Hello,

I’ve just found your website doing research on my own problem. I live
in Doha, Qatar (Middle East) and have been suffering through what I am
convinced is a bedbug infestation. There are some things I don’t
understand though:

- I don’t get bitten in bed, only when I sit on the couch
- my husband and 2 children don’t have any bites, only me and one
other child (I’m sure they are bugs, the pictures of the bites look
exactly the same)

We live in a place where external spraying is continual because there
are a lot of roaches around - one of the joys of living in a desert. I
don’t think the spray they use for that would work on bedbugs if I had
them spray inside - would it? I have small children, so I don’t like
the idea of them spraying things I can’t check up on.

Our house is a stand-alone house, not an apartment, and the walls are
concrete block, not wood. I don’t think there is any wood in the
construction of the house at all. Not even drywall - it’s solid
cement, marble or laminate floors.

My husband has sprayed in the house (an American product that says
it’s safe for kids and pets and kills bedbugs), paying attention to
the places where I’ve been bitten, but I don’t know how effective that
will be. We have a maid here and our house is immaculately cleaned and
laundered, so cross contamination throughout the house would be
minimal. But things like packing everything into ziplock bags is just
not realistic given that I have 3 small kids.

The emotional toll this has is unbelievable, especially when doctors
here tell me it isn’t insect bites (because they get a little puss
welt sometimes so I’ve even been told I have chicken pox) and no one
else is really being affected. And, it’s gorgeous weather here now,
and I feel very self-conscious about showing any affected skin - it’s
gross! Antihistamenes help a little bit, but it’s nutty to have to be
on medication to get rid of this - it’s the bugs, not me!

Thank you so much for your help,

Bedbugged in Qatar

Hi Bedbugged in Qatar,

Sorry you’re dealing with this.

First, have you seen bed bugs? They are very hard to diagnose based on bite appearance alone, and we don’t all get the same reactions. Other conditions like folliculitis and scabies can cause similar marks sometimes. On the other hand, it is very common for only some (or none!) in a household to react to bed bug bites. It is not unusual for one partner to react while the other partner and kids don’t. They may in time, or they may not. Dr. Michael Potter says up to 50% of people do not react to bites. It does not mean they are not being bitten. The bed bugs could also be in their beds or rooms.

Second, the term “bed bug” is a misnomer. They can certainly infest your couch or sofa, or other upholstered chairs. They can even be in cracks and crevices in the concrete structure or in wooden furniture (especially in gaps, where you won’t see them–they love to squeeze into tight spaces and hide). Sofa infestations are often caused when a family member or guest has bed bugs in their clothing or in a bag brought from inside and placed on the sofa. I would personally treat more than just the couch and surrounding area, because you do not know that you and the one child are only being bitten there. Bed bug bites can appear up to 9 days later, though most of us think we get them within a day or so after being bitten. It’s extremely unlikely you feel the bites as they occur, even if you think you do. Therefore, you and the child may also be bitten in bed or other locations. And the husband and other kids can also be bitten anywhere in the home and not react.

You said, “We have a maid here and our house is immaculately cleaned and laundered, so cross contamination throughout the house would be minimal.” Actually, I would not assume this was so. A maid going from room to room cleaning could certainly carry and spread bed bugs around. They can be sucked into a vacuum and crawl out in another room, hide in a rag being carried from one place to the next, and so on. They could even be in your maid’s pocket or cuff and go from your home to hers (or the other way around). I don’t want to single out the maid, though. Any family member could also port bed bugs from place to place in clothing or in a book or bag or other item.

In a stand-alone home, the bed bugs either were there before you moved in (if you moved in the last few months, this is possible–and you may have been bitten for even a few months before reacting to bites) or were brought in. They could have been brought in via someone who traveled to a hotel or visited others in their homes. But they can also come from everyday “travel” via buses, taxis, trains, planes, or even from the workplace, school, or by purchasing something in a shop or bringing home dry cleaning or laundry. You should read our travel FAQs which include advice on how not to spread bed bugs to others, as well as how to avoid picking them up in future.

Now, assuming you have bed bugs, you are right: it’s the bugs, not you, that is the problem. You have to get rid of them, so let’s consider your treatment options. We’re often told that one factor in the resurgence of bed bugs in North America is the abandonment of routine baseboard spraying for roaches (which are often now dealt with via gels rather than sprays). So it is possible that the chemical that’s being sprayed might help against bed bugs, but it might need to be used in a different way. I would suggest you try to find out what they use (the chemical’s name), and one of the professionals here might be able to comment on it.

I am not sure what your “American product that says it’s safe for kids and pets and kills bedbugs” is. If you give us information on that (product name) it may help. It is probably not a pesticide with a residual that keeps killing, but might be a mechanical killer (a dust containing diatomaceous earth, DE, which kills bed bugs that walk through it) or a contact kill spray (which only kills bed bugs you spray directly). Many professionals in the US will use some combination of the three. Used alone, of the three, the third (contact kill spray) is seriously unlikely to solve your problem, because you are not going to be able to find and spray directly anything but a small fraction of your bed bugs.

I know you are concerned about safety, as all of us are, but the best thing, truly, is to get someone in there who has real pesticides and knows how to use them safely. That includes knowing what to use, and where, and also how long to tell you to stay away. They need to understand that you have kids (and pets, if you do). The good news is that many countries outside the US have pesticides available which may be more effective against bed bugs than what is legal here. I value safety, and my understanding is that many substances banned here would be safe if used properly. As much as you may want to avoid pesticides, it is also worth noting that if you don’t treat properly now, the bed bugs may spread and multiply to the point that many more pesticides must be used to eliminate them. Before you ask, moving is generally not a solution.

