Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe
Advice?
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nyjammin
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Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jul 15 2007 8:18:16
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Ok. Here's what's going on now. Of course, I still have bbs. I have tried so very hard to isolate my bed but I don't think it's working. I've caulked the heck outta it and encased my boxspring and mattress. I've checked everywhere for holes in the encasements and frame, but can't find any!! My b/f said throw it away and get a foldaway cot and then isolate that. We are also going to throw away all of our wood furniture, but not until we get some metal shevling to put our tvs and lamps on. Someone here suggested Home Depot and those shelvings are great, but they are too small for all the bins that I bought and we want shelving that holds our big bins. If I get the shelving at Home Depot, then I will havta buy all new bins that are small including the shelving which could run into the hundreds of dollars. This is costing me so much money, money that I do not have. I'm wanting to just throw everything away and just sleep on aerobeds, but my b/f will not have that? He's saying that it will all be for nothing and we will still have the bbs. I'm thinking he's right.
I haven't had a pco for a few weeks because I was getting more bites after they did their treatment and I can't even afford to have them come back anymore. I've been vacuuming and putting down de, but that does not seem to be working. Dforce and kleenfree are all so much money.
I believe I have bb samples and nice Mr. Lou Sorkin said I could bring them in for identification. But what if he says they are bb and then I get treated by my landlord and then I need more evidence? Cause I know that my landlord will bomb the place and then retreat in 3 weeks and then say "Well, no more treatments". Would Mr. Sorkin be willing to identify bbs for me more than once? If I still have bbs after my landlord's treatment and I still have them I would need proof for HPD complaints through 311. I don't wanna keep bothering him. I was thinking of trying to talk to my management instead of my super and trying to educate them, but I don't know if they'll listen. If they do, great, but what if they don't. Then I'll have to file a complaint w/311. There was a story on News12 The Bronx about a building that has bbs and other violations and that they called 311 and still nothing seems to be getting done. This is what I'm afraid of. I don't wanna battle w/my landlord. They've been so nice and helpful. Our building is very clean for a low-income building and they always repair things and they give us free turkeys on Thanksgiving, etc. I'm not saying that this is an excuse for having bbs and not treating properly. I'm also afraid I'll be "blacklisted" if I take them to Housing Court.
Because of all of this I'm thinking of moving. I know that I'll most likely take these bbs with me, but at least where I'm going I can have my own washer and dryer which will save me money so I could hire a competent pco and I can do other things like paint the floors and caulk and buy some kleenfree, etc because the rent would be cheaper.
I wish I could poison the hell outta this apartment, but don't wanna 'cause of the kids' health. Sorry for the long post.
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Lou Sorkin is extremely generous and very helpful to bedbuggers in offering to identify bedbugs. He believes very strongly that you need to identify what is biting you. I would just write to him for instructions to drop off any new samples. I am certain he will accommodate you.
On the issue of talking to management, I definitely would. I would raise all my concerns about the repeated treatments, the problem continuing and my well-informed doubts over bombs, if that is what the landlord's PCO intends. If you speak calmly, knowledgeably and without threats, you may find an attentive ear and a willingness to help. You can stress how rapidly bugs may spread and ask about inspections of the apartments adjacent to yours. I don't see what you have to lose at this point.
Also, there are always things that can go wrong with anything. Thinking about them in a despairing way does not help. Asking, what if? unless it is to aid you in carefully planning for contingencies, will probably just paralyze you with fear and inaction. You need to solve your problem and act decisively in order to do so. Take the next best step. Yes, analyze your situation, but don't stop there.
The moving option we have discussed several times and it's a good one if you do everything you need to do.
You need PCO treatments, Jammin, now or in your new apartment, or both. How many treatments, with nightshirt's PCO, have you had? In any case, I think it's possible for you to get rid of them and, if indeed they are in other apartments in your building, at least long enough before they re-migrate to yours, in order to move to a new place.
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nightshirt
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Posts: 455
Posted 2 years ago
Wed Jul 18 2007 14:27:18
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nyj - you gotta get a move on.
you infestation must be horrendous since you are still thinkong of using a pco and havent used one yet? if you used the one i suggested a LONG LONG time ago they should probably be pretty much gone by now. i know each case is individual but if you followed protocol they would be on their way (unless re-infested frm another apt.).
i dont understand why you are asking the same advise abut stuff you asked 4 months ago.
ps - dont let the landlord "bomb" your place. that is a no-no.
