Share your tales of bed bug woe, questions, etc.
By nobugsonme on Feb 22, 2007 in bed bugs, bedbugs, tales of bed bug woe
This is the place to post your bed bug stories, updates, questions, etc. Just click comments and fire away.
The previous entry in the series is here.
buggedinbrooklyn | Feb 22, 2007 | Reply
wow NBOM, 109 replys? cool.
S.,
I too wana say thanks for sharing the thoughts that you were told.
let’s just say that I had a bedbug dream last night and my whole world just doesn’t seem right anymore.
ladys, let me just say that I’ve been thinking more and more about giving up more then just my couch…realy, I just can’t take it anymore.
it’s why I’m just not posting as much as I once was….I’m just so upset about the whole thing.
I no longer see any light at the end of the tunnel…it’s getting realy sad.
I’m now going to start looking for someone to talk to in the morning…it can’t hurt.
bugged(out)inbrooklyn
nobugsonme | Feb 22, 2007 | Reply
Bugged,
We care about you. I think seeing a therapist is a good idea for anyone going through the acute stress of a bed bug infestation.
Please take care of yourselves, everyone. I know how rough this is, but don’t give up.
Let us know how we can help. But don’t disappear!
jessinchicago | Feb 22, 2007 | Reply
Brooklyn- I’m thinking of you. Hugs from Chicago. (Check email)
S.- I think it’s awesome that you found a therapist who listened to you, validated what you are experiencing and gave you good tips to help! As Nobugs mentioned, I was told by a therapist to drink herbal tea before bedtime and I’d be fine, even though I made it clear I was being eaten every night by parasites while I slept (she also equated my bedbug infestation with her daughter’s case of headlice).
I commend you for being so open with us and for sharing your positive experience. I’ve thought for a while now that we probably experience something akin to PTSD (it just makes sense) but you’re right, when this ends, you will heal and move forward with your life. You rock.
Jess
Caryn | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
S-
Do find help. I know how bad it must seem, but it really is worth hanging in there. You can do it.
xoCaryn
S. | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Wow guys, I’m so glad this helped. We’re going to keep seeing her for a while, so I’ll let you know if I gain any new insights.
BTW, she’s not a ‘couples counselor,’ just a regular psychiatrist, I think - but we both wanted to go so we just went together. Your company’s benefits might even cover it. And, she had never heard of bedbugs, except in the nursery-rhyme sense, but at the end she said, “Well if it’s spreading the way you guys say it is, then I’m sure you won’t be the last time I hear of it.” Sigh.
Jess, I can’t believe your woman told you to drink tea. That’s so condescending! My woman equated this to when her husband had chiggers, which apparently bury into your skin and itch like mad. She had a hard time empathizing with him, because she just couldn’t comprehend how bad it was.
I think my boyfriend learned a lot from her. She was clever. When he said, “I think I might still be in denial,” she gently said, “Denial’s a comfortable place to be, huh?”
One more thing - my boyfriend and I watched the CBC video together, and that also really helped. Seeing the bugs biting someone sure is gross, but I think he needed a little grossing out. Just a little.
Nightshirt, maybe you could show your husband that video?
And finally, the PCO is coming next week to treat my ceiling. Hooray.
nightshirt | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
thanks all for sharing your relationship stories. i ranted like a maniac about protocol, pco’s and my how depressed i was until he couldnt take it anymore. we had no other conversations. i couldnt wait to get home each day and share with him my web education. well that got old for him and since he was not having a reaction to the bites it just pissed him off., as if he werent getting bit also. he was getting bit but had to itchies. for years each night i would ask him to change his clothing from the outside before he lay on the bed and he never did. so after this situation you can believe me i blew. and he would get pissed at me. or go tsh and make me feel dismissed. this weekend he is going on business to california and i told him EXACTLY how he needs to behave in that hotel room. he was willing to do that. big of him huh? i really dont know which is grosser - getting the welts or getting bit and not getting welts.
we also have been sleeping in different rooms due to the fact that the heart medication he is on makes him freezing all the time and im menopausal and hot all the time. add that to bb delerium and intimate moments are few and far between. im hoping .
a funny jingle went through my mind
please remember this - an itch is just and itch!
and thanks again to all.
nobugsonme | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
S–
I think that having your partner who doesn’t get it–regardless of gender (a nod to Male Reader!)– watch the CBC video is great.
I also want to say that I think Jess found the wrong counselor. I think any good therapist would do as S’s did and take the patient’s word for it. I hope hearing Jess’s story didn’t put anyone off of going to see someone, because it really can help with stress–especially if your family, friends, people you live–with either don’t get it or are sick of hearing about it.
I did not do so, when I was under a lot of stress, but I wish I had.
If anyone is worried about their potential therapist maybe not “getting it,” you could print out one or two of the better pieces of journalism (which convey how disruptive this can be, as well as how long it can go on)–most of the NY Times pieces are good–and bring them in, just in case.
That way, if you get someone who’s never heard of bed bugs, they have a “take away,” without even doing their own googling.
gabe | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
whew. just winding down month three of life with bed bugs here in san francisco. we think we picked them up on a trip to new york. my girlfriend was itchy and seems to recall getting bites, though we can’t remember exactly, and the person we stayed with in NYC turns out to not have them.
i didn’t get bites for the first three weeks we were back, and my gf kept thinking she had a rash from some lotion. we went away for christmas vacation and the bites went away.
we came back and somehow lived through it for a month without figuring out what was happening. then all of a sudden it was obvious that we had an infestation and it was no problem to find bugs everywhere. uck!
we threw out half my stuff and washed every garment and suitcase i own in super hot water. we bagged my bed and stopped staying at my place. the exterminator came two fridays ago and then today. he says everything’s dead. i’m still not convinced.
i am going to go back in a few days and open up my mattress and box spring bags and vacuum the shit out of them. ugh. this whole thing is so friggin gross i can’t stand it.
i’m not sure i’ll ever be able to go back and sleep in my apartment again…or use my bed ever again, even if it is inside a bag. I wouldn’t mind throwing the bed in storage for a few years…
nobugsonme | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Gabe,
Bed bugs are getting really common in San Francisco.
I hate to say this, but it’s often not possible to kill them off if you don’t sleep there after treatment. They need to be attracted to you to come out and cross the poison. I know you might not want to sleep there again, so perhaps that won’t make a difference, but I put it out there for others’ benefit.
I wouldn’t toss the bed since they may have been in your baseboard and such anyway.
hopelessnomo' | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
buggedinbrooklyn, I am so very sorry to see that your father passed away, and now the prolonged bedbug fight is taking its toll too, I have thought of you often in the time that I have been not keeping up and not posting (very often when I needed some inspiration) and I just send you my prayers and hopes that you will soon overcome this too.
Hi all, so many changes… love the new banner nobugs. Bad bedbug news everywhere though. Brent Herbert is still around, though he seems to be claiming success, I think.
I moved to escape from bedbugs but it’s too early to claim success, especially since emotionally and financially bedbugs have left their indelible mark–and my skin still feels under siege. So in a way I’m relieved there is no success stories thread anymore so I don’t have to decide not to post in it, but then where to read the hopeful stories?
Still no computer at home, but I will find the time and courage to participate again. What can I say, secretly I wish I could think of other things. I’m afraid I will never be really free.
strangedays | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Hi, folks
2 nites, no bites, Which is good in more ways than I can imagine right now. There is a lot going on at the synagogue this week and next, and need all the energy I can muster. I have talked briefly with the house comm. pres. and my immeidiate supervisor, but no one really wants to know what dealing with these critters really entails, from a mind point or a emotional point, or whatever point. My sleeps gone down, and right now my work demand has gone up, making these days very streesful. Gone is my stuff, oh well.., my job may follow, as I am coming up on my 3 month review. I am becoming expensive as an employee, and am worried about this aspect. So I am blogging to have a record for the future. I hope that all turns out o.k., and believe in positive mental imageing, but am feeling ostrasised(?) no one wants to talk about this untill they, or someone they know has to deal with them, it seems, but I am trying to let the people I deal with on a daily bases know what is going on. They look at me like I am hypocondria prone, or something of the like. Instead of day to day, now is hour to hour. I am starting to feel isolated and am resorting to drinking more to help with sleep.(Nobugs, I turn the comp.off before;).). I guess I will know more in the days to come, and like to read about others stratigies and ideas.
My very best to all,
Strangedays.
strangedays | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
My last post really looks and sounds self pitying, wish I could remove it.
I’m just tired, sorry to bruse all of your eyes.
S/Ds
hopelessnomo' | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Strangedays, it’s brave of you to talk to your employer about this. I know it helped me immensely. It’s hard right now, but you can bet things will improve. Also, almost no one, even those who are close to you, who has not experienced bedbugs will entirely understand you and what you are going through. This will be hard for you but just know it and expect it and it will help you cope a little. Keep your focus on the fight.
nobugsonme | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
‘Nomo, welcome back! Glad things are going well for you. There IS a success stories page, and when you feel ready, send me your “blurb”. We really need more in there.