Since you live in a city, I would assume that someone there–some kind of professional– knows how to get rid of bed bugs. It may take some asking around. (Remember that locals and expats who could afford treatment probably would not expect to have to put up with bed bugs). But you really do need help with this. And maybe not just from the person who sprays outside for roaches, unless you confirm they know about bed bugs and how to treat for them. Trying to fight this on your own with a contact killer will be impossible, and even self-treating with a dust will likely take longer than a method which incorporates pesticide sprays with residuals. Someone there knows what to do, and it’s a matter of finding them.

As far as washing and bagging stuff goes, it may be less crucial if you have a newer infestation (though the longer you live with bed bugs, the more they will spread). If they are in your sofa, they can be picked up in the clothing of those sitting there. Washing and bagging all clothing, linens besides bedclothes, etc. is not always necessary, from what PCOs tell me. If you really are resistant to washing and bagging, I would start getting real bed bug treatment of some kind, and go from there. It’s possible that will be enough, though follow-up treatments may be necessary. And in the meantime, you can declutter and bag washing done in the interim.

If you find out what is being used as a spray, some of the professionals here or on thebedbugresource.com are likely to be able to tell you more about it and its use.

I hope this helps. Let us know if you have questions and definitely let us know how it goes.

Bedbuggers and professionals: got anything to add or correct?

• Penelope Trunk: bed bugs as a lesson in “taming materialism”
• Tales of bed bug woe: Allergicgirl’s questions
• Bed bugs in Grand Forks, North Dakota public housing
• Fox Chicago engages with the tenants vs. landlords bed bug blame game

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The thing that troubles me the most is how will I know if they are ever truly gone?

They say bite free for x amount of time, but if there is no reaction how do you know? Maybe you could address this in a post? From what I gather most people are alerted by someone in the household’s reaction.  I don’t have that situation since neither of us react.  Please let me know?

When you’re one of the people who has itchy visible bites, as I was, then it’s easy to think that it would be better not to react to bed bug bites.  Not so!  In fact, those who have no one in their household who reacts to bed bug bites are in a very difficult position.

Rick Cooper suggests that if people have not seen a bed bug or felt a bite for 60 days, then they are gone.  On the other hand, it appears that in many cases, people just do not see the bed bugs easily.  Many PCOs do minimal or no visual inspections.  Therefore, we can’t really assume anyone will see bed bugs or their eggs even if they are still there.  This is a very tricky situation with no easy answer.

Reader, I don’t know how seriously infested your home is, but it seems that most cases require more than 2 treatments.  You should probably assume you will likely need three or more treatments spaced two weeks apart.

Since visual inspections may not turn up a bug or egg, I would recommend using a bed bug dog, if there is one in your area (get references).  You need one that alerts to eggs and live bugs (since alerting to dead bugs will not tell you they’re gone).  If you had the k9 come after the third treatment, you might be cleared at that point.

If this is an option with your bed bug dog specialist, try to make a deal in advance for the dog to come again if needed at a reduced rate.  I don’t know if this is the done thing, but it seems to me it would be lousy to keep paying the same price repeatedly, and getting the “all clear” from a dog really may be one of the things that will put your mind at ease.

This is imperfect advice.  Bed bugs are expensive, and I realize I am suggesting something that may be a hardship for many, and something landlords may not pay for, therefore adding to tenants’ considerable costs.

I also realize others may disagree with my assessment and suggestions, which is fine–I am open to hearing different perspectives.  I know for example that many PCOs insist they can get rid of bed bugs in one or two treatments.  If the dog can come multiple times without a huge financial burden, then re-checking after two treatments (or whatever the PCO insists on) may be an option.

Are there others?  How do you handle this, PCOs?
I hope PCOs, bed bug dog handlers, and entomologists will comment below with their advice and suggestions.

• FAQ: How do I prepare for pest control treatment? Should I put everything in bags?
• Reader Question: how to deal with bed bugs in Qatar?
• More on Canada’s laws re: bed bugs and tenants: province by province
• Covington, Kentucky IRS building infested with bed bugs

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This is pretty clearly a photo of a bed bug.

My question is: is there anything I can do in the meantime to help
protect myself in case this guy is a portent of things to come?

I should mention that I read the “bedbug dos-and-don’ts” and am clear
about not moving sleeping locations, etc. I also already have plastic
and allergenic covers on my mattress, bed frame and pillows, due to dust
allergies. I haven’t seen any bites, or evidence that bedbugs have been
anywhere near my bed–no blood trails, no black dots on the sheets,
etc.

I don’t want to freak out unnecessarily if this is a false alarm–but
I’d also hate to worsen the situation while I wait for a diagnosis.

First, Waiting, we’re sorry you are the latest person to read our “Do’s and Don’ts.” I mean, you definitely came to the right place, but I do wish the website could be closed down due to lack of relevance. (Or perhaps retained as a historical artefact of the internet?) Someday soon, I hope.

Anyway, you mention (in a part of your email not quoted) that your building is massive, and that the management reports bed bug complaints to be extremely rare. It sounds like your building management, like others all over the place, is going to find they become more and more frequent. A very large building such as yours will require education of the residents about spotting bed bugs and their signs (for example, many people do not react to bites, and will have to be on the lookout for other signals), and constant vigilance from everyone living there.

The bad news is, bed bugs walking around in daylight is a bad sign. Seeing even one bug is a bad sign.

The good news is that if you have inspected carefully and found no black fecal spots or specks (which can resemble magic marker on the bed, but can also resemble little black flecks of pepper), no blood spots (which can be bedbug-sized, or very small red or rust-colored pinpricks on the sheets), and no other bed bugs, eggs, or cast skins of any size (remember the nymphs can be 1/32 inch large and white, tan, red, or brown, the adults 1/6 inch), then perhaps the one you saw was a new arrival.

However, to be safe, you should assume that you have them somewhere, and have a Pest Control Operator (PCO) inspect carefully, and have the PCO treat your home.