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nyjammin
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Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Wed Jul 18 2007 15:33:28
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nightshirt: I understand you totally. What's holding me back is money, money and money. I used your guys, I think, like 2x because for some reason the bites seemed to be getting worse. It really looked like that I had more bites so I stopped using them. I was also reading that gentrol might make things worse and I thought that the use of gentrol was actually making it worse??
When you say "horrendous" does that also mean hopeless? :(
We are going to tell our super's pco NOT to bomb the place.
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I think the complication here is that neighbors surely have BBs and so even if Jammin gets treated by nightshirt's good PCO, they may still keep coming.
This is especially so if you toss all your furniture, more neighbors are bound to pick it up.
In this case following up with 311 might help. But they will say you have to let the super's PCO treat (assuming the super's PCO is licensed).
Jammin, are you still moving?
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nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Jul 18 2007 18:52:21
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I'm letting my landlord's pco do his treatment on Friday. And I'm getting a receipt each and every time he treats afterward so I can have proof that I at least let my landlord try to treat and that it's not working, that's IF the treatments don't work. Then I could go the 311 route.
I'm putting in numerous applications for moving and may be moving in a few months. If I move to the apartment I want to move to, then things should be ok from there on out. I would be able to paint the floors or put down tiles. I will have free electric and can have a washer and a dryer and the rent is cheaper. All in all, this should "save" me monetary wise. I could do continuous laundry and drying. Even though I will be renting, I will hire a competent pco myself to do multiple treatments upon moving in (if they do it, hopefully) and also do some precautionary things like vikane gassing some of my things like tv, computer, etc. Not taking the beds or futon and will probably buy air mattresses with cheap frames, etc. Then, I will treat also as if I have bbs so as hopefully to not have any more if I do transport them. Will bag all clothes and put in bins, etc. As Dee said on bedbugger group and Bugalina here on the forum, these bbs cost A LOT of money. Since I'm on a limited budget, I need to make as much money as possible to treat for success!
Nobugs, why do you think they are coming from other apts.? I do see black spots that smear on my sheets and the window sills. But I do not know if it's because they are coming from other apts. Also, no one else is complaining. I would think that they would have noticed somthing by now??
My super's pco says he's licensed on the card, but has no number. I tried to log into NPMA and try to find if he is but couldn't, so how could I check? Also, how would he be able to get chemicals for all his clients is he's not licensed?
Thanks and sorry for the long post.
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Jammin,
I can only guess.
You live in a multi-unit bldg.
You've had bed bugs for how long now?
Chances are even if you brought them in (which is an IF, not a given), that others have them now.
If your PCO has bombed several times, they likely spread to others at that time too.
If you have your own PCO treat, the neighbors' bugs can come back.
Also, if you toss your furniture, your neighbors will take it and they will have bugs too if they don't already. -
parakeets
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Posted 2 years ago
Thu Jul 19 2007 8:28:30
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Money is not enough. I have the money to hire a PCO but I can't. The PCOs in Boston I called won't treat just one unit in a multi-unit building. They say it's useless, and that the landlord has to treat the whole building. My landlord does some treatment, but it is not effective. I'm in a bind.
I'm interested in the fact that you are moving. You want to make sure that you are not moving to a place that has bedbugs (they might not tell you!!!) and that you don't take any bedbugs or eggs with you. Is it possible to hire a PCO specifically for moving procedures and preparation? I got scared at the Boston bedbug conference when they talked about the people who moved from an infested unit into a motel, taking just the clothes they were wearing and their medicines, but in 3 days the PCOs found evidence that these tenants had infested the motel with bedbugs. I also feel the only way out for me is by moving, but unless I don't take anything with me, I don't know how to do that, and also I'm afraid I'll simply move to another place with bedbugs. They seem to be so common, and so unspoken about, in multi-unit housing in Boston. I'm in an upscale suburban town in a small building. If they are in my building, they are most likely nearly everyplace.
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nyjammin
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Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Thu Jul 19 2007 9:25:55
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Keets, so sorry to hear about your situation. Can't you caulk all around your apartment to keep it isolated from the other bb apartments?