I’ve now linked it to the top of the page and the sidebar so everyone can find it. (I re-did it today, the old one was a mess because “newbites”, our newbies, were coming in and posting tales of woe in the success stories thread. I don’t blame them, newbites are often really overwhelmed and it is easy to get lost in the blog. However, people were complaining because there were scary stories from newbites in the success thread and so, anyway, now I’ve re-done it. Check it out!
nobugsonme | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Strangedays, think of it this way: it will never be worse than it was before you called the PCO. It will only get better. Nobody understands better than we do, so if you need to complain, or vent, feel free, we’re here. Remember to have the PCO come back in two weeks–no more. No matter what. Even if you aren’t bitten. And if you are bitten in the next two weeks, don’t panic. There may be eggs hatching and those nymphs might bite. There may be some adults left. Don’t panic, because it is normal to get some bites during this time. But it will absolutely be better from now on. And you can beat this.
jessinchicago | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Response to comment from Strangedays on a different thread that read,”Isolation sucks.”
Yes, it does. We’ve got a good thing going on here, though- a place to reach out to help, or to share stories, or to just say “I’ve HAD it!” and get support.
SD, you’ve found a good way to use your knowledge to help. You could read up on methods and techniques that fit your specialization- which appears to be working with wood- that will also help people who are suffering and need advice.
Just make sure you stay within your realm of knowledge, and that you give good, researched advice.
We’re here for you- you’re not alone.
jessinchicago | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
And a question for all bedbuggers:
Does anyone remember the company mentioned in previous comments that delivers new mattresses but DOES NOT pick up old ones and operates throughout the U.S.? I know the name of the company was brought up in a comment before, but I’ll be damned if I can find it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
nobugsonme | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
JESS: Hopeless(nomo) said it’s Macy’s and it’s here.
WantMySkinBack | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
yes, JESS in chicago, the PCO knows the steps i’m taking (and everyone else for that matter), he even recommended the OIL POLY for the floors. he wasn’t crazy about the steaming. he thinks that will drive them further into the wall, number one, and they might go elsewhere, and number two, it leaves mold in the wall if not dried. he’s got a point.
strangedays, write to me at wantmyskinback@yahoo.com and I will go on about the floors.
mgdecombe | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Bugged-
I wasn’t planning to make more comments tonight, but your post moved me, and I want to tell you that I’m saying my bedbug mantra for you.
The despair these **&t#$ds can bring into our lives is so difficult for others to understand if they haven’t been through it themselves.
Please keep fighting. It is really exhausting, but we what else can we do but fight to reclaim our homes and our lives?
Why does something this horrible happen to good people?
I have more questions than answers, and though we thought we’d achieved complete success, bites surfaced on my eyelids three weeks ago, leading us back into another round of spraying. The guilt, exhaustion, and sheer boredom with the whole mess gets really overwhelming.
But know that there are so many of us here with you, fighting the same fight, and though it is a battle royale, we can win. Keep putting one foot in front of the other until you can dance again.
jessinchicago | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
WSMB-
Yeah, that was kind of my point. The PCO thinks the steaming will drive them further into the walls and they might go elsewhere…
This is why everyone should be checking with their PCOs before they do any of their own supplemental treatments. If the bedbugs are driven further into the walls or are scattered, you could be dealing with an infestation for a prolonged period of time.
Jess
jessinchicago | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Thanks, Nobugs, I appreciate it.
jessinchicago | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
Hopelessnomo’- I wrote you a little something in another thread, but since you’ve posted here, too, what the hell! Hopefully you’ll see one of them.
Welcome back, so happy to hear from you, I’ve been wondering how you are doing. Thanks for checking back in, and I hope you keep it up.
Hugs.
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Sorry, WMSB
I’ve got a concert to prepare for. Jewish holidays, I don’t yet understand.
Will get back ASAP. Promise.
Strangedays.
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Anyone know about hamintoshin?
S/Ds
jessinchicago | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
SD- This is a blog that provides the best information about bedbugs available, period.
I don’t know what hamintoshin is or how it pertains to bedbugs at all?
nobugsonme | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
I’m not Jewish, but I google a lot. It’s a baked good. I think it’s eaten on Purim which is March 3-4 this year. Here is a recipe.
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Thanx, I’m preparing for somthing, I don’t know what. SSOOOoo tierd.
jessinchicago | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
SD-
I sounded really bitchy in my last comment to you. I’m sorry about that. Yesterday was a VERY long day for me, bedbug-wise. I should not comment when I’m feeling overwhelmed!
Maybe if I share the things that happened, I’ll feel better. And maybe you guys can help lift my spirits a little?
Thursday morning, I got a phone call from my best friend since childhood. She lives in a different part of the country. She found some weird bites on her foot- three of them- and she told me she had just spent a weekend at a cabin that’s rented out frequently about two weeks ago. Now, you guys would be proud, because I did not panic- those bites could be from a spider or something, right? But let me tell you, after everything I’ve been through, it was REALLY scary. I want more than anything else in the world to protect the people I love from going through this shit, and hearing this from her was kind of devastating.
Anyway, when I talked to her last night, she was convinced that these welts were poison ivy- someone in her office told her that’s what it looked like. That really irritated me, because now she’s not listening to me and it sounds like she has dismissed the possibility of bedbugs altogether. So instead of taking the minimal precautions I advised, she’s going to forget about it. I FEEL SO HELPLESS. By the way, has anyone ever gotten poison ivy on their foot in the middle of winter? In a cold climate? Just wondering.
Also, the relative who was infested (and has since conquered her infestation) is trying to purchase a new mattress. I spent a long time last night on the phone with stores trying to find one that does not pick up used mattresses. Do you have any idea how many still DO? It was maddening, actually. I wanted to shout at these poor sales reps, “Do you know you’re contributing to the spread of an effing PLAGUE???” But of course I didn’t.
Finally, ALSO yesterday, a coworker told me she’s visiting New York next week, and I asked her if she wanted me to check to make sure there were no complaints about bedbugs at the hotel she booked. I DID NOT EXPECT TO FIND SIX COMPLAINTS on Tripadvisor.com. She can’t afford to cancel and book elsewhere on such short notice, and I have no idea what to tell her.
So, when you combine all these things, I HAVE HAD IT UP TO MY EARS WITH BEDBUGS.
I feel better now that I’ve written it out. Thanks for reading, if anyone actually made it through to the end of this BOOK of a comment.
Sorry SD, usually I am not a big old grouch, I swear.
nobugsonme | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Hey Jess,
IF she has bed bugs (and this is a significant IF), your friend, like most people, will have to suffer a bit before she gets rid of them.
However, if they are there, and she is bitten a few more times, she will still probably go through less hassle than most people would, since–even though she isn’t listening right now–you planted the seed in her head of this possibility.
What I am trying to say is I don’t think your efforts were pointless. If they are bed bugs, they will persist. She’ll realize pretty quickly she doesn’t have poison ivy in her bed, and that perhaps there’s another possibility. There are others too, of course. And I hope it’s not BBs.
The mattress thing is a pain. As long as the things are wrapped in plastic and inspected immediately AND bagged immediately in a good bag, your relative also has a good shot.
NEITHER of them, because of their contact with you, is going in with the ignorance about this issue that we all had when we picked it up.
That should help. You did good. Try not to stress.
I think we all need a little yoga. I know I do.
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
No worries, Jess.
These are strangedays.
Did no one like my take on the Beatles song?
S/Ds
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
3 nites no bites. But have worked 33 hrs in 2 days getting ready for this concert. Aside from work, I am here on this site. It really helps my mind to be able to talk to and hear back from everyone. Tonite I will sleep, hopefully. I’m learning hamintachen(?) is more of an event that encompasis’ lotsa stuff, but I will see in the next few days, as it’s on-going. I am off tomorrow and will get back to you WMSB. Jess I KNOW!
Nobugs, you are the best.
Thanks everyone
S/Ds
nobugsonme | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
We’re glad you’re here SD. And hey, do something fun! Take some time for yourself. See a movie or something.
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Hi, folks.
I know I’m on here a lot, but I just had perspective givin. I was just at the grocery store to get ice for the concert and ran in to a friend I haven’t seen in a while. He asked hows it goin and I told him about the bed bugs. He said he wished he could feel the itch that I have, because he can’t feel anything. My friend is quadrapaligic and that made me think, The bugs are a f*#%in pain, but they are just another challenge in life. I’m glad to have this challenge, as opposed to what life may otherwise offer.
So, I’m gonna keep my head up, and encourage you all to as well.
Thanks, folks.
S/Ds
jessinchicago | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
Thanks guys. I’m going to go kick my own butt at the gym. Endorphins rock.
Thanks for understanding, SD.
Caryn | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
I read your comment, Jess. That does sound like a rough day. And SD, thank you for that perspective. I’m dealing with bedbugs and a sick kitten at the same time, so perspective is definitely something I can use. xoxoCaryn
strangedays | Feb 24, 2007 | Reply
I’m sorry to hear about you kitty, do you know what her illness is? I have a little boy of my own and funny thing, he was the one that gave me a heads up to a bug on the kitchen floor the other day. I think he knows. Cats are cool.
