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Caution to avoid bringing them home - ADVICE PLEASE happening today
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 12:32:47
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Hello and thank you all in advance for your advice.
A friend of the family has bedbugs. They have tried self treatment but I really cannot say how much they tried or how thorough they really were.
My husband is taking their son out for his birthday to a resaturant. He is not going into the house, and he chose a resaturant that is within walking distance so that we do not have their son and possible bb in our car.
I am 100% certain that they are not taking any precautions such as clothes in the dryer, or bagging items, or anything of the sort.
I am planning on washing everything my husband wears today, (excluding his shoes but I can't imagine that a bed bug would crawl into his shoe while it is on his foot) as soon as it enters my house.
My question is what is the risk involved here? I should mention that it is winter here, don't know if that makes a difference however. Could a bed bug fall off the clothes before I get them into the wash? I would not be going anywhere near this situation but my husband feels bad for the son and doesn't want him to loose out because of this, and I do agree with that, but i am extrememly paranoid especially since I have just has recent exposure, and am in the clear after 80 days or so. I don't want to go back there.
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punaisedelit
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Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 126offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 13:04:42
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I'd say the risk depends on the precautions they take or not and on the level of infestation. If they do bag and launder/dry, risk is minimal; if they don't, there's some risk. Likewise, if it's a small infestation, less risk than if it's a huge infestation.
For your peace of mind: You can have your husband undress right at the door, perhaps on a white sheet so you can spot anything that would fall off, bag all the clothes in a plastic bag immediately, and empty the bag straight into the washer. Do not carry the clothes around without having bagged them first.
Isolate the shoes in a sealed plastic bag and inspect them when you have time. -
SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 13:14:14
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Thank you.
I can definately say that they are not taking ANY precautions. No bagging. No drying. They are still planning on having Christmas at their house. I would assume the infestation is high as it has been at least 4 - 5 months.
I was planning on having him go to the laundry room and undress directly into the washing machine and then straight to a shower. I DO want to be cautious, but I also don't want to be crazy over this. I did not consider that there is a need to bag the clothes before coming into the house.
Do you think that their could be bugs in his shoes even if they are outside? I have asked, or better yet, begged my husband to not go into the house and it was his idea to not go anywhere in the car. And at this point I have to believe that is what he is doing. I could put his shoes in the dryer, but Im not sure that is nessacary... then again even if it is preventative, better safe than sorry.
I would have to assume that the child has been on the couch (where bugs have been seen) got his coat on and left to go with my husband. There is NO way that there were any steps taken on their end.
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MarriedinCA
junior member
Joined: Dec '11
Posts: 36offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 13:30:11
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I'm just curious, if you prefer not to say, that's more then fine of course!
How do you know they're not bagging and what not? Because you asked about it? If you asked about it then you probably told them how important it is, so if they're still not doing it, what do you think is the cause for their lackadaisical attitude towards their situation?
It just kind of floors me. I'm typically a cool cucumber but my light infestation has me frazzled, and we most definitely are taking precautions to not spread them from their current locations to other areas in our apartment, much less out of our home! I know freaking out isn't helpful to the situation, but the idea that they know they have them, and don't seem to be bothered to do much about it is kind of insane!
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 13:41:59
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I found out about the infestation, by accident if you will in a conversation from someone else.
The parents are still carrying on with life as usual, having parties and get togethers, the child sleeps over at his aunt's (she is aware) they are still having family over for christmas brunch.
I know that they have tried to "self treat" although where we live the landlord is responsible. I think it is just that they simply do not see the risk.. Im really not sure, nor can I speak for them. In our area the landlord's are responsible to have an exterminator come in, and they still insist on self treating while they save the money themselves, I cannot explain this either... I am persistantly asking them to call the landlord...
I agree with you, I do not understand how people cannot take simple steps to help stop the spread of these little creatures. When I was exposed, I put my clothes in the dryer before leaving the house and my husbands just IN CASE. We did not bring the bugs home, that time, thankfully, but i wanted to do what I could to not bring them somewhere else, it's really not a big thing to do, it's not that time consuming or awful, it's just takes a little time and effort... I really don't understand it, nor can I speak for them.