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nyjammin
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Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 21 2007 7:24:53
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Can someone please give me advice. My landlord's pco came yesterday and I think he actually did a good job. Sprayed everything and everywhere and took about 1 1/2 hours with permicide, baygon, gentrol and sterifab. He did NOT bomb. My thing is that one of my kids and my b/f developed a bad itchy reaction to the pesticides. My b/f is really worried that we are poisoning ourselves by getting so many treatments. Don't forget, I also hired 2 different pcos in the past and they sprayed as well. Anyway, my b/f took a shower at 2am and slept on two of the bins that the clothes are stored away in because of the itchiness he thought was probably from the bed. My youngest, who is 7 did not sleep at all. He was up all night crying about the itchiness on his body, face and eyes. The pco sprayed the mattresses with the encasements on and the bedframes and everywhere else.
I demanded that they come back in 3 weeks. They will not come back in 2. They said "if you see anything we will come back". So now, I have to lie and say I saw a bug so that they will come back. I tried to educate my pco about bb pooh and showed him the smear marks and he said "That's not them." He also said that he sprayed other apartments and they got the job done in 1 or 2 treatments and that I'm the only one complaining. They kept saying "We don't see any here in your apartment and when we spray for bbs we usually see them and I checked and I don't see any." He asked me if I feel them biting and I had to lie to say yes even though I do not. And he said "Well, maybe you're getting bit by something else." Or he says if I still have them then I'm reintroducing them back. Even though we printed out articles from NYTimes and USNews and World report and SHOWED him that some treatments take 4,5,6 times. He said he doesn't believe those articles.
I will and can demand them come back. My only concern is that when they re-spray, my family will have the same reaction with the itchniness. My b/f says that I am poisoning our family by something we don't have. I can't vacuum or wash because pco said give the chemicals time to work. I'm afraid to use drione or de anymore because of my family's reaction to the chemicals. I really feel now that these bbs are winning. Sorry to sound down, but this is how I feel. I KNOW I have bbs and no one believes me. I have smear marks on my encasements and bites. My thing is now, I'm afraid to have them spray because of bad reaction and NOT have them spray because the bbs will become more.
BTW: Now my b/f thinks he's right because I've been following you guys and now things are worse. I feel so alone and wrong and helpless.
I can't afford to stay out of the house for like 24 hours in a hotel every time they spray and can't stay at a relatives because they will get suspicious. Please, any suggestions?
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Jammin, did you take your son to the doctor? Please do that first and then we'll talk about the rest.
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A PCO has to give you instructions about how long to remain out of the apartment after treatment. And how long to air the apartment by opening all the windows (while you are out) before you come in. In other words, for me, based on my PCO's instructions for the pesticides used, it was 5 hours out of the apartment (I usually went to work and came back late at night) and then come back to open all the windows and leave for at least another 1/2 hour and then everything would be fine. The smell still was strong but I was fine (and I am extremely sensitive and was careful not to be inside the apartment with the tech during spraying).
Everything and anything sprayed on any sleeping surfaces has to be completely dry before you put clean sheets on to sleep.
So, I guess, some questions: how long was your son out of the apartment? was he out during the actual spraying? was his bed (encasements, etc.) still damp from the spray? etc.
You need to discuss these allergic reactions with the PCO. They have to know. And, like I said, obviously your son should see a doctor.
Please note, like I believe I've told you before, that I got very sick when my former apartment was sprayed with an illegical pesticide, and I stayed out for more than 24 hours. Pesticides are serious business and everyone should know what they're doing. That's why we were so concerned when you used Drione before, if you remember. So, talk to your PCO about your son's reactions and see a doctor and make a decision after you have more information.
No, I would not spray again until this was resolved to my satisfaction.
Finally, you need to keep track of every substance that was used. So, you need to ask the PCO what specific Baygon, I understand there are different formulations. You can then do your own research and, more important, answer the doctor's questions with specifics.
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nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jul 22 2007 8:21:02
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Nomo: my son was NOT in the apt. during spraying. We were out for like 8 hours. Came back, aired the house out and there were no wet spots at all. I made sure everything was dried before putting sheets back on our beds. I believe my son has real sensitive skin because when I Dforced the car and my son went in it a day later he had a rash on the back of his legs where they touched the car. I believe the bunkbed posts have residue on them and my son is on the top bunk and he needs to touch the steps to get to the top. I think then he touched his face. My boyfriend said that the pesticides are everywhere and that's the problem because he was itching and I was itching a little as well. But thankfullness my 13 year old had no reactions.