S/Ds
buggedinbrooklyn | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
wow Jess,
seems you can’t get away from bedebugs, even if ya don’t have them.
btw, I did read your email…I was just on jury duty the past two weeks and I’m first getting around to cathing up on stuff.
strangedays,
thx for that perspective…I too have been having a bad week. well, not bad at all now that you mention it.
buggedinbrooklyn
S. | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Strangedays, I loved your song! I sang it to my boyfriend. We giggled.
In terms of coping strategies, yoga has helped me too. I do it in a hot room (bikram yoga) and, while rationally I know that bedbugs need a hotter temperature (120? 150?) to die, that room is 105 degrees for 90 minutes and damn, do I feel safe.
strangedays | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
O.k, the concert was a MASSIVE success and now I can try putting my place back together from when the PCO was here on wed. Thank you Jess. Thank you NObugs. Thank you WMSB. Thank you BBugged in Brooklyn. Thank you all.
I slept for 14hrs today and have enegy to do what I have to and no bugs in site. Air mattresses aren’t so bad. 4 nites, no bites. The bug juice the PCO used is working so far, anyone else used this stuff?(Tempo 20%), he didn’t use powder but I have not seen a single bug, dead or alive, and no other evidence of them either. My boxspring (that I got rid of)had about a 10″ semi circle of bug shit at a point of entry( against the wall, could not see) and probably 80 adult bugs on the piping of my mattress(gone). Not on the tape around my new bed, or anywhere. Confidence is returning, but am still a bit itchy.
Caryn, how’s your kitty? My boy Jack says hi to her.
Tonite, I’m gonna Caulk untill I drop.
Are these bugs true parasidic bastages’? Do THEY have any natural enemys , like an anteater? or do they exist just to make us miserable.And bats and birds..
My best to all..
S/Ds
nobugsonme | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
SD, this is the stuff your PCO used. Canadian Tempo/20%. Note the (pesticide) Resistance Management Recommendations:
So even if you are not bitten in the next two weeks (and you may well be), make sure the PCO comes back in two weeks to treat again. Even if you think the pesticide is working great, they probably will (and should) use something slightly different next time, or possibly a mixture of this and other types of pesticides. Definitely ask again to see what they use the second time. Bed bugs are complicated, and getting rid of them entirely is not easy.
Don’t panic if you are bitten within two weeks–even if they killed all the adults, the eggs are NOT killed by these sprays and will hatch in 10-12 days. That’s why you need the PCO again in 2 weeks.
S.– Bikram Yoga. Wow. But–the one thing that made my itching the worst was being HOT. Even a shower, or someone’s overheated living room, would put me in agony. Don’t you get itchy, if you have bites on you, doing Bikram???
strangedays | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Nobugs., Thank you for the quick post and info.
That is def. the stuff. Will do what you say.
I’ve lost WMSB’s Email. Can anyone give it to me?
Nobugs, how do you find the time? is there any way someone, that is so inclined, can make a financial donation to help this cause? or is there somthing else you might suggest for the average person to help?
This site is wonderful, but I feel I owe a debt of something, aside from gratitude.
Let me know, please.
S/Ds
nobugsonme | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Hi SD,
I appreciate that very much.
Actually, the costs have not been exhorbitant so far, besides time (!), but in a few short weeks, I do expect to try and migrate the site to another host.
I mainly want to move so I have more control over how the site functions (for example, I’d like to add a forum so our discussions can run a bit more smoothly, and I’d like the banner ad to stop disappearing!). I’d like to be able to allow people to log in and post comments. These are features we can’t manage with this free host.
Since I will be hosting elsewhere, the costs will go up and my time commitment too. But unlike this site, I will be allowed to post ads and also have a donation button if people feel so inclined.
I will probably be putting up some ads. The hippy in me hates to do that, but the costs will be significant, since I’ll have to start paying for hosting.
I’ll let you know when all that happens! Thanks SD! And remember, the best way to pay it forward is to spread the word about bed bugs, and once you’re “free” of them, come back now and again and give the newbites some inspiration!!!
Also, I think if you go back to the comments following the post on caulking, you will see WMSB’s email. You can get there by going to the main page and scrolling down, or going to “Archives” and looking in the February posts.
strangedays | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Thanx!
Tiago | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Hello again
It’s been a little while since I last wrote. Unfortunately, my situation is not getting much better.
First, let me start by something important. I have to explain to you my situation, otherwise some things might be unclear. I am, by the way, a guy, not a girl as some might have understood (Tiago is a boy’s nome in Portugal, where I come from). So, I am a Portuguese PhD student living in Sweden, alone, in a student apartment (typical student accomodation, lots of apartments, all very small). This makes things complicated, as besides the fact of having to deal with this alone, I am also in a country where nobody speaks my language, even if english is most of the time OK.
Second, Sweden is not the USA, so this makes it hard (not to write impossible) to find some things. I wouldn’t even know where to find them, for a start! They don’t sell ZipLock bags here, for example. DE sounds like a great idea but, once again, I have no clue where to find it…
How things have gone since last time… I went to the company with which I rent the apartment and told them I couldn’t go on like this (this last Monday). They said that the best they could do was to give me a bed. I even offered to pay for a new bed from IKEA but they said no, we’ll give you one for the time being, with a brand new foam matress. So I toss away my air matress, they bring in the new/old (wood, of course, how could I even think something else…). I got some cans from the Institute where I work and filled them with cooking oil (couldn’t find anything else) and put them under the feet. Washed and dried the bed linen and PJ and put them on the bed. Went to sleep, trying to believe in something good. First night - I think I didn’t get bit. Second night - guess… So, after shouting my lungs out, I started trying to take the rest of the clothes, which, after cleaning, I was keeping on top of a table, into the dryers and into plastic bags. My idea was to try to seal them with two metal bars and a candle (a kind of a thermic seal). Couldn’t do it - too big bags, I guess. Just left them there, will try to put them on another -20Ë™C freezer. Friday the PCO went there again. Sprayed with Empire20 (by the way, what is your experience with chlorpyrifos?) and said he’d sprayed with some pyrethrins around (”to make them come out of their holes”). Told him to spray the bed frame as well (put the foam matress in a dryer at supposedly 90Ë™C for 4 hours, along with comforter and curtains). I was told someone will be coming to inspect the skirting-boards/basebords (not sure of translation), taking them out, spraying and putting them back on. I insisted on someone caulking the crevices, still waiting on that.
I’m really tired now. At the same time, I am afraid. I have a good friend, who lives in the same building, to whose apartment I go very frequently. I am petrified just to the thought that I may infest his place but he’s my only real friend here in Sweden, if I don’t have these small moments, I’ll go insane…
I don’t think I have ever found any skins or droppings, although that’s hard to tell. I’ve never seen them since when I investigated my first bed (trashed it, if you remember). Not that I want to see them but it’s tough to say whether I’m still being bitten or if this is already something else, especially if the marks always fade after a while.
Once again, sorry for the big post. Just two more questions nobody has yet answered me: I sleep with long sleeved, long panted pajamas. I tuck the shirt in the pants. I find marks in the belly, thigh, waist, etc and most of the time none in my hands, feet, ankle, none in the face so far (fortunately…). Is this normal/possible? Second, can they be in the clothes I wear during the day and bite my throughout the day?
I’ll be waiting for your replies. Give me some hope, show me the light…
Tiago
nobugsonme | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
Tiago,
Sorry things are still rough. The most important thing is a PCO is treating your home. I don’t know enough about pesticides to decipher the Empire 20 info I googled. The pesticides have different names in different countries, and anyway, most of us are not PCOS, but amateurs.
I’d go to bedbugresource.com, where the forum is hosted by PCOs/entomologists (who sometimes visit us, so let them know we sent you!) They will know more about the active ingredient. Let us know what you discover.
However, the mixture with pyrethrins (which we do know) is a good sign. Have the PCO come back two weeks after the first treatment!
Tiago, this is DE: diatomaceous earth (you can see why we abbreviate it!) and while food grade DE is safe for humans and may be of help, it is not necessarily a live-or-die thing. The wiki page may help you learn the names which it might go under there.
Also, washing and drying on hot and storing in sealed bags during treatment keeps your clothing and other soft items from harboring pests. The bag need not be fully sealed in the way you decribe. The smallest bed bugs are 1 mm, and the largest 6mm. So you want the bag to be more or less airtight. They probably sell some kind of re-sealable bags in Sweden. Ziplocs are a brand here, but I know the concept exists elsewhere. Also, you may only find smaller resealable bags, but these may be of great use for sealing outfits after wash.
Most of us store the bulk of our clothing in larger bags, which you can do by tying a garbage bag (bin liner / refuse bag?) in one knot. Think about the kind of knot that will keep air out. It does not have to be burned and cauterized to keep out a 1mm bug. But you also don’t want to knot a bag and reopen it every day, so this is really for long term storage until the problem is gone.
If you keep your clothing in sealed bags, and wash and dress immediately before leaving your home, then those clothes should not harbor bugs or eggs.
