them seem to itch when I’m around them.
Our house is very cluttered which makes it easier for them to hide. I have been trying to clean it but I think it could be making it worse as I am just moving it to another area. I made the mistake of sleeping in another room, and that is how I have spread them over the house. Now that the bugs have laid more eggs, I don’t even know where to begin. I want to just throw everything out but then I still have the car and office to work out.
BTW, has anyone tried using a steamer? Does it work?
In despearate need of some helpful advice.
Bugged out,
You need serious assistance from a Pest Control Operator. Find one in your area who has experience with bed bugs. Read our FAQ on choosing a PCO, in order to help you get a good one, because there are some who are not experienced with bed bugs. Obviously, you may need to reduce clutter to completely eliminate bed bugs, but do not wait until your home is de-cluttered to start getting help. Also, if your infestation is serious, a steamer is not going to get you far. You need pesticides, applied by someone experienced.
Are you positive these are bed bugs, and not bird mites, or something else? Bed bugs are not microscopic–they are in five life stages, with the smallest the size of a pinhead and the largest the size of an appleseed. Please read the FAQs carefully, especially “What are bed bugs?” which has photos of every life stage of the bed bug.
Bird mites are smaller and can be much harder to see than bed bugs. Scabies would be microscopic.
Also, have you seen any of the bed bugs? If you have a large infestation you probably have. It’s important to take some samples on clear tape to show to PCOs and an entomologist if need be.
Keep in mind that you may not actually be bitten all the times you feel something like a bite. People generally feel nothing when a bed bug bites them, because bed bugs inject an anaesthetic as they bite that makes us not feel it. You might feel your skin crawling as if you’re being bitten, and I believe this is a feeling some of us get as an after effect (in other words, the bites already on your skin can feel this way.)
Please let us know what city you are in and perhaps someone can help by recommending a good PCO. Consider signing on to the Yahoo Group (also called Bedbugger) which is linked in the right sidebar, and can be a good source of support.
Also, consider seeing a doctor. If you HAVEN’T seen the bugs, definitely make sure the doc does a skin scraping to rule out scabies (which can itch all the time) and folliculitis. Scabies, in particular, spreads easily, and so others may have caught that. You want to rule out any other mites as well (again, I say this not knowing if you’ve seen the bugs themselves). At the very least, a doctor can test you for anemia.
Good luck, and don’t panic, this can be solved. Tell us as much as you can and we will try to help.
Buggedout , You may have bat bugs. You need to take a bug and some eggs to a very qualified pest control operator, or an entomologist close by to where you live. There was a man on the Yahoo Group from Kentucky, and he had a horribly infested home, and cars, his wife was hospitalized. It turns out he had bat bugs. He told me that bat bug bites are even worse. But you can only know this with positive identification of the bug. If you tell us where you live we can probably help you find an entomologist who can id them for you. But you need to get professional extermination. You cannot wait , You should go onto the Bedbugger Yahoo group and from there I can put you in touch with the man who had bat bugs, with his permission of course. You did not describe what the bites looked like ..please do so ..The reason I think they might be bat bugs is because you mentioned having bats in your garden..Please go onto the Yahoo Group….Deb
nobugsonme,
Thank you so much for your advice. I have found a very small live bug on my bed when I woke up but didn’t keep it alive for the PCO to identify. The bug I found was reddish/brown in colour which indicates that it was just fed. I tried to catch it using a tissue and saw blood on the tissue when I accidentally squeezed too hard. I am so grossed out by this whole experience – I am so sleep deprived and can’t stand living in this house because there isn’t anywhere I can rest without feeling bitten.
I have small bite marks on my body after I’ve had larger ones which indicates to me that I’m now bitten by the ‘new generation’ so to speak, which freaks me out even more!! I am getting bitten on my face too and feel like they are also getting in my hair if that is possible.
I have found black specks on my sheets and sometimes pieces of reddish/brown bits on our tiled floors which must be their shells that they are discarding?
I have seen the doctor and he has ruled out those possibilities that you have mentioned.
Has anyone experienced bird mites or bat bugs? I’ve treated my hair for head lice tonight just in case as my head feels itchy too. I have also noticed that other people around me scratch when I am near them. Is it possible that the clothes I am wearing could have that many ‘eggs’ on them that they are getting onto other people’s clothing? Is that possible? Or do I have something else that is ‘biting’ others??
Thank you for this great website – it has been very resourceful.