Took my son to the doctor and told them that I had an exterminator spray for bugs and everything was dry, but maybe there was leftover residue. They said that he's probably experiencing a reaction to the chemicals. I asked if next time I should maybe stay out for one or two days and she said yes. But, my boyfriend is correctly worried about all these pesticides being sprayed. He doesn't want to have our apartment sprayed for fear something might happen to one of us.
I asked a pco for a receipt and he said no that he needed to give the receipt to the management for payment. I saw what pesticides he wrote, but that's all.
I feel like I'm in a pickle now. My b/f says "no more pesticides". But, if we don't do that then the bbs will multiply. If we do use them then I'm afraid something will happen to us. I would be willing to pay for a hotel, but that can get expensive after every 2 weeks and who knows if the hotels have bbs in them.
My goodness, this is a total nightmare.
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OK, Jammin. Step by step.
You've been around here long enough to learn that the non-pesticide way to deal with bedbugs, where thermal and such is not available, is:
-exclusion
-isolation
-steaming
-cleaning like mad (vacuuming, washing, you name it)
-DE (freshwater diatomaceous earth, NOT Drione)So, my question to you is, and I'm not looking to offend, is your boyfriend going to help you? Is he going to help you caulk your whole apartment, take the bedframes apart, pick up a vacuum cleaner? Because life is full of difficult choices and bad situations, perfection is nowhere, so like they say, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem. And this can be done but it's a heck of a lot of work, as I'm sure you know.
Goodness, is your boyfriend the least supportive man we've seen around here...
You have to protect your children at all costs. That comes first, second and third. However, does that mean that you have to live with bedbugs, Jammin? I hope not. If it were me, I would persist with treatments, by staying at a hotel (you know there are ways to take precautions to not spread them and not get new ones). But, obviously, I'm not you. You do what you have to do for your family. Isn't that how it works? I'm sure you know this already. There is nothing that I can tell you that you don't already know.
I'm sorry, I don't have any more advice than this. We all have to do what is important for us, and that means setting our priorities straight.
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Sun Jul 22 2007 11:06:04
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yes, setting our priorties straight and sticking with them until we find and even better measure. Thanks nomo--all the info has been handed out here, often.
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nyjammin
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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jul 24 2007 8:34:07
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My pco came and treated on Friday. Now, I noticed roaches in my bedroom. Why wouldn't the chemicals kill the roaches and where the heck are the roaches coming from? I've never had roaches before. May a few times in the bathroom which I think were coming from another apartment. I caulked the medicine cabinet 'cause that's where I was finding them and then they went away. What would they be doing in my bedroom anyway? I never bring food in there and I don't have clutter thanks to having bbs and I'm clean. But, even if they were coming from upstairs how come they didn't die from the residuals that the pco sprayed? This concerns me on how effective the pesticides are working against the bbs and maybe the roaches can tell me where the bbs are coming from?
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wantmyskinback
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jul 24 2007 8:59:25
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Jammin, don't worry about the roaches. If your PCO did things right he used special chemicals for blood sucking insects which roaches aren't. Different chems work on different critters. That's what I understand....however...i think it might be time to toss all your things that you think are infested....now that it's summer it's easy to do...and get a few cans of OIL based paint and paint your walls and every crack around all the baseboards etc....
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jul 24 2007 23:34:42
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Hey all you new bites...
here is concise useful link to Michael F. Potter's article covering many, indeed most, but not all of the non-chemical measures in bed bug treatments. I don’t think it talks about carpet tape or crushing a bug in a tissue and flushing it down the toilet, always a great relief mechanically for me … When I was out of instant coffee jars to capture them in:http://pctonline.com/articles/article.asp?ID=2822&IssueID=226
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meckman
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Jul 25 2007 12:32:41
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Thanks for posting this, willow. Very interesting information.
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 27 2007 16:13:27
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it is short concise and coherent. it is like ... new bites ... read and read then print out things like this or fave them huh? yes it deserves to be boosted up to the top thread, where ... most people seem to want to read and to post.
(This is not necessarily the best practice)
....
Well ... we all do it.If I want to help i have to go where the new bites go.
"Guys n Gals" ... ... check out the sight search feature someday?
MMMMMMMAH!
Smackaroooni!
Love
Willow (the guy with the plastic bag pillow) -
willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 27 2007 16:22:46
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jammin ... how many samples did you get to Sorkin, and what, did he say they WERE--if not bed bugs...