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oldtimer
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 2,597offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 16:25:48
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Suggestions:
Firstly, as I visit BB ground zeros all the time, I comopletely change out my clothes prior to leaving the work site. NOTHING that may be BB contaminated even enters my vehicle without being sealed into a suitable plastic bag. And, NONE of these bags enter my home without first being heat treated outside the home. they then go direclty into the laundry, hot cycle, and the suspect plastic bag is discarded.
My mind set is "Andromeda Strain" and has served me well.
For your husband: have a complete set of clothes ready for him in a clean plastic bag. Have him stand in a plastic bag and then disrobe while carefully placing his suspect clothing into a plastic bag. Every suspect item goes into the bag including his shoes. All that stuff goes into the laundry except for the itmes that cannot: shoes, belt, wallet, etc. I heat treat these items seperately.
For your friends with the BB problem:
Print out some good articles and give to them. They need to be able to help themsolves and by not doing anything they are putting their friends, family and neighbors at risk.Hope this helps ! paul b.
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 18:00:28
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My husband has gone and come back, and I'm not sure how I feel about the whole situation.
He had to go inside the house to use the washroom so I'm very nervous about him actually being in the house. Now I have read that bedbugs usually hide during the day and that they are not commonly found in bathrooms. He assured me that he did. Not sit anywhere and that he was not there for very long. Being winter he needed his jacket so it could not have been removed before he got into the car and he didn't think to bring a change of clothes (this happened before I read the above posting) then he drove to my work to pick me up, we ran errands stopping at 2 grocery store before returning home.
When we got home:
He came inside and stripped handing everything to me: jacket, shirt, sweatshirt, socks, undies all of it went from him to me then directly into the wshing machine where I washed it as well as all of the clothes I was wearing just as a precaution. Everything is now in the dryer on high heat.
As for his shoes, he will not let me put them in the dryer as they are new and expensive and we are both pretty sure the rubber will melt. I did not bag them they are outside my door where I always leave my shoes.
All this being said, I am hoping and praying that we did all the right things. I am aware that there is a possibility that no bed bugs were even near him and the possibility that one came home on him...and its that that scares me. I wish he never went but its done now.
Again I play the waiting game hoping that we stay in the clear. Thank you all for your advice, any thoughts on my regiment? -
oldtimer
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 2,597offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:10:31
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OK, you could have done a tad better but you could also have done much, much worse too.
Bag the shoes & seal air tight.
Shoes can be heat treated or placed within bags with pest strips.
Avoid brining anything into the house that may be contaminated unless it is sealed into a bag/contaner and to be placed directly into the wash.
Remember that BBs are pretty good at cold but suck at heat. As such, heat is the achilles heal of BBs.
Leaving shoes that may be potentially contaminated on the front porch is a practice that you need to stop doing going forward.
Firstly, we don't want a bunch of elves showing up and polishing your shoes at night, leaving candies in them or some other traditional thing, it is the Holiday Season after all and we don't wish to over tax the elves schedule, they're probably working overtime already. : )
Mostly, if there are BBs hiding on or in the shoes, you may be affording them an opportunity to get to you if these shoes are not sealed in a bag/container and/or suitably treated.
It's bed bugs, take no chances and leave no survivors !
Gooc luck, paul b.
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:58:04
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Even if he just wore his shoes inside for a few minutes it is nessacary to treat them? Wow I didn't think that.
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 21:01:05
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I figured the fact that the shoes were worn inside, he did not take them off and the fact that we went grocery shopping and we out for a few hours that the shoes wouldn't pose a risk... Now I'm throughly frightened. He will need to wear them tomorrow to work, what else can I do besides bag them at this point?
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SaraK
newbite
Joined: Nov '11
Posts: 17offline
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 21:26:20
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And thank you for the elves comment, made me laugh in a situation I don't find funny so thank you for making light of the situation as best you could
I'm not planning on spending any time in BB ground zero as you called it. I'm terrified of them.
Thanks again for all your help.
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