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Can I keep one room safe from an infested one?
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BedBugMurderer
newbite
Joined: Aug '12
Posts: 21offline
Posted 9 months ago
Fri Aug 3 2012 21:12:11
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Are there any steps I can take to protected a possibly uninfested room from one that is? Our PCO won't be here to treat until Tuesday. I believe he only found the bugs in the living room couch (my son tended to fall asleep there most nights, instead of his bed.), but will be treating the bedrooms, too. I don't know if any are in the bedroom, but I am crossing my fingers that they haven't. My son's reaction to the bites was large red welts. He has stayed with a friend the last two days since we confirmed we had them, but tonight we didn't have an option for him, except to stay here with me. We plan on staying and sleeping in one bedroom, which is maybe 40 or 50 feet away from the living room. I read here somewhere that bedbugs find you using your body heat and carbon dioxide you exhale. Can they "find" you, if you're in another room? There is a dining room and a laundry room between this bedroom and the living room.
He doesn't want to stay here, for fear of getting bitten again. I don't blame him, given how ugly the welts are, and how terribly he itches from them. I put double-sided carpet tape around the bottom of the bedposts. Would it help if I put it around the door frame and floor? Is there anything else I can do? I want him to feel as safe as possible, and hopefully not wake up with any bites!
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bedbugsuptown
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Joined: Sep '11
Posts: 552offline
Posted 9 months ago
Sat Aug 4 2012 0:47:55
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Now I'm not a pco but I had an infestation in the wood supporting the bunk beds I shared with my daughter. Although I spent alot of time on the couch in the front room, we only slept in the bed room down a hall about 60 feet from the couch. Because I have a lot of stuff my pco wanted to get a jump on the situation and only treated the bedroom. I never bagged the front room, it was never treated but after a lot of work in the bed room--success.
I think I read on this site that at times, in an early infestation the bb's have a preferred host. I was in the top bunk when my kids bites started and either was not getting bit of did not react as a certain percentage of people don't (though over time they might). My daughter had welts and couldn't take it. She left with little more than the clothes on her back. When she left I went right into her bunk on the bottom and that's where they were, on the bottom bunk.
I'm gonna guess that you carried your son to his bed at some point after he fell asleep? If so they could also be in his room. Can't answer your questions about the tape being of help. What I have learned is that if the host, or hosts moves to another room, the bugs will follow. I don't think they sense the host from 40 or 50 feet away, but if the hosts move to another room, it's just a matter of time. In a small apartment it likely doesn't take too long. Read the FAQs.
The good news is that you have confirmation, your pco plans to treat the other rooms and Tuesday will come--you have time to finish whatever protocol for preparation that your pco recommends.
Often, if your infestation was caught fairly early and your pco knows his stuff you might be out of the woods in 2 or 3 treatments; but you gotta do the work....best of luck -
BedBugMurderer
newbite
Joined: Aug '12
Posts: 21offline
Posted 9 months ago
Sat Aug 4 2012 9:46:34
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Ok, thanks for sharing your experience with this, and your thoughts. Most nights I didn't carry him to his bed. This is an older home we only rented for the summer, and my son thinks it's haunted (lol), and his room is the only living quarters upstairs. Occasionally I'd carry him to my room (the room in question), and I'd take the couch then. If he had a friend over, he didn't mind sleeping upstairs. I guess he figured he could brave the ghosts with a buddy nearby! But someone was always in the living room sleeping, it seems. He slept in my room last night, and this morning, no welts.
I know it isn't definitive proof, but it gives me hope that perhaps it's contained to just the living room. Congratulations on beating your problem!
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
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Posted 9 months ago
Sat Aug 4 2012 10:28:13
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bedbugsuptown - 9 hours ago »
I think I read on this site that at times, in an early infestation the bb's have a preferred host. gotta
I don't think there's evidence bed bugs will seek out one of two people present as "preferred" other than for reasons of proximity-- though I am not an expert and happy to be corrected by someone.
Bed bugs may start out biting the nearest person to their harborage. So whoever sits in the sofa would be bitten.
Also, people who don't react to bites may think the other person who has bite reactions is the only one being bitten. I inspect in most cases that's just a perception.
Bedbugmurderer,
If you had bed bugs only in the sofa, if people still sit or lie on it, the problem may be contained there.
It may not, because some bed bugs do seek out new harborages. They may be in either bed.
My impression for what its worth is that sofas are more difficult to
treat than beds. Steaming them can be helpful-- see what the PCO is willing to do and ask whether you need to supplement it with steam.I would not try and "isolate" areas of your home using tape or other methods. These kinds of things can backfire because they're generally not based on any knowledge of where bes bugs are to begin with, or how they behave.
Another approach which may be more fruitful is a passive monitor on the beds, which may help alert you if they're present.
Let the treatment happen and you should be able to get rid of this problem.
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BedBugMurderer
newbite
Joined: Aug '12
Posts: 21offline
Posted 9 months ago
Sat Aug 4 2012 10:52:08
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Ok, thanks for the advice.. I just posted another question asking how to, instead of blocking this room off, but how to keep them from wandering in the first place, other than offering them a meal. If you see that post and have any thoughts, any advice would be much appreciated. I know I am probably asking a question already answered elsewhere, but what is the preferred brand of bedbug monitor, and where could I buy one?
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your host
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 13,697offline
Posted 9 months ago
Sat Aug 4 2012 11:06:11
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Please look in the Useful Stuff page for the section on detection and bed bug monitors. You will find FAQs linked from there about BBalert Passive and ClimbUp interceptors, which are the two most commonly used here. They may be found in PCO's storefront shops but it may be easier to buy online.
In this case, the BBalert Passive may be more helpful as it provides them a harborage if they come in to the sleeping rooms-- or of they already have.
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BedBugMurderer
newbite
Joined: Aug '12
Posts: 21offline
Posted 9 months ago
Sun Aug 5 2012 14:36:33
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Thanks for the good advice. I haven't been able to find the specific monitor you mentioned in any local stores, but I DID find the ClimbUp Interceptors at Bed, Bath, & Beyond last night. A pack of 4 (enough for one bed, or other pieces of furniture with 4 legs) cost me 20 bucks. I thought it was a little pricey, given that they're just plastic things covered in talc, but in this case, I'll pay it.. the added peace of mind is worth the cost to me.
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