Many of us find bites appear after we are bitten, but not immediately so. My own appeared within a few hours after a warm shower, even if this was 12 hours or more after being bitten. Your exerience may vary, but almost no one feels bites WHEN they are bitten. So you may be experiencing what is called formication (the sensation of bugs on your skin) during the day, even taking precautions with your clothing.
Hope that helps! See our FAQS (link at top of page to frequently asked questions) on visiting people and not giving them bed bugs, traveling without spreading them, and other issues, since these may help.
nobugsonme | Feb 25, 2007 | Reply
PS Tiago IF you use DE ( and it is NOT a necessity or the only option) , you MUST use food grade DE, and educate yourself about it. dirtworks.net has good information. Do NOT use DE prepared for other uses (like swimming pools), since it can be dangerous. The food grade should be safe if used correctly.
S. | Feb 26, 2007 | Reply
Hey Strangedays, I have a deal for you. I can tell you anything you want to know about hamentoshen, Purim or any other Jewish custom. In return, I need to know about wood. Not wood floors, but wood ceilings.
Can you email me? saralynncantor (at) gmail dot com.
strangedays | Feb 26, 2007 | Reply
O.K., Cantor.
You have a deal. Will be glad to help you if I can.
S/Ds
Bugaboo | Feb 26, 2007 | Reply
Hi all, just reading the caulking/electronics posts. My pco said I could spray my electronics with Steri-Fab or Kleen free, but I am not so sure I trust him (only option though as the landlord will only use him). Does anyone know if this will kill my electronics? TV, DVD player, etc…
nobugsonme | Feb 26, 2007 | Reply
Bugaboo,
No one here can say for certain–EVEN if they tried it, it is just their experience.
That said, I doubt it would help much. The problem with bed bugs is that hide inside electronics. Spraying the inside of your electronics would NOT be okay. You might get some iKleen or similar sprays designed for cleaning computer exteriors (at computer stores), and consider using that carefully, but remember, it is at your own risk.
Also, a barrier of DE around the outside of the base of the electronics, NOWHERE NEAR THEM, not touching–might be the best bet. They are going to come out to try and eat, and you can get them that way. Be careful not to get dust near your electronics though, it could also ruin them.
hopelessnomo' | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
Oi Tiago, I am sorry for what you are going through. I just wanted to add that you should also keep your daypack or briefcase in a plastic bag while you are home, and consider doing so with your shoes as well.
Seems like Sweden is ziploc-averse. This seems to be the only company that makes ziplocs there. FryspÃ¥sar? Maybe you can ask Toppits directly where they’re sold. (I’d heard this before somewhere, no ziplocs. Guess it’s a very green country.)
All the best…um abraço
S. | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
OH my god, I am excited right now. My PCO is so cool. My bedbugs have had everyone stumped, but I think we are finally going to outsmart them.
Recap - we are 3 months and 6 treatments in. I am averaging a bite a day - some days three, some days none. Most days, one. I’ve seen one dead adult and one live nymph. I’ve had one major welt and the rest of my bites are smaller and less itchy. They swell up like islands, then they go away. I find them on my face, neck, chest, arms and stomach. We find no definitive clues.
Our bed is isolated, our clothing is isolated, our stuff is isolated. Our apartment has been covered with various chemicals (Suspend, D-Force, Tempo dust, and most recently, Demand). At this point, the PCO figured, the only other way they are possibly reaching the bed, is by falling from the ceiling.
Our loft ceiling is 12 feet tall and made of wood. There are thin gaps between the planks. So today, he got up on a ladder and used masking tape to literally cover all the gaps between planks. Picture a giant striped rectangle. The sticky part of the tape faces up. This way, if they are living in the ceiling and dropping down on us, the tape will catch them. We also lined the outer edges of the rectangle with double-stick carpet tape, in case any want to try walking out on top.
It’s like a giant trap. I sure hope it works. He is coming back on Friday to pull down the tape, one piece at a time, and see what we catch. God I hope we catch something! I’m feeling hopeful for the first time in a while!!
roni | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
I HATE BB and I am sure theythe buggers know this…but I was lucky enough to contact Pestaway and they have been great sooo patient…I find it helpful to put glue traps in crevices and seal gaps with tape..cause they WILL stick to it and not get loose!
jessinchicago | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
Hey Tiago-
I, too, am sorry to hear that you’re going through this, and alone, no less. It’s a difficult process, but it IS a process, and you will find an end to it, eventually, I promise.
About your questions: I slept in two pairs of socks pulled up around my pants, a long sleeved shirt, mittens… I still woke up with bites in odd places (and blood marks on the sheets to prove that the bites happened in bed). My guess is that the bugs will crawl down the top of your shirt if they want to- if you’re asleep enough and that’s where they want to go. I remember, clearly, wearing to bed the tightest pants I could find, so that they could not get to my lower half, but they did anyway. Maybe they bit through those tight pants? Or maybe- since they’re so thin- they crawled down my shirt and up under the elastic in my pants? I’ll never know, and neither will you, unfortunately.
The best thing you can do right now, I think, aside from working with your PCO as a team, is try to protect your bed. I know your bed is new and it’s wood, so you’ll have to inspect it very carefully, but if you follow the instructions in our FAQ about protecting your bed, you should see good results. I know you’re not in the U.S., but hopefully this will help: you can find the bed risers mentioned in the FAQ at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com under bedding/bed accessories/bed gadgets. You can also find good mattress covers at http://www.nationalallergy.com. You can purchase DE at many sites, and you can find them by Googling the term “diatomaceous earth.” And the mineral oil- which goes into the cups of the bed risers- that I prefer is tea tree oil, and you can find it wherever vitamins are sold.
Yes, you could be bitten during the day- but if you follow the suggestions the others have given, you won’t be.
Hope this helps, and I really hope you can order these things and have them shipped to you!
Thinking of ya.
Jess
nobugsonme | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
Tea tree oil is probaby available at natural food shops, Tiago. You probably won’t be able to order from overseas for mattress covers (I know you’re on a student budget!) but there must be something for sale in Sweden and you should ask the PCO and also a large store selling mattresses, they might know where to get this. Many people with allergies get these covers: it’s a cover that encases the mattress fully and zips to close.
jessinchicago | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
S.-
YAAAAAAY for you! Hope you’re patting yourself on the back for the effort you put into helping your PCO think outside the box. And we REALLY need more PCOs like him around!
Celebrate- this is a victory for you.
nobugsonme | Feb 27, 2007 | Reply
S– Everything Jess said.
Sometimes people email me and say they have had three or four treatments and still have bed bugs, so they’re getting a new PCO.
That might be justified in a few cases (for example, if you do your research and find out your PCO really is not following what most PCOs would recommend–and asking another PCO who knows bed bugs would be a good start).
But in most cases, I think people panic because they’ve heard bed bugs should be treatable in 1, 2, or even 4 visits. (They are ALMOST NEVER treated in one, rarely in two, but yes, many people do seem to get relief in 3-4. Not all, however.)
S is demonstrating why sticking with someone (as long as they do know BBs) is a good idea. Now her PCO is almost as pissed as S is, and he wants a solution.
S, sorry your bed bugs have to be the ones to push the envelope. They have to be coming from somewhere, and I have a feeling you’re going to find out where.
GrossedoutandConfused | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
I am not sure if I have bedbugs. I can’t even think about it without getting shivers down my spine.. Basically for a few months I have been getting bit every few weeks by a mystery bug.. Usually I get 2 bites on my arm, just last night I got one under my chin and another near my armpit. These bites normally take a long time to go away and if I itch them even a few weeks later they will flare up again. I have been paranoid of having bed bugs after hearing about them awhile ago and now I am starting to think it’s more than paranoia. I have repeatedly checked over the edges of my mattress and sheets and found nothing. Also I am the only person in my house that seems to be getting bit or atleast reacting to these bites. please help…?
buggedinbrooklyn | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
good luck S.
here’s to getting a good night sleep…I wish you all the luck in the world in catching some.
buggedinbrooklyn
buggedinbrooklyn | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
OMG ladys,
I just woke up after sleeping on the couch…yes, the dreaded couch.
I have not even sat down on that thing in weeks.
I was waiting to be flat out attacked the moment I sat down.
I must have been sleepy, as I wound up, falling asleep for about 5 hours on it.
NO NEW BITES!!!!!
hey, I’m always itchy and scratchy…but it seems that I have no new bites yet.
(I always have swelling right away after a bite, unlike most of you who take hours to notice them.)
wow, the only thing that I’ve been doing differant is that I started to use Drion dust along with spraying.
maybe the dust has helped alot…I’ll sleep again tonight on the couch.
wish me luck.
buggedinbrooklyn
P.S. oh, and to all the kind emails and replys here to me in my darkest hours…I have not forgotten you ladys.
jessinchicago | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
Brooklyn! That is GREAT news!! It’s a victory. Savor it.
You SO needed that, huh?
Wooo-hoo, two bedbugger victories in 24 hours!!!
S. | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
Hey all, thanks for your support! I am so incredibly nervous now, because if I do find a bite, it means they are biting me somewhere else (rest of the house, my car or my office). But I am trying to think positive and not jump to investigate every itch. I also bought a small mirror to keep at my desk at work, so that helps a lot. I keep checking my face, since that’s where many of my bites show up.