Have the PCO inspect the apartment and furniture, including your mattress and pillow encasings, your bed frame, and other furniture in the room. If the bed/pillow encasings do not cover the entire mattress or pillow, or there are even small tears or holes, bed bugs could be living inside and going in and out. You say you have a covered frame, though any exposed parts of the frame may be harboring bed bugs. They like to hide in the tiniest spaces and they are very stealthy. One Bedbugger was told by her PCO that they could even hide in the veneer on the surface of the wood furniture. Hiding in the joints of table legs or within bed frames is entirely possible.

They can live in the floorboards, light fixtures, behind electrical plates, and in sofas, chairs, computer chairs, and other soft furniture. None of this is reason to panic! I am only going through all this because it really is essential that the space is checked carefully. You may not see any more bed bugs and may still have them–lots of us never find one–some are bitten badly for six months and do not find an actual bug, egg, or cast skin. (On that count, you’re lucky–because now you can take action!)

Do take it seriously, and have the PCO come and treat the whole apartment. It should not be the person who does preventative roach spraying for the building, but someone who really knows how to get rid of bed bugs. The PCO will give you extensive instructions for preparing for treatment (moving the furniture, washing and drying all clothes on hot and bagging in sealed plastic bags (e.g. XL Ziplocs). It may take you some time to do all that, but it is necessary. It also may seem like a lot in case you do just have “one bug” but the odds are you have more than one, or your neighbor(s) are sending more.

S/he will also treat your bed (encasements removed). After treatment, just to be safe, you may want to re-encase the mattress, pillow and box springs with fresh encasements designed to stop bed bugs, and you may want to “isolate your bed” as per our FAQs on protecting the bed. There are encasements that are vinyl on the inside and cloth outside, and others which are just vinyl, but it’s essential there are no small gaps, since the 1 mm first instar nymphs can go through the tiniest cracks.

If this one bug just wandered in from a neighbor on any side, as is likely, then they will keep coming. So your building should have the PCO inspect, and treat if necessary, every adjacent unit in a clover pattern (top, bottom, and on every side).

If you do have more than one bug living there, then the PCO will likely have to come back 2 or three times at two week-intervals (because the eggs do not get killed, and hatch in 10-14 days.

Other FAQs should be useful as you ensure your home is made bed bug free. The best thing I can say is if you can get your building to take this seriously, with as many units as it has, they would be wise to be aggressive in trying to locate and treat all infestations.

Hope that helps, but feel free to get in touch via the comments below (or the forums) if you have more questions.

• FAQ: How do I protect my bed from bed bugs?
• Old mattresses given out as charity: will cause more harm than good
• how stealthy bed bugs can be
• National Allergy mattress encasement test results

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Laundry

This FAQ started out with the title: “Heat and bed bugs: 5 minutes in a dryer– really? Say it’s so!” The first part outlines my reaction to a brief article, and the second answers many of my questions with a more detailed article. I realize this is kind of roundabout, but I did not want to delete the original post entirely.

I started out by considering a fascinating brief article in PCT Online (Dec 2006) that rounds up information provided by bed bug researchers in a panel at the 2006 National Pest Management Association Conference. What’s interesting is that the researchers cover a wide variety of topics (from the efficacy of various pesticides to the usefulness (or not) of vacuuming, steaming, and hot dryers.

Personally, I was intrigued by University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter’s assertion that a normal machine wash would kill bed bugs (”normal” as in, not hot ?), and five minutes in a hot dryer would kill bed bugs and eggs. I said I’d like to see more data on this–I did not doubt it at all, but is it really so? Since a wash won’t kill eggs, this must be why the hot wash / hot dry combo are always recommended in university fact sheets. We’re told the dryer is what kills the eggs. But I think I’ve only seen Dr. Potter being quoted as saying five minutes drying was enough.

A hot dryer apparently runs at about 180 F. I doubt this temperature is achieved after five minutes, though. Can five minutes on a temperature somewhere below 194 F be enough, when companies providing thermal treatments do so at a core temperature of 140 F for four hours? (Winston clarifies this in the comments.)

But this is the only source I’ve seen on “five minutes being enough” (though it has been quoted in newspaper articles). Personally, habit and skepticism have had me recommending drying for over an hour. I always say, “dry on hot till it’s bone dry, then add 20 minutes.”

But then, dear Reader, I confess, I dotted my bed with lavender oil for months, hoping its reputed repellent properties would keep bed bugs away. I figured it probably wouldn’t, and it didn’t. But it was hard to give up this habit, since I believed it might be helping. That is kind of irrational, but I guess that’s what sleeping 4 hours a night does for you.

Since washing and drying and storing clothing properly can make such a difference to bed bug treatment, I emphasized that we want to be sure we’re doing it right. It would be such a blessing for people to only have to dry things on hot for five minutes. It would save not only time, but lots of clothing items that simply can’t handle washing on hot and drying for an hour on hot. For those reasons, I hoped we could get more information on the research that was done.

So then, I remembered one motto here at Bedbugger Ask, and ye shall receive. (Information, people, only ask for information. If you need $500, it ain’t gonna happen.)

And lo and behold, Hopelessnomo pointed me to more information that is available from Michael Potter (and colleagues) in another PCT article, this one from January 2007. SO I have re-titled and re-written this post, since it now is a whole lot more useful and contains a whole lot more tidbits.

I’ll quote the section on laundry in full:

Bed bugs often infest bedding, clothing and other personal belongings which cannot be treated with insecticides. An oft-mentioned way to de-bug such items is laundering — yet to our knowledge, no testing has been done to verify effectiveness. A simple experiment was conducted to study this question. Three groups of live bed bug adults, nymphs and eggs were placed in small nylon mesh pouches which were then placed inside cotton socks. The bed bug-provisioned socks (along with a full load of clothing) were then run through a standard wash cycle using hot water. A second trial was run with similarly infested socks placed only in a clothes dryer. The bed bug-laden socks were accompanied by a load of unwashed clothing and subjected to high heat (greater than 175° F) for five minutes. No bed bugs or eggs survived the washing or drying cycles, suggesting that either regimen, alone or in combination, is effective.

