As some of you know, I (Nobugs, since the current Wordpress theme does not tell you who’s writing) get a lot of emails.

Many of them contain questions, some people are very distraught. Some have bed bugs, some have something else. I also get suggestions for bed bug solutions (some of which would amaze you), both homemade and mass marketed, and wise and helpful suggestions from entomologists and PCOs. And I also hear from happy readers, expressing appreciation for the site. Well those thanks should really go to everyone, so I asked Erica permission to share her message, and she agreed:

Hi there,

I just wanted to drop you and everyone else who lent their fabulous
advice a big thank you. After 3 weeks of bites, my roommates and I
explored our bedframes and found evidence of bed bugs, and 2 live
bugs. (I’d read the New York Times articles when they came out so i
was suspicious of bed bugs, but i still thought it was mosquitos/spiders that were biting me. My roommate’s dermatologist told her she had a skin condition.)

Because of your site, particularly the dos and don’ts, we were able to
deal with this quickly and (hopefully) effectively. We did all our
laundry and it dried forever, plus got mattress covers. Our landlord
was happy to help and his PCO came today. He said it was a very minor infestation. He’s coming back again next week but I’m hopeful that it won’t get worse/if it does we’ll be ready.

I’m still keeping things bagged just to be sure. And every itch makes
my heart jump, but we’ve had no bites since last Wednesday.

I think its terrible that so many people (and beds) had to be
sacrificial lambs, but you should know its not in vain. You are the
Lewis and Clarks of this bizarre affliction. You should all get
medals.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

-erica

(brooklyn)

Thanks, Erica! As I said offlist, as long as you’re vigilant and have that PCO come back every two weeks until there are no more bites, or signs of live bugs, you should be fine. I am really glad the site helped you.

Bedbuggers, you’ve probably realized that of the nearly 500 people who visit the site every day, less than 10 are commenting on any given day. Your suggestions and advice are helping people, like Erica, that you don’t even know are reading. Thank you, bed bug Lewises and Clarks for your help in making this site useful for our readers!

Readers, you can always drop us a comment any time (don’t be put off if it’s a question and we redirect you to the “Tales of Woe” thread–it just helps keep the site organized so others can find what they need). Commenting with a fake name is fine and though Nobugs is the only one who will see your email (it isn’t displayed), a fake email will work fine in the comment box. Let us know you’re out there. And keep sending those emails. I really appreciate the feedback!

• FAQ: I am not in the US. Can you tell me where to buy XL ziplocs, or what mattress covers are called in my country?
• Reader question: if I don’t react to bites, how do I know they’re gone?
• bite photos
• updated FAQ

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