Deb,
Thank you for your suggestion that it could be bat bugs. I will certainly research this and check out the Yahoo group.
buggedout, Have you sought the services of a Qualified PCO.??..I emphaize Qualified because when it comes to bed bugs or bat bugs you must be in the hands of a knowledgeable professional. But you can also help them along by having some of your own “tools ” in your “bed bug tool kit”, I would suggest some contact enzyme sprays like Kleen Free or Superzyme.( buy them in bulk if possible) .these can be sprayed on your clothing and shoes and all around where you sit, although they are only contact killers, they are effective for “shriveling up” the small hard to see nymphs. Also I think a good clothing steamer is useful . Hot steam when applied correctly will kill them, and their eggs. Don’t buy a lousy one, get a decent one. Lots of vacumming and clearing out your clutter. You can wash clothing on hot water , even using some of the Kleen Free in your wash, and then immediately put your clean clothes into well sealed large ziplocks…we have a very informative FAQ…and you can continue asking questions on the Yahoo Group….Deb
Deb,
Thank you for your advice. I will seek another opinion from a qualified PCO and obtain those products for the clothes. Thank you for taking the time to respond – at least I know there are people out there who understands what I’m going through.
We completely understand, and are here to help.
Reply to ASLAN’s comment about whether you can put a blender or coffee maker in the freezer:
Answer: Probably not. I had two appliances that were ruined by freezing. One, according to the company, froze when a bunch of the appliances were stored in a company warehouse where the temperature dropped below zero for several days. The other was a small appliance that I left for a couple of days in my car when it was freezing outside.
Some appliances have a toll free number on them or on a website, so you could call and find out, but I don’t think all appliances with electronic components can be frozen, thaw out, and then be guaranteed to work. (Freezing would probably be okay with straightforward electrical items like a lamp or something. I’ve done that with no problem. Also, there are electronic components in your car, and car’s CD player, etc., that can freeze and be okay–so it is possible for electronic things to be designed to withstand freezing.)
To bugged out: I relate to your story soooo much. I personally feel you are suffering from bedbugs, since all the details you are giving about the bugs are consistent with my experience with them, and bedbugs are more common than anyone realizes. But even a doctor can’t always diagnose them. My gynecologist, from Asia, knew what they were but sent me to a dermatology office–which had no idea! Luckily I found BB samples in my mattress, but, like you, I didn’t save them. (Darn!)
I relate to the clutter problem and am slowly decluttering. CLUTTER DOES NOT CAUSE BEDBUGS. Say that to yourself over and over, and to every person who raises the issue. Bedbugs are such a blame game. Someone can sleep naked on a bare air mattress in a totally empty apartment and still have bedbugs. Even if you have clutter, the bugs are likely to live in baseboards, crown molding, furniture in the bedroom mostly, and ceiling fixtures…not necessarily in the clutter. (And if you threw the clutter out, the bedbugs would sadly still be in your home).
A PCO we talked to said it was common to treat pristine homes that had bedbugs, so it is not a matter of cleanliness or decorating style. I know of a person who moved into an empty apartment, had a bare apartment look with minimal furniture (student budget) and yet had such a bad bedbug problem, she moved out in 6 weeks.
At the bedbug convention, some PCO’s said they would not guarantee treatment in a place with clutter–but they couldn’t even guarantee treatment when they treated empty apartments, so that didn’t seem too significant. They complained that it was more work to treat a place with clutter, and, for example, they preferred to treat college dorms over the summer when the students were away.
Buggedout,
Parakeets is right about clutter not causing bed bugs. It will help your treatment to remove it gradually, but please seek a PCO’s treatment right away.
Deb is also right that you can use Kleen Free, but you need to understand that the fact that it is a “contact” killer as she says means that it ONLY kills bed bugs that are sprayed directly. Since bed bugs are visible to the naked eye (even the smallest ones) then this is not going to make a big dent in your problem. That’s why a good PCO is so important, and while you’re booking one, make sure s/he comes back EVERY 12-14 days once they start–until the problem is GONE. The eggs hatch within 7-10 days and so this repetition is crucial, since standard treatment does not kill eggs.
To get samples, which you may need to show a PCO, (and a landlord if you don’t own your home), use clear packing tape that you’d use to seal boxes. Put the tape gently down on the “sample”, then affix it to an index card. You can then note where and when the thing was found. It does not have to be alive to be identified. Bed bugs can even be identified from a cast-off skin. So pick up some of those and some of the black fecal specks, at the very minimum. If you can get some eggs on the tape, great. If having them taped to a card makes you nervous, you can slip it into a ziploc bag for keeping. These samples are going to help you get help.