Common jammin ... you can tell us ...
Don't forget ... I once put my hand in a little bit of vasaline and I nearly had a heart attack! I was on here saying I found bed bug eggs in goop and God knows how many bits of coffee and chocolate and grime, that I thougth was bed bug scat--was more like plain ol' dirt.I'm also begining to wonder if you have some allergies on top of the bed bug problem, and I ask if that is compounding your skin reaction (s)
Can you detail them.
Recall ... DE even plain fresh water is very irritating to the skin at times for many.Guys the sites selling plain DE are now begining to recommend it be put on the bed ... I'm not really so sure about that--Not even the PLAIN KIND. I did have it on the bed for a short while... I threw it into the wash for a month or so.
I think it did me more harm than more good used in thast fashion.I now see ... if the bed is kept 100% isolated fro, all bed bugs ... then there is NO NEED to put it on the sheets or under the sheets.
On the frame ... that's a different story.
I saw it, last night, and I was shocked: DE, over a short period of time ... easily will dry out and thin out the skin.
It made me itch, and then, I was even less sure of what the hell I had up in here, and; I coujld not fathom how much or how many bugs were still hovvering on my bed.
I do want to know jammin ...
(pm it if you prefer)Willow
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nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Jul 27 2007 19:13:55
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WTW: I showed Mr. Lou about 5-7 "specimens" so to speak. Some of them seem like brown dirt, but they are shiny and some of them are not shiny but are the shape of bbs without any legs, antenae (spelling?), etc. So, Lou said that since there are no traces of bb in that way that it was just dirt. But, I said, "Yeah, but some of this brown dirt is shiny, couldn't those be bugs?" and then he said "yes", but he doesn't think it's bbs. So, now I have no evidence except the black dots and black smears and bites. I put drione down around the bed posts in my room only and in between the boxspring and mattress which have encasements on them. I also put a white powdery residue where my headboard is next to the floorboards (where no one has access to BTW), and sprinkled some underneath my bed. I did not put drione at all in my sons' room. When I do, it's behind the dressers and along the floorboards where my kids cannot get access to it. I don't think it's anything else except bites, I truly believe this. My bites never itched and still don't. They are little red pimples, although overall I had about 3 bites that itched, but that was all. I don't think it's an allergic reaction, only because of the black specks I see. I would not put drione, or de or anything on top of the beds because I got hell from all you guys last time when I was in desparate mode and I learned my lesson.
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Jammin, is the dirt on the beds? And I thought your son had blood spots on his sheets? Are you the only one with bites?
I think you should try the glue traps, even if they're not the most reliable, it's worth a try.
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willow-the-wisp
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Posted 2 years ago
Sat Jul 28 2007 12:16:29
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Well I hope you get the new building. I signed my lease yesterday to stay here... it was worse than having to give birth to a cow-=-and I'm a guy, so; you can imagine how awful I've felt 4 so long ..............
The one option I had to move--seems less and less of an option. Inadvertently met one of the tenants--in a building where they all got together and had insisted they treat--what 6 months or a year ago?
This person, I was told ... often drags stuff into his room from off the street.
As well, right on the corner a lot of people there sell stuff. It’s like a mini black market.
I've decided to stay put--as, top corner room is closer to living in a detached house than like in a multi dwelling complex (sort of) I figure ... if I got rid of all those bugs the first time and am now prepared--the extra 50.00 a month it cost me in preventative is better. I am going to force myself to start painting again and F the HUD fools allowed to run my building i.e. "non profit agency" note the quotes.
Just FYI.... I thought people would like to see where I am at; with my landlord ... (It’s still like being in purgatory+).
Jammin ... I’m thinking your problem is not as severe now as it was, say two and three months ago, so ... so long as it is not overly dangerous and more orderly ... keep doing what you are doing UNTIL you can move. And do it WITHOUT bedbugs.
What a blessing to get to move into a brand new building. Here on the board we hear so often ... I moved into an infested place--you'll likely not have that problem right!
Keep it that way as best you can.
Good luck--and thanks to LOU for looking at everyone's "DIRT"
Gosh ... gee wizzy .... If I had sent some of my samples ... well ... just thanks LOU and all entomologist who look at "Our dirt. Our lint our little spiders et al ..." lol anyone? -
nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Mon Jul 30 2007 13:14:00
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Not moving, so no new building. :( Anyways, I was the NEXT one to get the apt., but someone took it before me because they were on the list before me. I'm like the next one on the waiting list now, but that could take years since the building is new and people just moved in. I'm applying for other apartments as well.