Clothing, footwear, area rugs, toys, stuffed animals, backpacks and other non-launderable items can conveniently be de-infested by heating them for a period of time in a dryer at most settings. For reference, a typical clothes dryer run for five minutes at low, medium or high heat produced temperatures of about 140, 150 and 180°F, respectively, amongst a bundle of dry clothing– plenty hot to kill bed bugs. While certain items may require professional dry-cleaning, utilizing conventional washers and dryers may help limit the spread of bed bugs to these establishments.

This information suggests that either a hot machine wash, or a hot dryer running for five minutes with already dry clothing, will kill bed bugs and eggs. As Nomo suggests in the comments below (written before I added this update) “five minutes with dry items” is not so different from what we’ve been recommending at Bedbugger all along: “bone dry plus 20 minutes.” Well, make that “bone dry plus five.” I don’t blame if you if, like me, you’re a bit skeptical and want to stick to “twenty minutes past dry”– we won’t call you neurotic.

As John sang, “Whatever gets you through the night, it’s alright, it’s alright.” For Bedbuggers, that’s another motto around here. The promise of a good night’s sleep is the grail.

The rest of the information from the January article is also more detailed and informative than the summary from December. Let me give you the highlights from what Dr. Potter et. al. recommend:

Discarding infested stuff: yes, but only if necessary. Seek a qualified PCO’s advice (qualified = knows the enemy well). If you are tossing it, wrap it well (and mark it!) and realize that if your neighbors or surrounding community pick up the item, they may come back via a crack in your shared wall, a visit to a dry cleaner’s, or the local diner. That should make anyone think twice and thrice.

Encasement: use high quality encasings that won’t tear.

Vacuums: harder to pick up bed bugs and eggs than you think; doesn’t really help unless you hit their harborage areas in a targeted way. Discard bags carefully (bed bugs can survive the trip down the hose), and do not use vacuum brushes, since they can lodge in the bristles. The dirty little so-and-so’s.

Steam

The steam portion of this FAQ has now been incorporated into the new FAQ on steam:
How to kill bed bugs with steam. It’s relevant both to treating your home and furniture and steamable “stuff” too.

Seasonal temperatures (”putting stuff outside”)

Regarding seasonal temperatures, backpackers take note: We get a lot of questions at Bedbugger about whether “leaving stuff outside” works–and occasionally hear from people who tried it and failed. I think it comes down to the temperature, the length of time, and what you provided the bed bugs to nestle in. (The last complaint I heard was someone whose down comforter had bed bugs surviving the cold — well, perhaps it was a very warm down comforter, and maybe it just was not cold enough outside to freeze them within it.) The article says:

Lethal outdoor temperatures have long been employed in the battle against bed bugs. In the tropics, infested bedding is often left out in the sun and such methods can also be used during warm seasons in this country. It’s risky, however, to rely on ambient heating to achieve lethal temperatures in all harborage locations. Wrapping items in plastic before placing them outdoors in a sunny location (preferably on pavement), produces higher internal temperatures. It also pays not to over pack — more trash bags with fewer items make it harder for bed bugs to find cooler places to hide. Monitoring with a thermometer is also prudent, with a target internal temperature of at least 120° F.

In colder climates, freezing might be a way to de-infest furniture and other belongings. Bed bugs and their eggs can be killed by very low temperatures, but it is difficult to achieve them without using a deep freezer. Temperatures below 0°F for one to two weeks are generally believed to be needed to reliably kill all life stages. Fluctuating winter temperatures which often extend above this level are probably less effective and are currently being studied by Dr. Steven Kells at the University of Minnesota. Overall and throughout much of the country, heating tends to be a faster, more reliable option than chilling.

Well, that’s all for now. I greatly appreciated reading this research. Thanks to Dr. Potter and his team.

And special thanks to Hopelessnomo, who mentioned the article in the forums, and directed me to further sources.

Update (7/19/2007):

Additional information on thermal, cold, steam, etc. is included in Stephen L. Doggett’s Bed Bug Code of practice. See the table of contents.

Frank, at the War on Bed Bugs, also did an interesting post on hot and cold treatments. Check it out.

Update (10/4/2007):

Some people have recommended something like this for drying shoes in the dryer:

Update 12/07:

If you are thinking of using a dry cleaner for some or all of your clothing, read this FAQ first!

Update 1/08:

NotSoSnug points us to a library protocol for getting bugs out of books:

I should add that there is a librarian protocol to heat paperwork at 130degF for 3hrs to kill insects (remember to include a pan of water to keep some humidity). Any longer will melt binding glue (I know I forgot one night and it did). Also, till tape receipts are heat sensitive so they will turn dark. Annoying if you need the receipts for business!

See the ‘Bookworm’ section, Paragraph #7:

http://www.unesco.org/webworld/ramp/html/r8820e/r8820e07.htm

Thanks, NotSoSnug!

• FAQ: dry cleaners and bed bugs
• FAQ: Leaving stuff out to freeze, walk-in freezers, etc: how cold and how long?
• FAQ: I stayed somewhere that had bed bugs. What do I do to keep from taking them home?
• more on bed bugs in New Haven: they’re only using steam cleaning?!?

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A friend from the blog whose bed bugs are hopefully gone for good called me today. She just bought a bunch of new lingerie. Woo hoo! For the gents who are blissfully unaware (if I have not already sent them running with my choice of topic), lingerie is generally a strictly “wash on cold and hang to dry” sort of thing. Remember Richard Dreyfuss in The Goodbye Girl?

“No! More! Panties! Drying! On! The Rod!”

