My bed is isolated … but becasue of the clutter and cost–I have chosen the do it yourself method. Any bed bugs I’ve seen about 15–other than the 50 or so I discovered on the zipper seam of the matress and the 50 or so eggs–have all been killed with extreeme caution by using a paint thinner in a spray bottle. probably against the law but I didn’t know this at the time. i watched them fall like flies off of the matress and into the carpet. The adults died immediatly–but the babes … seemed to melt into the carpet pile. I am assumming they have died too … it is a memory I will not easily forget. Since my first treatments I have been reading up on them and when the landlord comes for the yearly inspection she will have a fit when she sees the white powder from diatect all over the rug. I did not follow thier instructions as well as I might have.
my point is this–I have made my living environment as toxic as possible for them–without oblitherating myself (hopefully). Any adults i have found since that treatment (5) died within hours of catching them and putting them into a clear plastic maxwellhouse instant coffee jar.
Oddly enough … and this will seem a bit gross …
I thoguht I’d try experimenting with them a bit. I had already accidently cut myself with a razor and so I re-opened the wound and put a few drops of blood into the coffee jar. They died within minutes after drinking it: does that make me a vampire or something???
I’m thinking they brobably dround in the blood becasue they could not conttrol the flow … or the blood cooagulated too much and choked them to death. if so–then kudo’s to me as I hate them with vengence.
I have not seen any in abbut 10 days … have experienced only a few bites in 10 days–and this was while on my so called protected and isolated bed. I therefore sterilized the bedding again 1st with re-washing and then secondly with a goodly amount of 70% isoproyl alcohol. I intend to re-sterilize the bedding as often as I can as soon as I get some more cash–but for now all I have is the rubbing alcohol and the diatect product.
Are you folks telling me I have to open up 15 large boxes with all the regalia of an oil painter and let those little pups run free?
That’s a scarry thoguht indeed.
I think it best for me to fill the tub with hot water and dump the contents of the boxes one0by-one–into the tub of hot water–sterilize plastic tubs with alcohol and ten repack and then seal them shut–but with duct tape.
100’s and 100’s of $$ of paint brushed and tubes of oil paints and watercolors …
I’m not doing that though until the vacuume cleaner parts come in about 2 weeks.
Too much powder clogged my little shark and so they are on back order.

I see evidence of little nyphs fecal material all over–seems like, so far, I am doing a pretty good job of breaking the cycle. But there are obviously many more in here than I had thoght.
i tried the double sided carpwnter’s tape but that is not much of a help.
I put one of the live one’s I caught on it and though it was nearly dead–it was able to navigate it’s way right across the tape. 12 bucks down the drain …
Question … will spraying a computer chair with the 70% isoproply alcohol help in killing these nymphs. i figure anywhere I’ve stayed stationary for more than 20 minutes needs a good spray. That is what I’ve been doing, sofar–but I never thoguht I’d hear myself say I can’t wait to vacuume the rugs. over and over again and again.