Now willow said in a post awhile back that he keeps his dirty clothes not in bags but in the open so that when he does his laundry any bugs that are in there will be killed when he washes his dirty clothes. I have been doing this. Does anyone think I should not? Isn't this the same thinking as not bagging every piece of item so that the bugs can come out and cross the poisons and die?
Nomo, the dirt is on top of the boxspring (which is encased as well as my mattress). I know this because I lift up the mattress and see dots on the encasings. But, the pco sprayed the bedframe and the encasements, so shouldn't any bbs that come in contact with it die? I don't think my bed is as isolated as I'd like. I'm thinking of throwing away the whole thing and just getting an aerobed. I was thinking of getting a foldaway cots, but they run like $150 each. They have thin mattresses that could be encased and they make for easy cleaning. But, if I get an aerobed, then I would hafta get a cheap bedframe. Now, my question is since I've never seen the cheap bedframes. Where do I get cheap bedframes from? I'm so afraid of the mattress stores, but someone here said they got one there and that it was like $20 which is good.My landlord's pco came 2 Friday's ago. This Friday would make it 2 weeks. They will come back only after 3 weeks to do a follow up. I have not vacuumed the floors at all because pco said wait like 3 weeks to do that to let the poisons work. I put drione all around the perimeters of the apt. and especially where I sleep 'cause I know the kids do not go in my room at all. BTW: the way I put the drione down, the kids do not have access to it. Do people here think that 3 weeks is a long time to not vacuum? They sprayed everywhere and I'm afraid to clean anything so as not to wash away the pesticides. I read here that people do a whole lotta other things besides the pesticides and I know that we are supposed to ask our pcos which I did.
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Jammin, do you see new specks every day? I mean, you clean them off and they reappear? Are you sure they're not old? Do they coincide with the days you are bitten? When was your last bite?
I had specks and dirt on my sheet and bedclothes (gross!) every time I was bitten during my second round. Coincided precisely. The night of the last treatment and for every day thereafter, there were no more specks. That was just my experience. However, I recovered the mattress with another encasing (on top of the other ones) to avoid confusion from the old signs.
Are there any dead bugs on the floor after the treatment?
I think you should follow your PCO's recommendation to not vacuum this time but make sure that he is clear as to when you can resume vacuuming. Because they'll come back for another treatment, so the question is can you vacuum then? I'm a fan of vacuuming, so I would check this very carefully with the PCO to make sure there's no misunderstanding.
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nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Mon Jul 30 2007 14:26:16
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Thanks nomo, I know that these are new spots 'cause I'm very detailed and have an almost photographic memory of all the spots and where they are. How do you clean the encasements? Sponge, scour pad? I tried to rub the spots off w/my fingernail ever so easy, but these spots are hard to remove and do not come off. And I don't wanna ruin the encasements so any info. you have will be appreciated.
I do not see any bugs, dead or alive. However, when I washed the floor w/Murphy's oil soap I did see some dead bugs that I guess were killed with the Murphy's. This floor cleaning was done before the pco, though.
I get bites like every day and it seems to be getting worse. I have these red dots on my stomach and on my legs. Shouldn't things be getting better? I believe all of these are bb bites but I can't be sure 'cause these pimples may be heat pimples. The thing is that heat pimples and bb bites on me look the same except for a few exceptions here and there. One time I had round red circle that had three raised dots in a triangular formation. Was this a bb bite? I have no idea. This was the only time I got this reaction. I also get these hard raised pimples from time to time on my wrists and arms.
I definitely will vacuum before the pco does another treatment. These guys, I dunno. They say that picture frames don't have them, etc. And they said that once they finished treatment the 1st time to buy a 99 cents cover and that should be it. These people are really not well informed.
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Jammin, I have a an idea for you, I sent you a pm, but if you are still having problems with pm, let me know, OK?
Yes, your PCO does not sound like an expert, that's for sure.
This is a tough one, Jammin. My treatments also got worse because the first tech did a very bad job and I was starting to lose it and thinking I was going to drown the apartment in Murphy's or enzyme cleaner every day because the PCO's treatment was not working and I had to kill them with whatever methods I could. But, the second tech was an ace and things steadied (did not get better, really) for a while and then, slightly better, and then they ended (I hope).
