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Bed bug at workplace and other questions
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montrealbedbug
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 1:09:41
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Hi.
First of all, excuse my english, because I'm french canadian and english is not my first language.
I'm just arriving from a trip in the south 3 weeks ago. Now, I have bedbugs. I'm sure that they came from the trip, because we slept in a dozen of beds during the trips. We also experienced itching... during the trip.
It's stange, because the first sign of the home infestation was my cat scratch and scratch again. I did a fleas test.. but nothing. I suppose that he slept near my package at my arrival... Now he scratch very often.
Today, I found my first bed bug. I was sitting at my workplace and the bed bug (2mm) was under my T-shirt.... on my chest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that he came from a pocket of my blue jeans....
1) Do I have to start a problematic ($$ and stress) situation at work and call a PCO for my workplace? My colleagues at work already know about the beg bud on my the chest, at work.
2) What can I do for my cat. "Revolution" treatment is good? Now he don't have acces to my room, but I know that bedbugs can be in all my furniture now. The cat sleep in a lot of different places....
3) May I have bedbugs in my car? I use it everyday... and I found one bug (2mm) on myself at my workplace....
4) May I have bedbugs in my shoes...? My cat sleep neer my shoes....
5) If I clean a lot in the appartment, may the bedbugs become dormant and and hide somewhere for months?
6) I have a second old mattress in my room (futon). I don't want to keep him... Is it a good idea to throw him now? I wish to do it.
7) I know that the infestation began 3 weeks ago when I came back from my trip. It's a small infestation now or not?
I have one neighbour on one side. It's a 6 housing building.(2 by floor) Did I have to tell all the building that I have an infestation? 9) I will call an exterminator tomorrow. But In Montreal (Quebec, Canada), every guys that I reached don't seem's to be bed bug specialist? Somenone have a name for me?
10) Tonight, I'm anxious and I will sleep in my camping tent, on my bed. Just before, I will take a shower. Is it a good idea to sleep in my tent? Or the bed bugs will became dormant?... or they will run for my cats outside my room?
Thanks for answering....
I am a bit despaired... but I will fight
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 2:34:49
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Bonsoir, Montreal!
I am so sorry you are having this problem.
If you have had bed bugs for a short period, your neighbors are probably ok. As long as you are there, your cat will not be the bed bugs' first choice, but sleeping in the tent might make this more likely.
Do not throw out the futon or anything else YET. You need a good pest control operator to inspect and see where they are living. Then you will need to do many things (see FAQs) to prepare for treatment. But it is best for them to inspect now. Also, even if you are planning to throw out the futon, if there is a chance it contains bugs or eggs, then dragging it out may spread the infestation.
It is impossible to say if the bed bugs originated at work, in a hotel, or in a neighbor's home. (If the building next door is not attached to your home, they are probably not the source.)
Since you started itching during the trip, there is a small chance that maybe your home or workplace had bed bugs BEFORE your trip. If you had one on you at work or home, then it is possible you carried them on your trip in your car, or luggage.
It sounds like the problem probably came from a hotel. However, I would be suspicious that they may also have come from your workplace. To be safe, I would have your employer get a PCO (pest control/exterminator) in to treat at work. You must get one at home too.
Do not assume you took them to work--it could be the other way round. There have been news stories about bed bugs in the workplace. Search our blog for Ralph Lauren and Cadwallader, both businesses have suffered bed bug infestations. And no doubt at least some of Lauren's employees took them home. It can happen!
Please read our FAQs (button below) for more information. Also, we have two resources in our LINKS on bedbugger.com (sidebar) for resources in French. One is the blog of a woman in Montreal! The other is from Sante Canada. These may help. I especially think the Montreal blogger may have leads to good PCOs you can call.
Canada, including Montreal, has a huge bed bug epidemic. There will be some good PCOs there, but you need to find the best you can. We have a FAQ which will tell you what to ask the prospective PCO.
The PCO must inspect and treat at home.
Don't panic--bed bugs are bad, but they can be treated -- especially if your neighbors are not yet infested (and if you have had them only a week or a few, this is unlikely).
nobugs
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buggeroff
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 11:06:56
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For the cat, Revolution might be a good idea in general, but there seems to be no evidence at all that anti-flea meds help repel BBs. The reason Revolusion might be a good idea (it's expenisve, I know) is that the cat could have fleas or some other parasite that is causing the itching. Keep an eye out for ringworm, also. I also have a cat and she makes the BB fight a bit more complicated.
There might be BBs in the car. Did your car go on this trip with you? If you've been carrying luggage from hotel to hotel in your car, then I think I'd consider treating the car. If the only contact your car has had with a potential BB source is you, then I wouldn't be so worried, but I might still ask the PCO to spray it. If you get another couple of hot days, park it in the sun with the windows rolled up - but don't count on that to kill the BBs.