The ladies here know– having bed bugs means you wash everything on hot and dry it on hot. Unless you send your “unmentionables” to the dry cleaners (do people do that?), they’re going to be subjected to treatment forbidden on every garment care label.

Most female Bedbuggers quickly start finding out what happens when you flout those directions, and toss the delicates in with the whole kit and kaboodle. The results include shrinkage, discoloration, and expensive nice things wearing out very quickly. And don’t get started on nylon hose and tights, which don’t go in the dryer, and so are pretty much disposable, if you’re a Bedbugger.

And then there’s the inconvenience and the cost and the work. Most Bedbuggers–male or female– start washing everything after one wearing. This means much more laundry than ever before. And your clothes wear out faster–being washed so harshly on hot and dried on hot, and then washed this way much more often, in many cases. Some try to cut down on laundry by changing into “indoor clothes” and sealing up their “outdoor clothes” for another use. But this can lead to wrinkles and mustiness (sealing worn clothing in a bag leads to very different effects from airing it on a hanger.)

Those hit during the summer have the advantage of not having to wash winter coats and bag them between wearings. They do, however, have to deal with bed bugs that breed more quickly, and the effects on bites of heat and humidity, which can increase the itching considerably.

People stop sitting in soft furniture, walking barefoot at home, and resort to checking sheets and other bedclothes obsessively before getting in, and worrying about taking anything from home to car, work, or anywhere else. They shower, dress in fresh clothing, and rush out to work and appointments, because lingering at home means things might crawl into their clothing and be moved elsewhere.

I hear some entomologists and PCOs say that this sort of “hitchhiking” is a rarity and not something to worry about. But we all know people whose workplaces, cars, friends, relatives were infested under similar circumstances. And how else could the NYC public schools have bed bugs in them, if people were not bringing them in and out? (Last thing I checked, they weren’t brought in on used mattresses: politicians take note.) So even if it’s a slim threat, anyone with an awareness of the danger and any kind of conscience becomes concerned about it.

If you think about the people in your life who are elderly or suffering an illness, who are disabled, who have infants, who just plain don’t need to deal with all this (I think I covered everyone there), you consider what might happen if they were the ones exposed.

These behaviors we go through to try and avoid spreading bed bugs may look like an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but they’re surely not a disorder. Nevertheless, like OCD, they take up a lot of energy, and a lot of time, and they make people look at us strangely (if they see what we go through).

Most frequently asked questions here are about how to avoid or get rid of bed bugs, but since we’ve had more visitors lately, I want to do something to convey for those who don’t know, what this can be like, for months. At least. But this one is also for the Bedbuggers who are somewhere on the “road to recovery” from bed bugs. Even when the bed bug crisis is over, it takes a while for people to stop doing things this way, because the new habits become ingrained. At some point you need to realize the crisis is over and take some ceremonial steps towards the “normal” way of doing most things. Most of them, I stress: do continue to leave the cover on the mattress, and do not sit on the wooden benches on the NYC subway platforms!

There’s a scene from the movie Road Warrior, the dystopian film about a future where the hardy and haggard survivors of some apocalypse battle for survival in armored vehicles. Another unwashed fellow in rags and with rotten teeth exclaims to Mel Gibson’s character,

“Lingerie! Remember lingerie?”

Now this guy not only missed lingerie, he missed all the comforts of their pre-apocalyptic state (and, I assume, the inhabitants of said lingerie). That question rings in my mind, as I remember musing to a friend about how many months I went without sitting in my sofa.

“Comfort, remember comfort?”

The point is, you take a lot of things for granted in a modern, “technologically-advanced” country, and a lot of these are things you have to do without when you’re trying to rid your home of these vermin: pretty and comfortable clothing and furniture, free time, relaxing at home, a good night’s sleep.

To add insult to injury, the stigma is such that it’s hard to tell others, and if you do, they often still won’t understand. And often, some of those who don’t get it may be right there in your home, not being bitten, denying there’s a problem or unwilling to understand it, rolling their eyes, refusing to participate–after all, they too may think you suddenly developed OCD. I feel for them also, but that’s for another day. (Remember, they miss you, the way you were before: in nice clothes, not worried about little things, smiling.)

I was thrilled my friend bought new lingerie. It might sound silly, but it’s symbolic. Good for her. And I hope she does not ever have to go through all that again.

Bedbuggers: what’s the worst “new habit” you’ve had to develop in your fight against bed bugs?

And what’s the one thing you most look forward to doing again, when your home’s bed bug crisis is over?

• For friends and family of bedbuggers
• FAQ: how do I deal with clothing during treatment for bed bugs (and for a while later)?
• FAQ: How can I avoid spreading bedbugs to others when I visit their homes?
• Reader Question: how easy is it to spread bed bugs?

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After a few weeks of debating which approach to take (the M80
bomb or total fumigation with men in gas masks, or a more moderate
approach which the national chain Terminex offers).

I opted for terminex for a couple of reasons: we think our infestation is in the
early stages and we would prefer to have a less toxic approach then
the bomb fumigation) As terminex has explained their process
probably will take a longer time. so we are going with their appoach
wich involves a one year contract withnthe option to exterminate when
ever we need to within that contract period. has anyone else used
teminex and if so would you please give some feedback on your
experience with them. all comments are appreciated!

Thanks so much fellow bed bug warriors.

Katy, just to start things off, I am not sure how helpful we can be since you’ve already made your choice. That said, I am sure others will have feedback.

Keep in mind that Terminix is a franchise, so I suspect the quality of service and the PCO’s experience with killing bed bugs may vary, depending on the city.

I don’t know what an M80 is (maybe someone else does?) but we’re told in general that bombs don’t work for bed bugs (there may be some exceptions, but I’d ask at the thebedbugresource.com–they’re pest control professional, we’re sufferers, with a different set of knowledge).