Regarding your clothes, read our FAQs about “some do’s and don’ts” (again), and on how not to spread bed bugs. (Even though they’re not just aimed at clothes.) From now on, you need to wash and dry all clothing, bed linens, towels, everything–on hot, and dry on hot, for at least an hour. (The dryer should not be overstuffed, and when I say at least an hour, the stuff should be totally bone dry and then you should keep going another 20 minutes or so after its totally dry. Actual times depend on the machine and the stuff.) With thick stuff like comforters, I’d do them for 2 hours. Anything that cannot be washed and dried on HOT should be dry cleaned, and the dry cleaner has to be warned the things may be infested with bed bugs.
After washing, put the items in a sealed ziploc bag (regular size, 2 gallon, XL or XXL–see our FAQs), depending on what works for you. You can seal stuff long term (not for everyday use) in a space bag or even garbage bags sealed with contractor’s ties, so that they are airtight (ie a bubble of air cannot escape from the bags). Keep all your clean clothes this way, and remove it only to use it, then seal the bag.
Dirty clothing should be kept in a, XL ziploc too–this will help keep bugs from laying eggs in them before washing.
You could have bat bugs or bird bugs, which are both extremely similar to bed bugs. Photos linked from our FAQs show the bat bug, and it is so similar to the bed bug I’d be surprised if the symptoms were different (it’s more likely the person Deb speaks of reacted to bites differently from someone else–we all have differing levels of reactions.)
Bird mites are completely different from bed bugs, bat bugs, and bird bugs. They are much smaller. If you found a sample you think is a bed bug, or bat bug, I’d focus on getting that identified right now.
Also. I should mention–since it sounds like it might be a serious infestation– we have been recommending you see a PCO and most of us get the standard treatment which involves a varieties of sprays, dusts, and so on.
However, since you sound like you are in a house, I would SERIOUSLY look into two treatments which may be options for you: the first is having your home tented and gassed with Vikane. It’s legal in many places, and you should find out if it is there. It is very safe as long as everyone is out of the home (including pets) but can’t be done in apartments, unless the whole building is treated. That sounds like a moot point in your case. (It’s also something you cannot do yourself–and in fact “bombs” people use to fog homes do not work either–they just disperse the monsters. But if you read the do’s and don’ts FAQ, you know that.)
The second special option is heat/thermal treatment. Thermapure is one company that does this–they heat every nook and cranny of your home to 140 degrees F for 4+ hours. This is NOT something you can do yourself. But they claim its very effective. I’d do it if it were legal in NYC (it’s not). It is legal in NJ, however, and much of the US. Not sure about Canada or wherever you are (let us know where you are if you can).
If I were you I’d make some calls about those possibilities since they may wipe out a problem thoroughly very quickly, whereas traditional treatments most of us had to make do with take a long time. The cost may seem high, but those of us paying for apartment treatment end up paying a lot too, since we have to get treated multiple times–4 or 5 is not uncommon. And in a serious case, killing them fast may be a big help.
Re: Clutter
When Jeff from Pestaway first advised me on my preparations, he also reffered to clutter. He said I didn’t have to throw away all of my paper clutter, but to shake my papers over a bathtub and fan the pages of books and magazines. Then vacuum the books. I didn’t. I did throw out lots of paper clutter and actually trimmed down the files in my desk drawers ALOT. He said they could hide in those files, so it gave me an excuse to do the things I’d procrastinated about anyway.
My comment about clutter…yes, it does not cause bed bug infestation, however, getting rid of bed bugs is like fighting a war, and the less hiding spaces you give them, the easier it is to “smoke out your enemy. Female bed bugs randomly drop eggs, and bed bugs, in general, like to harbor in small dark spaces. Clearing the space makes it easier to exterminate, and gives the bed bugs less opportunity to hide and lay eggs in. There must be a reason why all exterminators request that living spaces be cleared, as much as possible, before they exterminate. Clutter does NOT cause bed bugs, but it can create more hidden places for them. The easier it is to see them, the easier it is to kill them..
Wantmyskinback–
I know I am a bore with my PestAway questions. But did Jeff ask you to seal up in bags all your books and files, after searching them?
