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Bird Nest or New Neighbors? How Infested am I?
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jackattack
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
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Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 23:08:46
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I will try not to write a novel but I need some advice without leaving out any details.
My experience started a couple days ago when my boyfriend and I found about 5 very tiny bugs in the corner of my ceiling above my bed. This is after my boyfriend woke up with bites on his hands and arms the night before (he is the type that reacts badly to "their" bites). I have lived in this apartment now for about 10 months without one incident. I do not travel and have not brought in any used furniture. However, we recently had neighbors move in above us and have noticed that there is at least 4 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment (they have a lot of visitors possibly from outside of the US). The only activity of bedbugs have been in my bedroom and not my roommates, I have not seen one adult bug or nest, and nothing on my mattress. After notifying the apartment complex of our recent discovery they stopped over to confirm they were indeed bed bugs. The protocol in this complex is to also inspect the surrounding apartments in contact with ours. The exterminators are scheduled to come on Tuesday and the charges will be determined on Monday. It is approx $800 to exterminate our apartment if we are entirely responsible. After somewhat pestering a worker at the apartment office we finally got out of her that there are bed bugs found in another apartment (not sure which "officially" but apparently a small infestation also).
I do not want to blame anyone for these little pesky SOB buggers but am extremely disheartened over dealing with this situation on top of a possible $800-$400 fine. The circumstances make me believe that they are the ones responsible for our infestation?
There is one other thing... There is a birds nest outside my window and they have a nest of new baby birds. They sit on the top of my window sill occasionally and is also in contact with the above apartment. The seal on my window is somewhat rotted, is it possible we got bedbugs from the birds outside my window? Or is it more likely that we got these bugs from our new neighbors?
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edtt
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Joined: Apr '12
Posts: 147offline
Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jun 1 2012 23:27:31
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hi!
i am no expert and I am sure somebody will offer their wisdom.
one thing I have learned it you can't get bed bugs from birds, although you can be bitten/infested by bird mites.
very small, but visible bugs that can bite.
I don't know much more than that.....
good luck to you
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jun 2 2012 1:43:01
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Bed bugs, swallow (bird) bugs -- a close relative of bed bugs, and bird mites may all be possible. (So are other possibilities like fleas).
Can you post a photo? A trained expert can tell the difference between swallow bugs, bat bugs and bed bugs. (Whoever ID'd your pest may not be able to.). I am a bit concerned about the "tiny bugs" description, that they may not be bed bugs at all, unless perhaps they were first instar nymphs.
I would double check the laws where you live if you haven't yet as to whether "responsibility" is a factor and, more importantly, what's considered proof (given that it can be hard to prove your neighbors don't also have them, and given that someone in the complex does -- meaning you could have been exposed in communal areas if adjoining neighbors are unaffected).
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