Just to clarify something from Nobugs’s comment - I did not switch PCOs, exactly, but I did get a different guy from the same PC company. I’ve had four guys, actually. From the first bites on December 2nd, I went through 3 guys who all did things a little differently. The third guy promised he’d stick with our case, but after he sprayed twice, I told him we had to think differently and he kinda gave up. That’s when he referred me to Andy, the company’s Technical Director. Andy is the one who has “thought outside the box” with me. He normally doesn’t make house calls, except in extreme cases. His job is mostly training the other guys. He isn’t even charging for his time, because this is such a crazy case and we’ve already paid them so much!
So it’s great, but also ridiculous. If this company didn’t have Andy, I would have found a new one.
nobugsonme | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
S–your experience brings up another point– the more bed bugs, the more new techs PCOs hire. It sounds like you may have gotten somebody less experienced. People should be aware of that too, and ask for the boss as you did, when things are not improving.
Grossedoutandconfused–you may well have bed bugs, please read our extensive FAQs including What are Bedbugs? and Think you have bed bugs, some do’s and don’ts. They may help you be more certain.
Bugged, Yippeee-yahoo!!! Fab news. Where did you put the dust?
buggedinbrooklyn | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
NBOM,
ok, ok, I don’t think I’m bug free, yet I shout have gotten attacked with at least 10 to 20 bites after not sitting on that couch for 2 weeks or so.
anyway, here is what I did differently….
before I only spreayed the inside of the couch.
never on the outside leather.
sooooo, no real chemical that they must cross to get to me.
yet I did spreay heavy, and all over the insides.
what I used was D-Force, the same chemical as in Suspend…just in easy to use can form.
this time I sprayed the outside of the couch, in places that they must cross to reach the outside of the couch…or to reach me.
yet thhe places were not noticable as they were between pillows and armrests…places you can’t see.
the inside was only sprayed lightly this time, in places that should be good hiding spots.
YET I ALSO DUSTED….I used drion dust on the inside of the couch for the first time.
with that bellows thingie, the dust goes everyplace.
even the outside of the couch (due to the windows being open and windy, the dust flew everyplace,and I had to wipe down the outside of the leather couch with a wet rag to clean it off.).
ok, ok, I did dust extra heavy…you would too if you had the ATTACKS I had.
I think the dust whent in places that the spray never could, and helped kill off most of the bugs.
if they tryed to relocate to my desk just a few feet away, then they would have to pass a lot of dust and sprayings to reach me…haha to them.
anyway, wish me luck tonight…I’ll be on the couch again.
also, I’m thinking of washing down all my walls of the dust in a few days…then redusting the crown moldings again with new dust.
I’m sure this is a good idea as the dust must get old or not work as well in time.
buggedinbrooklyn
nobugsonme | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
hey bugged! You did good. I know they’re not totally gone, but good progress!
Thanks for the details!
Disclaimer: for others, please do not attempt to use pesticides yourself, period. Bugged had some training with chemicals and respirator masks in the military, and has done the research on this, but that does not mean YOU should do it yourself. You really should not. Call a PCO who knows bed bugs. If you you’re not convinced, please read this FAQ first.
jessinchicago | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
Brooklyn-
You know I just adore you, so you’ll take the following comments with that in mind, right? I’m just a little worried; bear with me.
I’ve read some comments from Sean (thebedbugresource.com) that make me nervous about using too much dust. I remember, specifically, that he said clumps of dust could scare bedbugs into dormancy- that they sense the clumps of chemical before they pass through it, and this could make them dormant for a long time. I think it’s a survival mechanism? Anyway, watch the dust, okay? No clumps! It should be a very fine layer, from what I understand, so that bedbugs will cross it without noticing. Because dormant bedbugs equal no bites for a long time, but also a guaranteed resurgence in the future.
Also, I know you know your chemicals, but promise you’ll be careful with the dust in your apartment? You know, I’m sure, that if you stir it up by walking beside it or vacuuming or opening windows to a stiff breeze, you will probably inhale it. I ended up with a nasty blood blister on my lip from exposure to Drione (vacuuming and stirred it up). Please be careful!
And to other bedbuggers- newbites and veterans alike- DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME unless you are experienced, researched and generally know what you’re doing. You could hurt yourself or your pets. The hand bellows mentioned by Brooklyn (it’s used to apply the dust) is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get right!
None of the above takes away from the sheer joy I feel knowing that Brooklyn has enjoyed some peaceful sleep and has set out to conquor his infestation in full-on war mode. Brooklyn, you’re a champ. Get ‘em!!!!!
S. | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
Hey guys, I have an oddball question about bites. I had a bite last Thursday, exactly a week ago, on my chin just below my lip. It was white in the middle, pink skin around, swelled and itchy. It died down in a day and had almost completely faded.
Today, the SAME EXACT SPOT did basically the SAME EXACT THING. White spot in the center of pink skin, but a little smaller, less raised-up, less itchy. And actually, while the other one felt “hot,” this one actually feels more “cold” to the touch.
I’m trying to think rationally. What are the chances that a bug bit me again in the very same place? Or, could a bite reappear a week later? Has this ever happened to anyone? I’m sure it’s the exact same spot, I have photos of both bites that I compared side-by-side.
Thank you!
buggedinbrooklyn | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
hi everyone,
yes jess and NBOM,
WHAT I’M DOING IS NOT SAFE,AND SHOULD BE DONE BY A KNOWLADGEABLE PCO….
I take a lot of carfull planing and use a resperator, gloves, and full clothing.
also, as I’ve said repeatedly in the past…drion dust, suspend like products, and most other chemicals, are dangerous even if a PCO does the job.
please leave the chemicals alone, and don’t let kids and pets near them.
again folks, safety first.
with that said and out of the way….
night 2 on the couch with no bites. YEAH BABY!
I’ll say more later, but just wanted to say at least this.
buggedinbrooklyn
buggedinbrooklyn | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
S.,
my bites last me at least a month.
they can fade, but if I scratch them they can “puff up” again.
cold, I have never felt from then…but everyone is different.
yes, you can get a bite in almost the same spot. the key word here is “almost”.
they do tend to bite in spots that are easy for them to reach or feed from…I noticed that I had far more bites in the places that was the horizon of my body to bed.
so bites were near where my body would be just above the bedline of my body.
did, that make sence?
S., are your pillows new, and washed offten?
could they be infested?
is your bed sprayed? or isolated?
buggedinbrooklyn
S. | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
Thanks brooklyn. I’m not exactly sure what you meant by the “bedline of my body,” but I think what you’re saying is that they tend to bite the same areas repeatedly. They would go for the “easy areas.” Yes, my easy areas are my face, neck and chest.
But this new pink spot is in the exact same spot as the one from last week. I didn’t scratch it.
My pillows are new and my bed is isolated (from above AND below). We are therefore becoming more and more suspicious of my car and my office. This morning, I drove to work checking my face in the rearview every other minute. And I now have a small mirror on my face at work. I’m watching, but I haven’t seen anything.
Good point about washing the pillows, I’ll do that again tonight (it’s been a couple weeks). Otherwise, I guess I’m just hoping this bite is old.
loosinghope | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
Hi Guys….
Trust me first I just want to say that this site has been my lifeline for past one month…I feel that I am not alone in this journey of getting rid of these impossible bedbugs…
To beginning with I started with this problem back in early November when my husband returned from Tampa, FL (I live in VA) and I guess he picked it up in the hotel there. It was beginning to get cold here so the very same he came back was the day I removed my comforter which was washed and packed in those vacuum seal bags from last winter.
The next morning I woke up with a few bites on my right arm. I thought must be some rash (I have sensitive skin) or cause I removed the comforter after such a long time and today its first day hence some skin rash….what did I know that this was just the beginning of my doom…
For next few days there were no bites or rashes.
Anyways I went on with my regular life for a couple of weeks, until it became a daily affair to get up in the morning with welts on hands, legs, arms, back, stomach etc…a new place each day.
I still thought it might I need to vacuum my mattress and must be some spider or something. This is that very day just before thanksgiving I lifted my mattress and vacuumed it thoroughly and on lifting the box I saw 4 small brown color bugs on the back of the box. At first I did not what they were so I just tried to pick them up with some tissue and happened to squeeze them and the blood squirted out. I vacuumed the box thoroughly and looked up on internet for the bug and gradually it dawned to my horror that they were bed bugs.
The next day after reading up on them I got box spring covers and mattress covers from Wal-Mart and put them up and informed my rental office about the problem. They scheduled for the PCO to cover over for inspection.
I wasn’t home when the PCO came for inspection, but later when I went for feedback and spoke to the manager; she said that the PCO did not find anything or any signs of bedbugs. But I told her I have seen 4, she said save them in Ziploc bag and give it to the management office so that the PCO can be shown the same.
I rented a steam vacuum and steam vacuumed my whole apartment myself.
While doing this I lifted and removed my bed and found 2 small bed bugs one white and other small brown dead ones on the frame. (The box and mattress was still in covers)
I immediately put them in a Ziploc bag and gave it to the management office.