If by “fumigation by men in gas masks” you mean Vikane gas, I understand this is very effective in single-family homes. It does not take months, unlike spraying, and I have a sense that repeated sprayings over time may actually cause people more harm, but that’s speculation. If you have not signed on the dotted line yet, I’d personally reconisder Vikane. It should be safe as long as the building is evacuated of all pets and people. “More moderate methods” can mean living with bed bugs for a long time.

There’s another option: thermal treatment, which means they heat every nook and cranny of your home, internally, to 140 F for 4+ hours. I think you have to remove some plastics, but other than that, it kills bugs and eggs and you don’t have to deal after that.

Most of us here do not go for thermal or Vikane options because we either live in regions where one is not available (thermal isn’t everywhere) or because we live in multi-unit dwellings (Vikane has to be used to treat the entire structure, not an apartment.)

Others want to weigh in on this one?

• FAQ: what is Vikane gas fumigation?
• “Bombs don’t work on bed bugs.” Citation, anyone?
• Ryerson University: a study in unenthusiastic bed bug control practices
• bed bugs on NPR again: “Bed bugs spiralling out of control all over” according to Richard Cooper

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Why is it that some people aren’t being bitten and some are? Example: My boyfriend and I share an apartment. I am being bitten all night long. He, on the other hand, does not seem to be bothered at all by these critters. Please, I need an answer.

The short answer is that some people are not allergic to bed bugs so they don’t notice they’re being bitten. It’s also possible that others may not be bitten at all. I saw one report that suggested as many as 70% of people live with bed bugs and either aren’t bitten or are bitten and don’t notice (maybe someone can point me to where it was, but I know Parakeets and others have seen this statistic too). Nobody has a definitive answer as to why, and frankly, I guess researchers are a bit too busy trying to figure out how to kill bed bugs (and also, find out how many bed bugs are resistant to which insecticides and how to find new ways to kill them) to spend much time on questions like this. I am sure that if bed bugs stick around a while, we’ll learn a lot more about them.

Given that we don’t know for certain, a few sources (of the news article or fact-sheet variety) have suggested that women may be more likely than men to either be bitten or feel the bites (again, we don’t know if this is true, but for what little its worth, it appears that way to me), and that this may be because women’s body temperatures differ from men’s (very slightly). (Are they higher? Lower? Does it matter? If anyone has a source on this, help me out. I’m ready to study as a Yogi to try and adjust my temperature to something less tasty!) It’s among the vast wealth of stuff I gleaned from goodness-knows-where when I first started reading about bed bugs. I rushed onwards to find the “how to stop them” information, but now wish I’d taken down some names. I will update this FAQ when someone tips me off or when I find them again.

Even if many or even most people with bed bugs aren’t itchy or aren’t bitten, most of our readers (though not all) are among the itchy. Why? Well, itchy people, and those who are really worried about their itchy partners, are most likely to come on the site and try and find a solution. Bed bugs would make one heck of a torture device.

Reader, the fact that every able adult isn’t affected by having bed bugs in the home is really one of the worst things about bed bugs. I am going out on a limb saying this, since many readers no doubt have bed bugs but are among the non-itchy and/or non-bitten sector of the bedbugger community (here’s a a shout out to Bugzinthehood!) Let me clarify: I don’t mean I want everyone to suffer!

However, I do wish bed bugs were noticed, somehow, by everyone who had them, because then we would not have people developing serious infestations, which they do not notice (and so can’t treat) until bed bugs are running up the walls in broad daylight. With out the early warning of itching, many people don’t get treatment until an infestation has gotten very, very bad. Some of the non-afflicted don’t even get treated then. If they never wake up and see themselves bitten, a small minority of people just won’t care.

If everyone got a clear and non-ignorable “sign,” it would reduce another problem, which this reader has touched on (and my heart goes out to her): those of us who are “the one who itches” in a relationship or communal-living situation don’t just suffer the enormous discomfort (and in rare cases even life-threatening allergic reactions) of bed bug bites. We often also have to deal with a partner or housemate who doesn’t get it–especially in cases where the bed bugs are elusive and never present themselves for clear-tape-sampling and close-up photos.

The effects of those we live with “not getting it” range from a reluctance on their part to getting treatment or to cooperating with treatment protocols, to the non-afflicted partner doubting the other’s experiences. People have been called crazy by loved ones, many times. Many arguments have been fought, and no doubt, some relationships have crumbled under the weight of what is a very stressful situation (whether you’re the one itching, or not).

There’s nothing worse than having those closest to you (either physically or emotionally) not getting the fact that an invisible creature they haven’t seen, that has no effect on them, is physically making you miserable. And when the only solution includes expensive treatments, inconvenient laundering and bagging, and sometimes even parting with stuff temporarily or for a long time, these significant others are likely to be even more hostile to the idea of solving your problem. Hostile in a way they’d never be if you had a verifiable illness or a clearly visible pest.

These skeptical partners, relatives and housemates need to get that bed bugs don’t affect everyone, and are not always easy to spot, but that they can seriously damage one’s physical and emotional health, they need to be eradicated and that extreme measures are generally necessary.

In addition to giving a shout out to the loving partners and solid friends who do support the itchier folks, despite the stretch of the imagination doing so can require, it would also be remiss of me not to express some sympathy for the non-afflicted partners and friends who don’t get it, since in most cases, they’re good, caring people, and it’s certainly not easy to live with someone suffering from bed bugs. It would also be irresponsible for me not to admit that sometimes people do have other causes besides bed bugs for their itching. Sometimes, it really is in their head, or in their laundry detergent, or in the hot tub that gave them folliculitis, among other possible causes. But it also is really common for one person in a place not to be affected by bed bugs, while those sleeping in the same bed or home, or working in the same office or school, are.