Thanks!
note to others: PestAway uses a preparation-for-treatment protocol that differs a great deal from that used by other PCOs. Don’t try and adopt what someone else did to prepare. There are some things we all do (like the laundry thing and, if you like, the bed isolation thing) but don’t start sealing up all your stuff in bags unless YOUR PCO tells you to. Why? Because PCOs use different treatment plans, and unless you and your PCO are doing everything exactly like Pest Away does them, then you might do somethings that work against your PCO’s efforts, in fact, when it comes to bagging up everything, you might save your bed bugs lives!
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for all your input/suggestions on how to resolve my bug problem. I am still very overwhelmed but have started to reduce some clutter today. I have been collecting evidence and will show it to a PCO very soon.
I would really appreciate some advice on whether or not it would be possible for someone to be a ‘carrier’ of bug eggs that actually could make others itch when they are near them. I feel like something is biting me – they don’t ‘jump’ do they? Maybe I have mites on me as well?
I have isolated myself from going out with friends/family and I am so afraid of going to people’s houses etc. I feel like this problem will be the end of me if I can’t work out what I could be ‘transmitting’. The doctor doesn’t seem to know what is wrong with me and I think the only way is to find evidence before anyone believes me. I have been itchy all over including my head and have resorted to taking very hot showers to try and kill whatever it may be.
Any out there experienced others itching around them and also itch and feel bitten all the time from head to toe?
Buggedout,
As I said before, some of us feel like we’re being bitten when we’re not (and we know this because we can look and see there’s nothing there). It’s my sense that this is “how” the bites itch after the face.
From my experience, hot showers (also humidity and hot environments in general) make me itch much more. You might try using warm water in the shower instead.
I also wonder when you say others are itching–do they know you suspect you have bed bugs (or something)? Because I think it’s human nature to start itching when you’re thinking about this, and I’ve heard peoples’ friends itching when they talk about bed bugs.
On the other hand, bed bugs do not leap. They simply crawl. The exception is that they can occasionally fall from a height, downwards. But they can’t hop from you to someone else. And I don’t think you can be a carrier of eggs: they don’t live on you or leave eggs on you. Unless you do not wash or change clothing. Perhaps there is another cause besides bed bugs.
I’m concerned that you say you’re seeing lots of eggs–I do not think anyone else has reported that. Most of us never see eggs, and some people see a few. I still think you need to follow up with a doctor about other possible causes.
If you have more questions about bed bugs and mites and such, remember there are entomologists who read the Bedbugger Yahoo group (see links under Information and Help for a link to that group). They might be able to answer bug-related questions and help you identify the problem if it is not bed bugs.
Buggedout, In an earlier post you said that you found a reddish brown bug in your bed, and that when you squished it, there was blood. This certainly sounds like a bed bug. And you said you have seen white eggs around your house. All qualified PCO s, have a resident entomologist who they work with. You absolutely must get an egg specimen, or a bug, or a moulted skin, or a poppy seed sized excrement . Are any BITES showing up on your body? There are many different ways people react from bug bites, but I am thinking, that it’s possible that you are highly allergic to the bugs that are attacking you. My husband is extremely allergic and when he reacts to something he itches from head to toe. You could be experiencing severe allergic reactions to whatever is biting you. Before this can be determined you need to get some specimens identified. As for the people around you, When a person yawns, it causes others to yawn. You could be creating this reaction when in the presence of others. But, if you have found eggs on your clothes, ( you said you found white eggs all over your house) then whatever bug it is, it is a serious infestation. The yahoo group can lead you to potential help sources. Deb
Nobugs, Jeff told me to take all of the files I will NOT be using, and seal them up tightly and store them, indefinitely, at least for the 18 month (or so) period. Basically, anything I did not need, he wanted sealed up. When I told him I was putting the sealed up old tax returns from years prior and other documents into a filing cabinet in a spare closet, he rolled his eyes. I recently was audited for 2004 and needed to get to these files, when I called him to tell him I was “going in there” he gave me the “that’s up to you” type of reply. He really felt that these items needed to be placed in quarantine! I asked about my paintings over and over (which are coverred and taped). I understand they may be hiding in the paper backing on the framed prints, etc, but I don’t understand why I cannot just vacuum them daily and if a bug crawls out of them and crosses the poison, death to it then. I haven’t a clear answer on how to reintroduce the paintings yet. I’ll keep you posted.
Hi everyone,
I am very grateful for your community and this site! I was unfortunately introduced to this problem 5weeks ago and have read much information on your site. However, I need important feedback (best if before Monday, 2/12).