After seeing them PCO came again, but all he said was to wash the bedding linen and comforter and leave the house for 4 hrs when he come for treatment.
I followed his instructions by the book (by now I had started getting bites on my couch as well) I threw out my bed and couch before the treatment took place in fear or spreading again it after the PCO treated the apartment and also washed in launder mat on hot settings twice.
After the treatment I stopped get big welts, but I continued to get small bites on my hands below the fingers, thighs, stomach. I packed my comforter (in a huge thrash bag) and thrashed it along with the pillows.
I requested and moved to a different apartment wit the same management and agreed for it with 30 days notice.
I moved into this new apartment in the first week of Feb with only my kitchen stuff and clothes. First night was fine but right from the second night the bite started to reappear.
I have not bought a new bed yet. I sleeping on a cheap new sleeping bag with new pillows and new comforter and I am using Spectracide-Bug Stop Insect Killer (0.10% Pyretrins) bought from Wal-Mart, Sprayway- Good Night (Kills Dust Mites and Bed Bugs is what the label says) bought from Home Depot.
Also Safer- diatomaceous earth bought from Lowes.
But nothing seems to be working I still get up with at least 1-2 bites every morning although much smaller ones than the welts earlier and don’t last for more than 2-3 days, sometimes only one day.
I have spoken to another PCO on my own I don’t trust the guy my rental people sent but this other PCO also did not have much knowledge about bed bugs handling.
Infact nobody suggested that I wash all my clothes on high settings and bag them in XL Ziplocs (I have done this now after reading the FAQS..thanks to all of you guys)
Today after 4 months I am kind of loosing hope that I will ever be able to lead a normal carefree life again in my own house with my own stuff.
I have lost a lot of money by throwing out the Couch and my bed and mental stress in incomparable to any loss.
I have started loosing my hair a lot and also graying of hair due to all this stress.
I am totally clueless on what to do going forward. Sometime I feel like thrashing each and every of my belonging and starting a new life altogether.
Please help me…guide me from here…I don’t want to give up…but I am loosing hope with each passing night and bite….
Caryn | Mar 1, 2007 | Reply
Hi all!
My roommates and I are going to start the laundry tomorrow. The exterminator comes early Saturday. It’s the laundry that always makes me cry. But we’re going to try to have fun with it — get a little wasted, have some music — and just get it done! Could really use some good vibes to help us through it.
And my best wishes to you all still fighting. This is a nightmare, I know. There’s all kinds of advice out there about how to manage (for bites, I recommend hydrocortisone! really!!!), but what really helps the most is moral support … which is why we’re all here.
As we all know, the worst part of a bedbug infestation is the psychological aspect. It’s so lonely and maddening. I’ve been through it before. But you will bounce back once the bugs are gone! I did! You will too!
And now I have bedbugs again, and I am in a much saner, zen place. I learned a lot the first time that is making this time a breeze. Ohmm…..
We’re all going to get through it. Hang in there. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. A bright, bedbug-free light!
nightshirt | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
an aside - i am reading this weeks new yorker and and article entitled spider woman. interesting article and the point is that previously on one of this sites links was an article that mentioned louis sorkin - assistant to the curator at the american museum of natural history. in this article he mentions that he is raising bb’s in his office and lets them feed off him. bb’s are now in the new yorker with brilliant minds researching them.
i thought id make the new yorker before they did!.
buggedinbrooklyn | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
loosinghope,
I think we all have set backs from time to time in our quest to get rid of bedbugs from our homes.
please take the time to read to wonderful FAQ page, and many of the helpful hints and tips in the “tales…” threads/posts, that are listed on this page.
you’ll notice a trend, that tossing out your furniture is not alweays the best idea, and at best, only costs us more in the end.
before getting rid of anything else, I’d ask for any help and advice from many of the wonderful ladys here.
the best advice I could give is to get a blow up bed…the delux models that have a built in boxspring (or more like thay are raised up off the flore.)
then have your PCO spray the sides of it so that now, when the bugs come after you, they have to walk past the killer spray.
he should not spray the top were you sleep, just the sides.
using you as the bait, the killer spray will finish them off fast.
good luck, and ask more questions for help.
a full plan is needed to get rid of thies vampires.
buggedinbrooklyn
buggedinbrooklyn | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
oh, day 3…bite free.
the couch might be starting to be safe again.
the key word is “starting”…they just might be trying to reach me and have not found the best way yet. they are there, but they seem to be dying fast.
after a day or so in my bed, I’ll sleep on the couch again for a few days.
at least I feel safe to watch a movie in my couch…ah, piece of mind is better then ever imagined.
buggedinbrooklyn
hopelessnomo' | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
Hey loosinghope, glad you found this site.
Now is not the time to give up! Now that you realize the mistakes you’ve made you need to fight methodically like buggedinbrooklyn suggests. You need to interview another PCO, and then another, until you find one that is qualified, and you need more than one treatment. One treatment is not going to cut it. But you know that now, yes? Also you are sleeping unprotected, so you have to make sure that the bugs cross some poison or DE to get to you–so that every bite means certain death like Jess would say. No free bites for those mofo bedbugs!
We don’t like to see you using chemicals and DE on your own, in the absence of qualified PCO advice, but you have to do what you have to do until you get professional help. You could add plain old alcohol to your arsenal, but now that you have no furnishings–do you have any idea where they might be hiding? Where is the sleeping bag, on the floor? If you were not properly laundering and isolating your clothes, that is how you moved them to your new apartment. But that is in the past, so your focus should be on what you are doing now. Perhaps tell us more about your apartment, is it carpeted?
We are here for you and we know what you are going through.
(The sleeping bag worries me–do you have to wash it every day then?)
Caryn | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
nightshirt,
Actually, The New Yorker has written about bebugs before! They quoted my blog in it! (My response.)
Caryn | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
Question! Need help!
I am being exterminated tomorrow, and I am doing all the work I need to tonight.
Last time I was exterminated for bedbugs I didn’t have a rug. But now I do. What do I need to do with it? I assume they’ll want to treat it — but do I need to clear it of all furniture? Vaccuum it real good? Or rool it up and get it out of the room? I have no idea.I don’t think it’s infested that I need to throw it away.
Thanks!
jessinchicago | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
Awesome response to Loosinghope, ‘Nomo. I don’t even have anything to add (if you can believe that!).
Brooklyn, I’m so happy you have some peace now. REVEL in it!!!
Caryn- I would clear it of furniture if possible without too much strain, and then vacuum it, and then I would wait to see what the PCO wants you to do with it tomorrow. Have a bag ready, in case, but I have a feeling he may want you to leave it as is. GOOD LUCK tomorrow! And thanks for posting about your sense of calm the second time around. I’m so glad it’s easier (mentally) this time.
beenbedbugged | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
Hi folks,
(I’m posting under a new name, I have found to my horror that a search on my last name brings up bunches of bb posts!)
I’m in a bit of a bind here, and I wonder if I could get some advice.
We are probably moving within the next two months. (Not bedbug related). Here’s the issue-
Though we think we have been successful with our treatment,
*see standard disclaimer at the end of my post!
I still have lingering doubts about the couches, and in general, really… I desperately want to regain my normal life. I want to be able to entertain my friends, who are such an important part of my life. I think that some of them believe we have become crazy recluses. I desperately want to be able to enjoy my home again. We had just purchased new living room furniture (including the couches in question) a few months before our infestation. I absolutely dread, and don’t even know if I could psychologically survive, an infestation in our new home. I want to be happy and whole there right from the start, and I want to be free of the oppression BBs have imposed upon my life, along with the residual (and pesticide resistant!) shame and guilt at having brought this all upon my family.
So, just for peace of mind, in preparation for the move, I am thinking of getting our house tented and treated with Vikane. Because it is touted as a means to achieve 100% eradication, including within all of the furniture and other possessions, I am getting a very strong urge to just do it and get it over with. Only then do I think I’ll really feel safe and whole again. Furthermore, because it has always been accepted by us, and known by our landlord, that we brought the BBs into the home, I feel it may protect us legally, just in case. Imagine if we were clean, and it just happened that a new tenant brought bedbugs into the situation…
So, here are the questions I have, and I would welcome any insight you can give:
1. Is it true that Vikane, properly used, is 100% effective, even in nooks and crannys of furniture, clothing, books, etc., etc.
2. If so, should we remove our stuff from storage, bring it back, and get it all treated at the same time?
3. This one is repetitive, but I’ll ask it again- will the Vikane REALLY, REALLY kill everything? Of course the company website says it will, but I want to hear it from any of you who might know.
Finally, I want to say that if we were not moving, we probably would choose to tough it out and move through this period of doubt with the confidence that our strategy is bound to be successful, given enough time and observation. So this rather drastic strategy of going for the big poison tent is not necessarily what we would choose if we had more opportunity to allay our own doubts and fears. But we are inspecting each other every single night before we fall asleep, in fear of finding that one of our little bumps or itches, or the petacea (sp?) that probably always showed up before, unnoticed, are actually really bites from tiny tiny nymphs who lurk and never get large enough to cause the reaction we got last October.