We need to get that information circulated more widely: people don’t always know they have bed bugs. This doesn’t just pertain to the non-itchy spouse or roommate. People in multi-unit dwellings –especially those living alone– need to learn to look for other signs of bed bugs (like the black specks and the cast-off shells), landlords need to have adjacent units (top, bottom, sides) of infested units treated as well as actively investigating whether other tenants may be infested but not noticing it. Because people who aren’t allergic to bed bugs and don’t live with anyone who is, are the ones whose infestations are likeliest to grow the largest (and spread most widely) before being treated.

• FAQ: Bed bugs are crawling on me all the time. I am being bitten all day long, no matter where I go!
• Bed bug notice: East Village, NYC, January 2008
• World exclusive: Bedbuggers experiment with being bitten, on purpose! (Part 2)
• Do not watch this if you have an active bed bug infestation

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Yorkshire Girl’s story of bed bug woe:

Living in the North of England you don’t hear many stories of bed bugs - in fact I think most people assume they are the same as dust mites. I know to my horror they are not.

The first week in January, I finally identified the odd bug in the bedroom to be bedbugs. Had noticed an odd beetle here and there for months but as we live in a very old terraced house just assumed they were some kind of brick beetle. Put down the blood spots on bedding to various things - partner’s spots (editor’s note: spots = pimples, for you North Americans), old cat on bed always in fights etc. We must have had them for months - it was only when we moved the bed and I found a scene I never want to see again that we knew something was very wrong. Even then we had no idea what they were - 5 minutes later on the internet and we knew.

The problem is now getting rid of them for good - we are lucky in that our local council offers a free pest control service for people in our area with bedbugs. We are not lucky that they have very little experience of eradicating them. The PCO herself admits she is still learning and that last year they only dealt with 6 cases (this year - from April 06 - has reached over 30). She has now treated the bedroom twice. Inbetween the bedroom being treated we found them in the living room downstairs - I rang the pest control office and her manager wouldn’t belive me. He jut kept saying bedbugs are only ever found in bedrooms. I told him they were most definately the same bugs as we had in the bedroom. Reluctantly he sent the PCO out again.

We still have them upstairs - and yesterday found 5 in the bathroom.

As the house is so very old there are gaps behind the skirting boards and in the floorboards. I think they are spreading. The worst thing happened yesterday. I work in an open plan large office. At lunch time after i’d been at work 4 hours i looked down and one was on my leg! I quickly squished it but it had obviously just fed off my leg as was full of blood. I only hope I haven’t infected the workplace. Does anyone know if this is possible? The PCO is coming out to treat the bedroom for a third time tomorrow - I know its useless asking her advice re the office I work in as she didn’t even know to advise us to wash all our clothes on the hottest wash.

I have a feeling this year is going to be one long fight.

Many thanks for any advice or help!

Yorkshire Girl

Hello Yorkshire Girl!

I have a few responses, and I am sure the readers will have more to say.

First, bed bugs infest homes, not beds, as you discovered, so they can be in any parts of your home , though often are found in baseboards, floorboards, and ceilings, and behind electrical switchplates. They may be in and around the sofa or other sitting places. If it is an attached house, they may even come from another house. Finding them in bathrooms sometimes happens in multi-unit dwellings, apartment buildings or what you’d call a block of flats–they can travel along pipes and in larger buildings might enter the home along a plumbing pipe coming from another unit. In your case, if there’s a shared wall, they could be in there, and so they can come from a neighbor–or go to the neighbor, if the home is attached! They may even be in a bathroom in a single house, though I don’t think this is common to all sufferers, I do imagine it’s more common in a larger infestation, and if you’ve found a number of bugs, including five in your bathroom yesterday, it does unfortunately sound like a substantial infestation.

Your house should therefore be treated in its entirety, since you have confirmed the presence of bed bugs in the sitting/living room, bathroom, and bedroom. (Most of us here have had problems in bedrooms and living rooms–being bitten on the sofa is very common.) Your PCO needs to understand this. If they do not believe you, send them to our site. And if they think we are not knowledgeable, or they’d like to converse with other PCOs, they can go to the theBedBugResource.com, where PCOs discuss their methods amongst themselves. Any PCO who is still learning about bed bugs (and I don’t blame them for being at that stage, due to the recent upsurge in bed bugs, they may need time to catch up) would probably benefit from talking to other PCOs with more experience.

Your PCO needs to treat your entire house and come back to retreat every two weeks until the problem is entirely gone. This is because the treatment does not kill the eggs, which will hatch within 10-12 days and start biting. Once you are bug and bite free for several weeks, they can ease up.

Sealing cracks (caulking) should be part of your treatment. Sealing floors may also help if you have large cracks.

Also, it’s possible that you took bed bugs to work. Make sure you read our FAQs thoroughly–remember that we’re told drying on hot is as important as washing on hot (scientists say the drying is what will kill the bugs), as much as this can be a nuisance for people who can’t do this at home. And remember to keep your washed clothing sealed in bags with airtight seals. Or they can be reinfested. Many of us choose to be quite cautious about how we leave our homes and with what, when we’re infested. For example, taking a shower and putting on laundered clothes straight from a sealed bag, going out the door with only a bag that was sealed while in the home, wearing a coat and shoes which have similarly been protected somehow. It is extremely exhausting, but can help stop the spread. Most of us are cautious about not infesting friends and family, and not getting them in the car or workplace. (We have a FAQ about not spreading bugs when we travel, which might help.) There’s a chance this was one hitchhiker who managed to get to work. Or maybe a colony has started there.

But it’s also probable, especially if your house is not attached to another house with bed bugs, that you brought bed bugs into your home–from a hotel, from another person’s home, or even from your job. You may not know where they came from, and it is possible they started at work. Whether you brought them to work or brought them home from work, your workplace should be treated. You should tell your boss you found a bed bug on your leg at work. I’m not sure you need to assume the blame for spreading them there, since you’re not sure that’s what happened (they move in two directions).

