Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed bug bites, skin, etc.
Bites continue but no signs of infestation anywhere
(4 posts)-
gilbgans
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 3
Posted 4 months ago
Fri Jul 17 2009 16:27:38
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May 30th my daughter broke out with what looked like bites all down one arm, in her arm pit, and down the side of her torso and her hip (somewhat linear fashion but widely spread apart). She had started a sulfur antibiotic for a bladder infection so I called the triage nurse at 3AM to ask about a possible reaction. She did not think so from what I described. I took her in two days later to urgent care and they said it was bites. About 3 weeks ago (end of June) my daughter started getting bites at night again, but now almost nightly (we did go camping the weekend before this nightly biting started). The first night it was down the top of one arm (about 8 bites), the next night the underside of the same arm (again, about 8 bites). For those two nights we were sleeping at my mother's but had taken our air mattress (which we had taken camping) and used our own bedding which I took from our house. Another night in her bed at home it was down the arm, torso and hip again, but on the opposite side (maybe 12-15 bites). Some nights have been widely-spaced sporadic bites on any body part (back, upper arms, behind armpit, legs, ankles, wrist). She was getting bit in her bed so I moved her to the guest room next door (a mistake if this is BBs). She got no new bites for 2 nights, then got some the third night (sporadic again). I moved her to the upstairs couch (I was desparate to get her relief). She went 2 nights without new bites, then got bites again. After moving her out of her room the week before, I had set a trap for bugs (the heating pad with alka seltzer tablet surrounded by glue board) and got one bug. A PCO came to inspect, said it was not a BB (he has had recent experience with infestations in our town) and did not find any evidence of BB activity in her room or the guest room. He said it was still possible we had some, but could not confirm anything. I did the recommended actions - bagged up all the bedding and clothes in her room, washed in the sanitize cycle with borax added, dried on high heat, bagged the clean laundry - Bagged up unwashable items in black bags (double bagged) and put in sun for 3 days (air temps in the 70-80 range). Those things remained bagged in the garage. I took out the metal mattress frame and plywood being used under mattress (covered the plywood in sheets taped on before removing) - got a new metal frame, steam cleaned her floor, steam cleaned both mattresses, encased them, put containers coated with talc under frame legs (now using glue boards), isolated bed, bought new pillows and encased them, steamed the baseboards, furniture, drapes, and sprayed alcohol around baseboards, and completely cleared her bedroom of everything in it. I continue to clean the guest room (one desk yet to steam) and have been vacuuming the upstairs couch and recliner but have seen no tell tale signs of any BB activity. One evening while she sat on the couch in the late evening, she broke out in some new welts. She did the same one morning around 7AM on the recliner (this was before I vacuumed and inspected them). All other bites have been appearing at night. I am doing all I can and continue to do more, but she continues to get some new welts almost nightly (though fewer in the past couple days). I have read and read info on the internet about bites, symptoms, bug activity, signs of infestation, how to get rid of them, etc. She is now pretty well covered on mostly the arms and legs with bites in various stages of healing. Oh, and I did the red light inspection at night, check carefully under the covers when she is scratching at night, set up the heating pad trap on the upstairs sofa (two nights now). I don't know what else to do. I will be putting on better encasements tomorrow, rewashing bedding, steaming the new metal frame just to be safe, and will continue to vacuum, steam clean and wash whatever I can in all the rooms she seems to have had reactions in (though I know they can be delayed). Am I missing something? I see absolutely no signs of BB activity anywhere - fecal stains, blood spots on bedding, cast skins, but don't know what else it could be. One of the main reasons I am paranoid about this (my husband would confirm that, but he is not the one dealing with her night time wrestlessness and itching) is that he traveled to San Fransisco in late March. He brought back a small stuffed animal from China Town that she had in her room. It is bagged and I have not taken it out to inspect. I also ended up bagging his suitcase, though weeks later. I just don't know what else to do or what to think at this point. I continue to act as though we have them, but still don't see any evidence. With her bed isloated (I think I followed all the proper steps) I don't know why she is still getting welts. My next step is to sleep at the cousin's house for a few night (not taking any of our belongings, not even our pajamas to use) and see if she continues to get welts. She has not gone more than 2 nights without any bites at our house. Am I missing something???? Please help! And sorry for such a long post!!
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Check out the last couple of pages (pg 9 & 10) in part one of the Cornell IPM guide for a list of biting insects. Here is a link http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/bb_guidelines/
Here is info from Texas A&M
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/FastSheets/Ent-1025.html
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/FastSheets/Ent-1012.htmlAn experienced K9 team could try to help you rule out or confirm the presence of bed bugs, but I would urge you to avoid being tunnel visioned about the source of the bite marks until you have made a good physical identification .
Is anyone else in the house experiencing the same symptoms?
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gilbgans
newbite
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 3
Posted 4 months ago
Wed Jul 22 2009 12:45:02
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Thanks for your post Doug. I did read the info on the links you sent. The way things have happened for my daughter still points mainly towards BB bites as a good possibility. The bites have now stopped, but I did all that was required to isolate her bed. It has been about a week and a half since I did that, so I hope that if there are BB they will somehow make an appearance soon. I purchased the Climbup bug interceptors and have placed them under her bed frame legs. If there is something around, I am hoping they will end up in them sooner rather than later. If I continue to see nothing, I will have to eventually assume it was something else causing the problem, and may never know for sure what it is. To answer your quetsion, no, no one else in the house is having these issues. The info on the Cornell site did say that often there is just one family member having bite reactions, though I have read many posts where a couple of family members are, but not all. I am probably too far from a city that might have the K9 team trained in BB detection. Again, I am hoping time will confirm something. This site has been very helpful as I wait and wonder.
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Hi,
Just to add a little info to this, I have seen a few cases of antibiotic induced photo sensitivity so it is feasible that this may be the cause, a quick google gave me this link:
http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritismedications/a/sun_sensitivity.htm
It is not very common from what I understand but it could be a cause. The simplest way to test is to see if things clear up at the end of the course of treatment.
With regard the sample you did find do you have a picture or could you even provide an accurate drawing. It would help greatly in identifying what may be the cause.
I would also say that after 20+ bites a thorough inspect would show faecal traces because you would have about 2 cm squared worth of faecal material to be looking for which is hard to miss if you look at a finger tip level.
If you can get an image up of what you found I will comment again.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
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