I am saddened that you did not continue with the good PCO (nightshirt's PCO) and are now using these guys. But you must persist. Giving up is a sure way to fail. Let's see what happens with the second treatment. And see your pm.
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nyjammin
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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Wed Aug 1 2007 8:06:48
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Nomo: I pm'd you :)
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nyjammin
senior member
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Thu Aug 2 2007 8:29:07
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Update, the regular pco came by today because he always comes by the 1st Thursday of every month. He said how's it goin'? I said we still have bbs and I showed him some blood spots on my sheet. He was scratching his head saying that he used the same chemicals once on 2 other apartments in my building and I'm the only one still complaining. That if he comes back again it will be 3 treatments and that maybe we are doing something wrong. I showed him all the things in bags that we have and the encasement on the mattresses, etc. My thing is to try to keep him coming back but I do not know if that's going to work. He says that next time he comes and sprays that he will have someone else supervise him, whatever that means. Meanwhile, I'm going the Murphy's route and washing the floors and everything with Murphy's then I'm going to vacuum and put de down after that. Maybe the other people in my building do not know the other signs of bbs and they still have them or maybe the pco caught the problem early enough so as they do not have problems? Who knows. I'm also going to try steaming.
So, now, EVERYONE thinks I'm crazy. My boyfriend, the pcos, my super, other pcos I've hired. And the thing is, that my boyfriend was asking around and those people also said I was nuts and the pcos, super all agree with him. They all agree with each other. When I brought sample of what I thought were bbs to Mr. Lou Sorkin, even he said that those weren't bbs. But I KNOW that they were bits and pieces of bbs. I know because never in my life did I see anything like that and the shape is that of bbs but without the legs and antanae, etc. So am I crazy? Are we all here on the internet a bunch of loonies? I would really appreciate it if SOMEONE, ANYONE I could ask and talk to, an expert, who AGREES with me to prove these people wrong.
I will not let these people talk me down. I will not let these people tell me I'm nuts. I guess I'm the crazy person who doesn't think she's crazy.
btw: when we told the pco's assistant about the reactions my son had to the pesticides, he said "yeah, when you come in contact w/them. You need to stay outta the house for a day." That is NOT what he told us last time. He said 6 hours and once everything is dry we can come back. Why the hell would I not follow the pco's advice. People changing their stories and the such. All I need now is for you guys to say I'm crazy and I'll check myself into a loonie bin, I swear. I mean, I not that stupid. I do have a college degree w/honors. Well, maybe I imagined that too? Am I in the friggin' Twilight Zone or something?
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Hi Jammin,
I suggest you start keeping a detailed, written account of all your signs:
-bites
-blood spots
-feces specks or stains
-cast skins
-any other insect activityUse a notebook with dates, descriptions and photographs if you can can.
I don't think it's a good idea to abandon treatment, I hope you will reconsider that.
Finally, while I wouldn't trust your current PCO given everything that you have told us about them, I do trust Lou Sorkin, and if the samples you brought to him are not, in his opinion, bedbugs, then, Jammin, they're probably not. This does not mean that you don't have them or that you are crazy. It just means that the specific samples you brought to him are not what you thought they were. You have to keep investigating. You had bedbugs, is that not right? At one point this was confirmed? And the signs and bites have continued to this day? This is what I have understood from your postings.
I don't think you're crazy? Do I count?
I am sorry about what you are describing re your boyfriend's "is Jammin crazy or not?" poll, but I will reserve comment about that!
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nyjammin
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Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 664
Posted 2 years ago
Thu Aug 2 2007 19:30:26
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Nomo: I really wasn't taking a poll, just letting out a little steam. And you know your posts and thoughts always count w/me :) Also, I wasn't trying to discredit Mr. Lou Sorkin. He is a nice man who goes outta his way to ID bbs for free which is more than a lot of other people out there. What I believe is what I believe and is in no way a factor as to how good he is or what he is doing. I was just really stumped.
Keeping a detailed log is excellent. But, what type of camera should I use? I feel funny asking this and I feel like a dinosaur, but I still use the 35mm film. I think a digital camera would be really great, but don't wanna spend too much money on it. I also don't want a cheapo camera that doesn't take good quality pictures. I'll look into that.
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