Please, fellow BBers, this is a huge and very expensive decision for us to make, and I would very much appreciate anything you have to share.
*(self- treated, I’m an experienced pesticide applicator, and even though I looked high and low for a good PCO, I found none in my area who had practical BB experience or knowledge. Please don’t try to do this unless you also have 25 years experience and training in pesticide application, unless you are under the direct supervision of a licensed PCO, and always read the label!)
jessinchicago | Mar 2, 2007 | Reply
BBB-
I’m sorry. I wish you didn’t have to make these decisions. And, right off the bat, I applaud you for the disclaimer- it embodies a policy I’ve come to adopt (laugh at will) and am fighting to convey: Get professional help- period.
That said, I really hope some experts give opinions and evidence about Vikane. From what I’ve read and understand, it is supposed to be 100% effective, but I’m no expert, so I’m not sure. Have you tried posting on thebedbugresource.com? Sean, or someone he knows, might have some inside information.
I can only give one solid opinion, and that’s on the storage question. Yes, if I were going to Vikane, I would bring everything back in and expose it to the gas.
Good luck, and as I said before, I’m thinking of you. Remember your incredible sense of balance and strength. You will leave this behind.
Jess
nobugsonme | Mar 3, 2007 | Reply
Hi BBB,
I would ask this question on the yahoo group. But let’s post a FAQ on Vikane when you get your answers!
Nightshirt, Lou Sorkin of the AMNH is a good friend to us Bedbuggers. He has even posted many of his photos on this blog, and we’ve gotten a lot of good info from him.
Caryn, your laundry party sounds like the right spirit to have when dealing with this. At least you had others to commiserate with who understood and could say “what the heck?” and boogie your way through those hot wash and hot dry cycles. Life isn’t bad, we have to remember that!
Everyone else, Sorry I have been away since yesterday–very busy traveling on work. Writing to you from a hopefully bed bug free hotel room! As you can see, I now have internet access…
beenbedbugged | Mar 3, 2007 | Reply
Hi Jess and NBOM-
Thanks very much. As you may know, for me, just having the opportunity to ask the question, writing it out, wrangling it out on the screen, is almost as helpful as getting the feedback. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I’m just saying that I’m so grateful for the support and the access to all of you here, every single one of you.
I’ll be asking the same questions of many pros before we make our final decision, and, as always, will report back on the process and results.
I’ll definitely post on the yahoo group.
You guys have a good weekend, and may you be blissfully bb-free.
Maureen
nobugsonme | Mar 3, 2007 | Reply
Thanks Maureen,
thinking outloud is good.
Vikane seems like a nice option for single homes and I suspect it will do everything you say, though only the PCOs will know (etc. etc.)
I wish we had something that would work well for apartments–a very sharp PCO recently told me heat will probably work (but the thermapure method’s illegal in NYC right now due to the materials involved.)
nightshirt | Mar 5, 2007 | Reply
after all this fight since september 2006 i feel that i am bug free. i have slept in the two hot spots quite a few times and no bites.
yea!
last night we got robbed.
life really does go on.
nobugsonme | Mar 5, 2007 | Reply
Nightshirt–Sorry you were robbed. Hope it wasn’t too bad.
Great news about the bugs, though–when was your last bite or sighting?
nightshirt | Mar 5, 2007 | Reply
my last spray was january 27th, last nibble feb 7th-10th. I wont even dare say i am quietly optomistic. i just get up in the morning, wait a few hours, notice nothing then remind myself the bites could come out in 8 more days. i refuse to let myself get emotional about this, either way it turns out.
robbery not too bad. the police chief is sending the fingerprinting guys b/c there has been a “rash” of them in the neighborhood lately.
thanks for asking.
nobugsonme | Mar 5, 2007 | Reply
Hi Nightshirt,
If your last nibble was after your last spray, don’t you need one more treatment? Unless the last bite was from a male, or a female who was not pregnant and the sole survivor…
nobugs
nightshirt | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
i should have one, you are right. but we have been fine since.
i have learned nothing like preventive care.
i had thought of buying the stuff and having it sent to my sisters in mass. but i decided that a pco would be better able. i have some of the userfriendly stuff at home for emergencies.
Bugaboo | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Hey all, Lou requested on the Yahoo site that any caught BBs get sent to him in c/o the Natural History Museum, so if you find any…
(Editor’s note: correction: Lou will identify bugs if people are not sure what they are; other entomologists often do this too if you are not in NYC. But Lou did not ask everyone to send their bugs in–he was responding to someone who had something biting her and was not 100% sure it was a bed bug.)
!) and is costing us thousands, but I would rather be safe than sorry and throw more money down the hole.
also, we too are moving and even though it is expensive, we are throwing everything away except the free standing cutting board in the kitchen and something from the bathroom. I don’t know if Vikane works, but we don’t want to take any chances. We are spraying our shoes down with kleen free or steri fab right before we enter the new apartment, and everything we bring over will either be treated, or if its kitchen stuff or books, be placed in ziplocs after thorough inspection. It sucks (my antique furniture
PS- There are so many apts affected in Astoria, NY you would not believe it!!!
nobugsonme | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Bugaboo, I think Vikane does work. If it’s an option for you… it isn’t permitted in single apartments, the whole building has to be done (which is why it is fine for houses).
Please remember to destroy anything before throwing it away. Bed bug karma is like this: toss them out and they’ll come back to you another day.
Nightshirt: if they start up again, get treated every two weeks until there’s not one more bite or sighting. I can’t emphasize this enough. If you get rid of them, you should not need preventive care–except a bit of food grade DE dusted lightly in cracks after vacuuming won’t hurt anyone. If there are bugs, you don’t want to wait for them to re-populate.
hopelessnomo' | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Hey Jess, I was trained by the best.
One of the risks people underestimate when they choose moving as a solution is that the chances of moving into a bedbug infested apartment are increasing every day. I understand why you’re doing it, Bugaboo. Been there and done it, but just putting out there that everyone must realize there are huge risks involved and a hefty price to pay and you take the risks and you just have to pony up in tears, angst and plain dollars whether the move works or not. So, do it as responsibly as you can, for yourself and others.
nobugsonme | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Nomo, wise words. I started to post here about moving and treatment, but made a new post instead.
hopelessnomo' | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Nomo, I just moved this to the comments of the new post.
can't sleep..... | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
I had a treatment by PCO last Thursday and so far I haven’t seen any bedbugs! This is great!! I don’t get scared of going to sleep now but I’m not optimistic to think this problem is over yet. My exterminator told me that if I don’t see any bedbugs after two weeks from the first treatment, I don’t have to have another one. Do you think it would be ok not to have another one? I feel after reading many comments, experience or advises about bedbug problems, I feel I should have a treatment more than once. If somebody could give me a feedback, I would appreciate it.
Also, I have another question. How long do we need to keep all our clothes in plastic bags?
I unpack everything after I had the treatment except my clothes. I believe bedbugs will be exposed in chemical and die in two weeks. Do you think it will be ok to unpack all my clothes after I wash/ dry cleaning like other my belongings? I just wonder how people dealing with their clothes. I feel it would be safe to be in plastic bag but at same time, we need to expose a bedbug to chemical if there is any left on my clothes.
Hope all is well.
PS. hi, nobugsonme, sorry for the confusion. hope I did right this time. Let’s me know if I’m still misunderstanding…. thanks!
nobugsonme | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Hi Can’t Sleep,
You’re in the right place, thanks for moving it here!
(By the way, when this thread reaches 100 comments, I start a new one, for this ongoing topic. Don’t worry–when that happens, I’ll add a link in a comment to the latest thread. And you can always find the latest one from “Need advice?” at the top of the screen.)
I am confused about your clothes–you washed them on hot, dried them on hot, and sealed them into bags with an airtight seal (recloseable bags like XL Ziplocs, or garbage bags sealed in such a way that they are almost airtight)? If so, they should contain no bugs. Your clothes should stay there until you are certain you do not have bed bugs.
When will you be certain? Well, it’s tricky. But the vast majority of cases do not respond to one treatment (there have been statistics on this, they’re on the web somewhere). Almost everyone needs 2 treatments or more, and we seldom meet anyone who does not need 4 or more. But even in the lightest infestations, you should have two, minimum.
Why? Pesticides do not kill eggs, and eggs hatch in 10-12 days and start biting you. They must be killed after they hatch and before they have time to grow, and lay more eggs. That’s why you need another treatment within 2 weeks, and one EVERY two weeks after that IF you either feel more bites or see any live bugs or new eggs.
If you do not proceed cautiously as I describe, you may not get rid of your bed bugs, and this could go on a very long time.
Don’t put the clothes away! And if they were not washed on hot, dried on hot, and stored in sealed bags before treatment and kept there, then do repeat the wash/dry/seal in bag sequence and KEEP them there, as you use them, until at least two weeks after you think bed bugs are gone. Some of us continue for a month, just to be sure.
Oh and make sure you and anyone in the home continues to sleep where they always did. You are the bait, luring the bugs to their death. If you sleep in a different room, they will follow. If you leave home, they will wait until you return.
can't sleep..... | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Thank you soooo much for your advice. I will be patient.