The problem originated when I moved into a dorm room, which was vacated and treated for beg bugs (along with a room next to it) 5 days before I moved in (I hadn’t known of the problem). First week there, I saw 1 bug alive (killed & identified). 3rd week there, I got 5
bite-like spots on my wrists (no itching, but hadn’t had before). No other signs of bugs on the mattress or anywhere else. 4 weeks later, I moved to another room (other side of the same building, but with no previously reported problem) and saw 1 bug alive there right away (the same day, the girl in the room next to my previous room reported BB bites).
Because in 1.5 months (end March) I am moving permanently to a new country (no friends/family, demanding work schedule) I’d like to make sure I move bug/egg free (as much as possible!). Thereofre, I’d like to treat everything I own now and move to another building (not known to have BB
problems) until my final move.
Here’s what I plan to do – any comments will be much appreciated(!)
a. Clothes – hot wash & hot dry (1hr, or 20′ post being dry), dry cleaning, or freezing (for 2weeks), then ziplock.
b. Regarding Shoes, Papers, Books, Electronics, and Suitcases: the PCO
told me to go through everything I am keeping and ziplock items until
Monday. Then on Monday, he’ll place these items in plastic containers and
he’ll fog/bomb the room. He said this should kill bugs at all stages, including eggs.
Is this treatment (a.for clothes, and b.fogging) going to remove bugs AND eggs?
Two more questions:
c. is there a freeze storage one could rent (my concern is bugs/eggs in book folds, so freezing seems to be the best option)?
d. if by some misfortune bugs are to reappear or hatch at my new place, what
would be the time window for that?
Thanks so much for your time!
What City do you live in? Please ask your PCO for the name of the fogger that he claims will kill all bugs and eggs. This is necessary info. What is the name of this product ! Foggers are known to spread bed bugs to other adjoining apts., but until we know what they are using we cannot make this claim. There is a freezing facility in NYC, although I have never heard of anyone using it, but it does exist. What was the PCO going to do with the items he was placing into plastic containers? You should purchase some Bed Bug Terminator or Kleen Free, these are enyzyme contact killers only, but can be effective on small, hard to see nymphs, they shrivel them up. You can link onto the bedbugger yahoo group and post some questions there. There are many worrisome things about what your plan is. Moving, foggers, packing untreated things..Did you read all of the FAQ’s that this Blog has made available ..Please do this..Deb
One other question..Is the PCO from an independent Exterminator, or is it someone on the maintenance staff of the college?
rightapproach-
Welcome.
Listen, Deb is right- foggers and bombs usually make the problem worse, not better! It’s REALLY important that you find out if this PCO is qualified to be treating for bedbugs. I’ve never heard of a bomb that works on bedbugs. The reason for this is that bedbugs hide, and they hide well. They also sense threats to their survival- they sense chemicals, and when they do, they run from the chemicals. So, they would sense the chemicals released in the bomb, which would not reach them immediately because they’re hiding, and they would scatter to safety- inside walls, etc. An infestation that may have been centralized in one location could then be scattered all over the place, even into the adjoining dorm rooms.
Qualified PCOs will use specific pesticides- usually a combination of three or four- to kill bedbugs. And one treatment of these pesticides in a small dorm room should take at least two hours, if not more.
I urge you to find out more about the treatment before it is done.
Jess
deblynn, jess,
thanks you for you comments. I had read the FAQ, and that’s why I
needed feedback (given the fogging suggestion). I live in the Boston
area. I left a message with the PCO to let me know the name of the
fogging product. He is scheduled to do fogging on Monday, but maybe I
should delay that. He was hired by the university (noone from the staff),
so I presumed they had an idea who they were choosing (he said he
checked the fogging approach with his boss, who has more expertise
with BB). The company is Ultrafast Pest Control (from Waltham, MA), and I
am now looking the internet info on them.
Regarding plastic containers, they were supposed to hold papers, shoes, and books after I inspect them. I don’t believe their
tightness, so I am placing everything in ziplock bags. Prior to fogging, he was going to open the containers so the items
get exposed to the gas.
After the fogging, I was going to retrieve the items from containers as
well as suitcases and electronics left elsewhere in the room and move only these “treated” items. It seems from what you are saying that, depending on the product he uses for fogging, I may or may not be taking EGGS with me – is that correct?
I’m saying fogging is not going to work. Period. I do not know of a fogging product on the market that will work for bedbugs.