I know others will have additional advice for you, and I encourage you, Yorkshire Girl, to click “comments” with any further questions we can answer. Remember, you can always use your nickname and fake emails in the comments box, so don’t be shy about commenting.

• Bed bugs can travel along pipes, infest bathrooms
• Flea market nightstand: $10. Bed bug treatment: $3000. No more bed bugs: priceless.
• FAQ: how do I deal with clothing during treatment for bed bugs (and for a while later)?
• FAQ: Think you have bed bugs? Some dos and don’ts

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I’m Edgie in San Francisco.

I moved to this apartment last June and learned from a
neighbor that there were bed bug problems. I didn’t know
what a bedbug was, but quickly learned. I also started
getting small bites pretty regularly, not big welty
ones though.

I have been reading most of the FAQs and
understand bites can be different on different people.
I too went to the MD and was (mis)diagnosed with scabies.
While the medication was on me, I was bitten on my
stomach. Meanwhile, I called in a request the the
property mgmt. co. requesting treatment. No response.

I was getting concerned that my little bites could be
baby bed bug bites and insisted that the unit be treated.

Then, I started looking to public agencies for help.

The building inspector ended up calling the property
mgr. and Terminix arrived on the scene. They treated
the unit 3 times, and I still got bites.

During this time, I too was washing and washing, my clothes are
all bagged. I was still getting bites, and learned
that the building was sold.

I decided to hire another PCO to come and treat and the biting has been reduced,
I have many days with no bites. They have treated 4
times. Since the building has been sold, I learned
that the new owners, a giant property company-will let
me out of my lease, and give me a relocation package
too. I need to tell you that the first PCO, while
treating, never saw evidence of BBs. The second guy
didn’t find bugs, casings or fecal stuff either.

I have asked a few bug specialists for advice (The
Bugman and Sean from the bedbugresource.com) Both said I need
to have a competent PCO or entomologist come here and
inspect, to make sure of what is in here, as this
person would find evidence of BBs. So I have a list
of PCOs that I will call to see if any of them will
do a bed bug inspection, they inspect for termites, I
think they should do it for BBs too. But will they?

My idea about moving would be to take as little as
possible, wait a few more months, maybe the bites will
stop altogether, AND someone can do a thorough
inspection here to help me know what the culprit is. I
really wanted to tell this to someone who knows how
truly complicated the problem is.

Thank You No Bugs, and all the other bedbuggers for being there,

Sincerely,

Edgie

• Bed bugs in a senior apartment building in San Diego
• Bed bugs in Hamilton, Ontario: lessons for landlords and local governments
• Bowling Green Towers: another infestation in elderly and disabled housing
• Bowling Green Towers: residents organize to demand proper bed bug treatment in low-income building

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Ellie posted a question on one of the FAQs, which will probably get more feedback here.

Ellie Engler, Feb 5th 2007 at 8:53 am

The United Federation of Teachers represents more than 100,000 staff working in more than 1400 buildings where there are more than 1.2 million students in school We have received many reports of bedbugs and follow the NYC Health Department Protocol, the bedbug is bagged (not easy to find them), sent to the health department for confirmation and then the Board of Education will address the problem.

This process takes time and our staff and parents are very upset. We believe that the Board of Education believes that this is not a school problem because the bugs come from home.

Any advice?

Ellie, you should definitely read this post I wrote, about bed bugs in the NYC schools. Bed bugs are not like lice and do not necessarily “come from home,” because they can travel in any direction. Someone brought them in to the school, but in many cases, students and staff may be taking them from school and introducing them into homes for the first time. They don’t live on people, but in a place, and it is quite common to be bitten for a long time before you ever see one.

I think the union should take a stand on this. You could probably enlist the assistance of NYC-based entomologists and perhaps some of the really good Pest Control Operators who would back you up on what a ridiculous policy it is to assume you will see bed bugs, and to assume the families are to blame. Political action may be necessary. Let us know if we can help with that effort.

The city needs to understand that bed bugs can come from home to school with anyone who enters the building (rich or poor, teacher, student, admin, visitor, or staff), or even in “stuff”. And they can go from school to home with all the same types of people.

Of course, the schools will take things seriously when some students’ families, staff, and teachers get bed bugs from school and start to sue. Few have this within their means, I know, but a class action is always a possibility. The BoE should deal with this more proactively and avoid such a situation.

Of course, the city is pretending the problem does not really exist anywhere. As I’ve said many times, they keep producing this number of 4600-some complaints between summer 2005 and summer 2006, of which 1/3 were legit bed bug cases. The owner of Pest Away, meanwhile, told the Village Voice he got 85 legitimate bed bug calls from customers per day (and 15 false alarms).

Mayor Bloomberg, are you listening?
That 85 x 5 days a week x 52 weeks a year = 22,100. Perhaps my math teachers did a better job than those of the city’s officials, or perhaps they’d like to ignore the fact that one PCO is getting 22,100 calls in a year. There are hundreds of PCOs serving the 5-borough area. The city is in the midst of a genuine epidemic, and the bugs are excellent hitchhikers. Nevertheless, they are also excellent at infesting a place.

Anyone who claims they are not can explain why so many Bedbuggers have sofas that are infested. Why we have infested mattresses when we never took in a used one, and why our cars get infested if we’re not careful. Friends and relatives have become infested after we visit them for one night. Bed bugs spread easily.

It stands to reason that the schools will get bed bugs from some people and give them to many others, in the space of time it takes for a teacher to spot one, catch it, and bag it for identification.

• More on the New York City schools and bed bugs
• NYC Bedbuggers: time to have some local politicians over for a bite or two
• New York City public schools continue to be treated for bed bugs
• Bed Bugs in NYC schools: DOE spokeswoman Marjorie Feinberg needs better bed bug information

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