One PCO who posts here says he hasn't found shoes to be a favored BB hideout. I vacuumed and sprayed mine out of general insanity, but I don't think there were any BBs in them.
I see no reason why energetic cleaning should induce dormancy, though it may encourage running away. I have read that lack of food may cause a kind of dormancy, though. It's part of how the BB goes for such a long time without eating. Sleeping in your tent for a few nights won't starve any BBs. They go several days between meals normally. On the other hand, sleeping in a tent might not keep the bugs off you. Consider isolating your bed.
If you have an old mattress that you don't want anyway, then throwing it away may help make it easier for your PCO to treat and easier for you to keep your place uncluttered. Do be very careful how you get it out of your building so you don't spread BBs. If you can bag it in a big plastic contractor clean-up bag, that would be advisable. Don't (yet) throw away mattresses that you would otherwise like to keep - talk to your PCO first.
In three weeks, an infestation could go from a few Bbs to a few more, but it does take time for eggs to hatch, and for juveniles to mature into adults. They need food at each life stage and they need a mate to breed. The sooner you start killing BBs, the better you can get control over the situation. While I think three weeks would not be enough time to go from, say, six hitchikers in your luggage to a major infestation, three weeks is certainly long enough for six hitchhikers to have laid a fair number of eggs.
Do you have to tell everyone in the building? I don't know what I would do. I guess I would ask the PCO to inspect the apartmetns that are adjacent to yours - upstairs, downstairs and on the sides. It is possible that you got your BBs from a neighbor and not from your trip and it is necessary to treat all infested apartments at the same time. On the other hand, it is possible that your BBs DID come from your trip and no other apartment is infested. I guess I would discuss with the landlord if you have any kind of decent relationship with him/her.
No need for despair.
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 12:56:00
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But rigorous cleaning and tossing NOW would mean the PCO maybe will find nothing. You do not sound like you have a lot of evidence. Do not clean it away before inspection.
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TorontoBugged
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 14:21:26
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Salut Montreal,
Je vous suggere de lire le blog de Corinne et peut etre de lui contacter pour trouver un compagnie a montreal qui peut vous aider.
http://la-cibole-de-cimex.blogspot.com/
C'est important de demander a la exterminator quelles chemiques ils utiliserait et de faire de recherche vous meme sur l'efficacite des chemiques. vous pouvez demandez les gens dans cette forum en avance de utiliser le exterminator.
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montrealbedbug
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Joined: Aug '07
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 14:23:27
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All exterminators want to sell me Permetrine (in french sorry) and suggested that I use that by myself....
Good idea or not?
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 15:58:03
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No!
Yes, Pyrethroids/Pyrethrins (in English) are part of a treatment program. But a good PCO will use several substances and will know and when to apply them and in which amounts. Pesticides can also be dangerous if you do not have experience. And bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of.
I agree with looking at the Montreal bed bug blog and asking for advice on pest control operators there. This is one of the two Francophone sites I link to in the links at htp://bedbugger.com
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montrealbedbug
newbite
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 16:37:11
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BUT....
All the exterminators who will come to my house plan to use only Permetrine..... so... what can I do?
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 16:43:05
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Did you ask the woman who runs the Montreal bed bug blog noted above which exterminator she used?
http://la-cibole-de-cimex.blogspot.com/ -
montrealbedbug
newbite
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 17:12:48
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Sure!
But no answer.....
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 17:40:05
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It might take a little time. Why not post another message here asking for Montreal PCOs (in the title). In the meantime, maybe La Cibole de Cimex will respond.
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montrealbedbug
newbite
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Posted 5 years ago
Thu Aug 30 2007 18:25:59
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Thanks, I will post another message...
But i found a PCO who seem to be ok,,,
3 month guarantee and a second treatment 10 days after the first one...
He only use Permetrine... but I wish it will be enough.....
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montrealbedbug
newbite
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Aug 31 2007 1:28:14
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And I read FAQ again and again
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your host
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Posted 5 years ago
Fri Aug 31 2007 2:37:44
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Okay, Montreal!
Every 10 days is very good, as is a guarantee. Did he give you a list of instructions for preparing? This should include washing and drying all clothing on hot, and sealing it in bags. Most ask you to vacuum thoroughly (assuming he has already inspected and is sure you have them), and some say to move furniture.
You can ask him if you can supplement his treatment--AFTER he comes-- with food grade / freshwater DE (diatomaceous earth). Read the FAQ on DE under treatment. It would probably be a good supplement, though you need to make sure he is in agreement with using it. But mostly, just get him in asap.
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