Also, thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it!
can't sleep..... | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Sorry but I have another question. I haven’t bitten past 4 or 5 days. Do you guys think it is something to do with the light? I leave the light on when I go to sleep now. It’s just too scary to go to sleep without light after I saw a bedbug. I believe that if bedbugs are hungry, they will come out if it is bright or dark. But I just had an exterminator so should I better turn the light off in order to get bedbugs out? Sorry, it’s kind of stupid question though.
nobugsonme | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Can’t sleep, don’t worry about the lights. You will be bitten in the light or darkness, day or night. When they’re hungry, nothing will stop them.
can't sleep..... | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Hi nobugsonme,
ok. sure. I understand. I feel better because at least I can go to bed with lights on. thanks.
nobugsonme | Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
I completely understand…
Marobia | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
I just found out that I think I have bedbugs, and
reading about them on the internet makes me very worried- it sounds like they are really hard to get rid of, and that after multiple (unsuccessful) treatments, some have resorted to moving and throwing out most of their stuff or at least furniture! I know some are successful with a treatment or 2, but for those for whom this doesn’t work, it sounds like this could get extremely expensive. Does anyone know if
typical renter’s insurance covers this? I have State Farm… Thanks.
nightshirt | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
id love to hear the answer to that question too. the bundle i could be reimbursed!
nobugsonme | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
Marobia,
I have never heard of any renter’s insurance that would cover bed bugs. But check with the company.
As far as treatment, don’t panic. I think it’s extremely rare for people to be successful in 1 or even two treatments. There are statistics somewhere from PCOs that say 3-4 treatments is more common.
On the other hand, people who spend time writing about bed bugs are more likely to have been through more with them. So don’t panic that a lot of people writing online have scary bed bug stories. They can be hard to get rid of, but it depends on the degree of infestation, how good your PCO is, and where they came from (namely, do neighbors connected to your home also have them, so they can come back?)
I don’t know where you are but in many places, landlords are responsible to pay (look at the FAQS!). Make sure the PCO has bed bug experience, and comes every two weeks until there are no further bites or live bugs or other signs.
S. | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
I have State Farm renters insurance. It does not cover pests of any kind. I have asked both over the phone and in person.
But call your rep, as who knows - maybe policies differ in different regions!
Bugalina | Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
Marobia, My husband is an insurance agent and the answer is no. Insurance does not cover bed bug infestations. I think that besides getting in touch with a very qualified PCO, you should also read up on as much information as possible on this site, and on the internet. You must work as a team with the PCO, thus, the more you know, the more you can work along with them, and the better informed you are, the more you should expect of them. You have to search out all possible harborages in your home and treat them. Bed bug extermination is time consuming,costs money,and truthfully, there is no easy way around it.
Kelly | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
Oh where to start.. I figured out my bed bugs by accident. I had been going to a dermatoligist for a rash/welts that my daughter started to also develop and only one Dr. said it was an allergic reaction to a bug bite. All the subsequent Dr.s though it was a food allergy and quite odd that my daughter had the welts too. They gave me steroids and my daughters DR. said it was dry skin. I have had fleas before and felt the itchyness may be another flea problem but my dogs did not seem to be itching- This went on for 2 months- anyway- my babysitter usu does my sheets and this one morning in early December I pulled them off to clean myself- do not know why- but that is when I saw them. Clusters of Bugs on my mattress pad and underneath my comforter THEY WERE HUGE and when they relized thew were being disturbed they started to move, run - it was horrible and I will never get it out of my head. I was disgusted and ashamed that I had these bugs in my bed! My friend called while I was finding them- i referred to them as bed bugs but did not know how true it was. I got everything in the washer and put my quilt into a plastic bag. I looked the word bed bug up on the internet and realized what they were and had to get to work. Two weeks earlier I saw one crawiling on my sofa, captured it and brought it to the vet- he threw it away and said it was a type of beetle. So not even vets or Dr’s know what they look like. This was in December. I did not tell my daughter- she is 8 and everynight would come into my room at approx 1-3 am to sleep with me. I realized from reading that it would be best to not disturb too much. I had alread dragged a number of them out of my apt and into the communal laundry room and alley… I felt horrible every night we slept in my bed and knew that she and I would continue to get attacked untill she went to MI to visit her dad. I did not want her to know how freaked out I was/am. When I dropped her off at the airport on 12/25 with her grandma I left and called orkin- I cried on the phone as they were the first people I spoke to about this. My sofa was picked up by the city- I sent my bed to the dump and washed and dried clothes for a week before and after work. The shame is immense and I have told people I work with that I have an infestation of termites. My mother, one sister and one close friend know.
I have not been able to sleep- I had felt phantom attacks but after the third treatment - and alot of money later- I went to bed and woke up slapping my face from an itch -this morning I found a little blood spot on my pillow- I called the pest control peops. and they are coming again in the morning. I have bites all over me. I do not know when this will end-I am so gratefull for this site- I need to hear that it will end- that I am not alone and maybe this will help dissapate my shame.
I am curios if there is anything in a scent or type of ingested food or vitamin that repels these horrid blood sucking sleep stealing insidiously hideous shame making little buggers.
My feet and calves are burning from the last attack!
Kelly
Bugalina | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
Kelly, Has Orkin treated your electrical outlets, all window moldings, baseboards, and smoke detectors. Have you read all of the information on this site? What are you sleeping on, since you threw your bed away? Have you followed the FAQ’s on this site? Are you using products on your pets…The pet stores have lots of useful products . You have to lean on your PCO, they need to hear that you are stressed out and they must do all they can to get the job done….When they come to treat , go over every possible harborage with them..including turning all furniture upside down..and spraying every little screwhead !
S. | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
Kelly,
I know this is easier said than done, but you have no reason to feel ashamed. You may have reason to feel stressed, anxious and grossed out - you have been traumatized, after all - but you truly have NO REASON to be ashamed. You have done nothing wrong. You did not start this problem. But YOU will end this problem. You will end this problem through lots of work, lots of things you never thought you’d do. It sounds like you’ve already started down this path. But the best way to combat stress is through action, and the best way to combat fear is through information.
One more time. The best way to combat stress is through action, and the best way to combat fear is through information.
Read this site. Read all the FAQs. Don’t think “But these suggestions are outrageous, surely I don’t need to do all of this work!” That’s what I thought, and I wish I had gotten over that sooner. Wash all your clothes and seal them up. Order encasings and isolate your bed. Get involved in what Orkin is doing, and tell us exactly what they are using so we can verify that it will work. Eventually the power scales will tip, and you will be more in control than the bugs are. And eventually, eventually you will beat them.
In terms of repelling them - which is not a permanent solution - I don’t think anything is foolproof, but I’ve heard many suggestions. Some say lavender oil, sprinkled about the bed, will keep them away. Or tea tree oil. Somebody slept with a dryer sheet pinned to her shirt collar, saying it masked her exhaled breath for about a week. Some people sleep with pants tucked into socks, shirt tucked into pants, gloves and a hood. Some sleep with the light on. I just take Tylenol PM and it zonks me out. But the best immediate protection is to isolate your bed, following the instructions in the FAQs.
Keep us posted. You are not alone. At last count, there were over 300 members of the bedbugger yahoo group. This site gets thousands of hits. So keep in mind, you are not alone. This isn’t your fault. You have no reason to feel ashamed.
richard | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
wow. all my stuff is bagged up. my wife is freaking out, and i am starting to as well. i don’t trust anything but my naked body. we’ve vaccuumed, we’ve bagged. i don’t know where my socks are and i don’t know where my gym clothes are. i’ve done more laundry in the last week than i did in the last 6 months or more. permanent bags under our eyes and constant itching. we are trying to find a new apartment. we just signed the new lease on our current apartment about a month ago. we hope our landlord will let us go. there is at least two other apartments in our buildings with the bedbugs, and the landlord has never said a word. there could be more. we are debating on whether to take any furniture with us at all if we move. i don’t feel that i can go to any friend’s apartment because i don’t want to be blamed for anything. i only want metal and glass furniture from now on. may the force be with you all.
Marobia | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
Thanks to everyone for the insurance answers. That’s a shame, though. I wish they did. Oh well, such is life…
sathish | Mar 9, 2007 | Reply
I just moved into an rented apartment in the bay area (california) in January and soon (1-2 weeks later ) I found adult bed bugs wandering around the walls. Though I didn’t realize it at that time.
I had bought all my furniture, including my mattress, only after I had moved in here - I had only my clothes and a chair brought from my old place, which had no signs of bed bug infestation.
I found multiple signs of bed bug infestation on the walls near joints with adjoining walls and near the edge with the carpeted floor. I have seen so far about 40 BBs randomly wandering around the walls and hiding in the past 6 weeks. But till now, I have not seen a congregated site of bed bugs. My new mattress is a bit safe, for now. I have isolated it from the walls and the floor. I do not know if they made my way into my clothes yet.
The management responded to a request for pest control by saying that I had to do it myself.
At this point, I am trying to figure out what to do.
Should I call for a PCO? Should I do self treatment (washing all clothes, i