Can't find them. What can I do at this point? People think I'm crazy!

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Can't find them. What can I do at this point? People think I'm crazy!

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BedbugH8R

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Sep 24 2009 13:26:22
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I'm going to bullet point this since it's a lot. First is the background, then I post my questions.

--Came back from hotel stay and plane trip. First night back I had bites and every night since (until I moved into basement and cleaned room--whoops.).

--Bites are in groups or lines. Look like inflamed pimples. Husband doesn't have any visible bites. They itch like CRAZY.

--I looked daily at mattress and eventually found one bug under the corner lip of the mattress. It was a reddish light brown. I was unprepared and didn't catch it. When I look at the lifecycle pics on this site, it looked the color of the nymphs exactly! I couldn't really see the shape well because it was kind of jammed in a crack. I freaked out and left it there. Bad move.

--Since then no BB signs. 2 PCOs did inspections and found nothing but a few carpet beetles. They don't want to treat without proof, which is great in some ways and stinks in others.

--I KNOW something real is going on. These bites are not normal. Not fleas (been there before, plus have no pets). I saw a bug. Just came off plane from hotel stay. Bug bites every morning in a pattern.

--I set glue/hotshot traps a couple of days and got nada. Probably should do more days?

--All of bedroom is in sealed bags because they PCO was going to treat. Now what? Open them all up? See if they come crawling out?

--Mattress encasements on bed and slept there first time in a while last night. I got no bites; husband had just one on his ankle--unsure of it's origin.

--Should I get climb-ups? Would only work if they are coming up or down bed legs, huh?

--Should I shell out for Packtite when I'm unsure? I am getting on a plane and visiting family next month and don't want to bring critters with me if they are there! I have important books and papers I need, too, and I fear there are bugs in them since they were basically on the floor by my nightstand.

--Should I get a cheap-ish steamer? I have a lot of clothes I can't hot-wash. Also have a lot of "stuff". Would want to treat our luggage before trip.

--Should I just bite the bullet and get Nightwatch so I can treat house before my vacation?

--Does the black bags-in-sun thing work? Seems so much less hot and consistent than a Packtite or dryer.

--Seriously, I'm starting to feel crazy myself, but really, I know something is wrong here. This is not normal. I think my husband doesn't trust that all this is necessary. It makes me feel worse.
spideyjg

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Sep 24 2009 13:36:09
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BedbugH8R - 6 minutes ago »

--Should I just bite the bullet and get Nightwatch so I can treat house before my vacation?

Toss the idea that the Nightwatch is any form of "treatment". It has been said oodles of times that Nightwatch, CDC 3000, and Climbups are monitors.

It is a monitor that can act as an artificial host in the absence of a real food source ie you.

Granted any and all bugs captured and killed are a good thing but don't rely on monitors as "treatment".
BedbugH8R

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Sep 24 2009 15:42:22
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Maybe I wasn't clear, but I need to first confirm their presence before treatment. That's where the climb-ups and Nightwatch came in. I want to treat as soon as is possible, but first need to definitively find them, and as cheaply as possible.

I'm kinda broke and that's why I opted for trying the glue traps first. But my fear is that 1) the bugs are there and just multiplying, and 2) I will bring them on my upcoming trip, so there is an added urgency.

I have read the site inside and out. I'm just looking for some personal experiences or advice/suggestions. Thanks.
bugfreebed

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Sep 24 2009 17:18:10
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Have thought about having a dog come through to verify the bad thing about the cheap steamers is that they only get up to about 140 degrees at the tip the ones most PCO use get up to 200-240 at the head .
CookEmDanno

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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Sep 24 2009 18:38:12
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For now, it wouldn't hurt to assume there are bedbugs and take precautions, especially when visiting. Meanwhile, keep trying to catch one (or anything else that might be biting) to show a PCO. Try vacuuming the baseboards and electrical outlets. Be ready at night with strips of packing tape to grab any off the walls. (Hope you don't find any.)

I wouldn't spend big money on things like a PackTite until you're certain. I did, however, spend $55 on a clothes steamer at Bed Bath & Beyond that reads 160 degrees. It'll still be useful when our bugs are gone.

Don't worry about people thinking you're paranoid and over reacting. They may not react to the bites but they'll "get it" once the bills for extermination start coming.
meremortal

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Oct 24 2009 15:15:09
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I've had 2 out of 3 PCO's tell me I'm basically a nutjob. The first one found hundreds of bb's but messed up the treatment (hence our current situation), the second one sprayed the first time, then PRETENDED to spray on subsequent visits (I stayed in the yard during treatment and during the "drying time" but little did he know if I needed to use the loo I would put on my mask and come into the house only to discover NO wet areas near the baseboards and absolutely NO chemical odour--he was operating out of the trunk of his sedan, so I didn't have much confidence in him to begin with). The most recent PCO even said "this house is too nice to have bedbugs", but thankfully sprayed anyway. I am still getting bitten and any dermatologist will agree. So who's the real nutjob here?
meremortal

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat Oct 24 2009 15:25:56
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PS-BedbugH8R-it took my husband over a year to believe me! He is a non-reactor, was away when I discovered and initially treated the problem, and I've been unable to catch a bb since. He is away often for work and has missed out on most of the vacuuming, laundry, etc. (he has WAY more clothing than I do) and I have to beg him to help with it when he is home. I feel like he is living in a little plastic bubble of ignorance. So you can imagine the resentment that has been going on in our household.

This is truly a test for any couple, and if you can get through this together then you can get through almost anything! Your husband needs to follow the treatment program whether he is on the bandwagon or not. You may feel alone in your battle even if he is physically by your side, which can be really difficult. If things get bad enough, I would recommend counseling of some kind. Your relationship isn't worth losing over these little B-Bas%#$ds!
Bugbitten Meg

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun Oct 25 2009 12:12:08
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About visiting family-- the FAQs page has a section linking to travel questions -- including how to avoid giving them to people while traveling. Read it now, so you have time to plan.

If you have bags with books and papers you need, you either need to 'just open them' (and yes, you may be unloading more bugs into the room, I personally would treat in some manner first) or buy a packtite, or treat them some other way (like DDVP strips, which takes a week or two, and should be done with Due Respect for DDVP -- the stuff's a neurotoxin. Type DDVP into the site search box on the upper right, read the cautions, follow the instructions both while treating, and while storing and eventually disposing of the no-pest strips. You can re-use a strip for about a quarter of a year, but keeping an open one out on a shelf anywhere in your house 'in case you need it' is just about the Worst Idea Ever. Ideally, treat in sealed bags, out of the house entirely. Air out the bags of stuff outside, too.)

Which route you take depends partly on your finances. The Packtite is more expensive upfront, but if you will use it after trips, and you take trips frequently, it may be worth it. DDVP is cheaper, but has its own issues.