Your PCO should be using a combination of products- not one, but two or three at least. Your outlet plates need to come off and a dust needs to be applied inside them. A residual spray needs to be used along or behind your baseboards and probably on the undersides of your furniture. A contact kill and possibly a residual needs to be used on your bed frame. I just named three different types of pesticides commony used to effectively kill bedbugs- a residual dust, a residual spray and a contact kill. One product typically will not cut it. The dust inside the outlet plates is particularly important, because bedbugs use outlets as modes of travel.
The point here is that bedbugs are NOT like any other bug in the world. Proper chemicals that work for long periods of time (residuals) are applied because they are not sensed by the bugs, and therefore, the bugs will come out to feed, cross the chemical barrier, and eventually die. Does this make sense?
I would DEFINITELY postpone the fogging until your PCO figures out typical protocol for getting rid of bedbugs! And if he can’t or won’t figure it out, you need a trained PCO. There are PCOs out there who don’t have to be told this kind of thing. In Boston, in every city. It might be best for you to start screening other PCOs right away.
In the meantime, you can use the ziplocs and plastic bins to help you declutter, but your PCO should be advising you on what to do with the things inside after treatment.
This is not a matter of the eggs not being killed by the fog. I want to be very clear on that. This is a matter of a fog scattering the bugs and making the situation worse, AND ALSO not working properly, meaning most of your bedbugs won’t be killed and they will continue to feed on you and multiply unchecked.
Please keep us posted, okay? If I sound harsh, it’s because I’m really concerned for you- I have been through this exact situation (except my orignal PCO used flea bombs) and it made things so much worse.
Jess
Hi Rightapproach,
Listen to Jess, she knows.
I am not sure what university you’re at, but it is standard knowledge among PCOs who know bed bugs that foggers don’t work. The exception is Vikane –tenting an entire building and gassing it with Vikane gas. But this is clearly not what your PCO is recommending. You may have to approach the university officials who hired them and explain that they really need to get a PCO who is very experienced with bed bugs, or this could spread disasterously.
Good luck!
Also, freezing facilities exist everywhere, but none of them advertise their services for this purpose. You might want to ask if you could get a small amount of sub-zero storage. If anyone has already done this, we’d love to hear from them.
Jess, Nobugs,
I’ve changed my name to ‘hopeful’ given that there was no ‘right approach’ in what I wrote.
Thanks a lot for your quick comments. I truly appreciate them (it’s disappointing not to be educated by those who are supposed to help). I’ll cancel the fogging and will keep you posted on how things go.
hopeful, I would still like to know, what product the PCO was going to use. I ask this, because it may be something that we are not aware of. Here is what troubles me. He said that the “fogging” would kill both the bugs and the eggs. To my knowledge no product, except Vikane gas, will destroy the eggs. So right there you know he is either using a product unknown to us or he is misleading you. Foggers will kill some bugs, but the fast crawlers will escape and run into protective spaces and either lay low to return or crawl away from the fog dispersement and spread into adjoining apts.. But its the promise of killing the eggs that has me curious…Please find out this info and get back to us. You should want to know this for your own good, and you should tell the PCO that if they are spreading misinformation, that is a serious “bed bug offense”…however, the only way to know this, is to ask them .I await your reply..Deb
Deb, thanks for the followup (it means a lot). I had left a message with the PCO asking about the product he was going to use for fogging. His boss called me up today and said he’d get back to me tomorrow/Tue with the product detail. He also said that the fogging agent won’t kill the eggs, only the bugs (there we go). He said prior to fogging he’d spray the room, so any bugs that escape from my things would walk over this spray and get killed. In any case, I’ll get the protocol in detail and will post it here as soon as I have it.
Thank you hopeful…well you see, they give misinformation. I was hopeful !! Nothing kills the eggs, therein lies the problem. It’s a tedious and time consuming process/procedure to bring them down to a zero population. Ask him exactly what methods and chemicals they are going to be using…You could supplement the treatments with some enyzme contact killers like Kleen Free…it s not a bad product to have on hand…it’s a very useful multi purpose cleaner, I think its important to have a “bed bug tool kit” on hand..I look forward to the protocol info…Deb
Hopeful, I would post it to bedbugresource.com’s forums. One of the guys there is a Canadian entomologist and PCO who is very experienced with bed bugs. His name is Sean and he is also on the Bedbugger Yahoo Group. Anyway bedbugresource.com is his site and you should go there and post the protocol and any fogger-related questions. A whole bunch of PCOs are active on that site and will give you good advice. Tell them I sent you! (Of course, we’d love to hear the results–so let us know. I just think you should go to the experts on this.)
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