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Delayed reaction (phantom bites)
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nervousbreakdwn
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Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jul 20 2012 11:19:57
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Holy shit, bed bugs are the worst mind fuck ever…
Pardon my trash mouth, but anyone experiencing this problem has likely only similar thoughts and notions…
My story: Moved into about a 800 sq ft apt with my bf and were living there about a month. No problems, no bugs. Had a co-worker come into the office with about 150+ bites sharing his story and nightmare about how his new apt. is infested (this was on a wednesday, but I knew he had moved in earlier to this place, likely during the first week of july) We had some interactions and meetings together in 1st week of july. Starting in the second week of july I noticed some bites on my feet, this co worker was also spending more time sitting in my office on the Two days I was in the office that week. It was two days before my birthday on the 13th when I saw a single nymph bug for the first time. I thought FUCK, could this be? Over the next day I noticed about 25 bites pop up in clusters on my legs, hands and arms. It was on this day where it occured to me that he had given them to me and this was a big fucking deal. This forum has been a real savior in terms of figuring out the best course of action and getting this shit taken care of…We spent my birthday getting pest control out here and doing serious HMWK on the prob…
We deduced it was a mild infestation because:
1. no fecal stains,
2. No signs of bugs
3. BUT Contd bites
Then… we got a steamer and literally steamed everything, ALL clothes went into the dryer (for at least 40min) and EVERYTHING got bagged up from dryer straight into the plastic zip locks..EVERYTHING including table, chair surfaces, closets got steamed…We bought a new bed frame jsut to make sure as well. Rubbing Alcohol was also used as a way to get into smaller cracks etc.
By now we were in day 4/5 after we had pest control out and I was STILL noticing new bites, but at this point i am a head case because I KNOW the apt is top to bottom steamed and I am wondering if these bastards are hiding somewhere else, coming into our apt like ninjas in the night from next door, or behind the refrigerator?One thing I noticed about these 'new bites' were that they were in the same place as the old initial clusters from the first days. They also only itched in the AM and would go away if I could refrain from scratching after a couple of hours. They were also not as big and intense as the initial bites too.
Everything I have read suggests that these are delayed reactions and I need to calm down and not feel defeated every time I get a tiny itch. NOT SCRATCHING is a huge help also, it makes them go down faster and makes it easier to tell if there are delayed reactions or new bites…I have heard things like 9 day delayed reactions and hope I can keep my sanity if this ends up being the case for me. Like i said nothing in any 'new' areas of my body only smaller new red dots from previous clusters that were already there.
I want to maintain confidence that we have done a good job here because literally there has been NO stoned unturned and the itching and fresh bitten intensity has been no where near the first few days.
My BF and I are moving on the 1st of AUG and I pray that these fuckers are all gone and we dont have any more problems. I have also since not gone into my office or even SAT at work since this has happened..i guess like all ridiculously difficult challenges rendering you an emotional prisoner…Only TIME will tell
…thoughts?
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DianaL
newbite
Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 11offline
Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jul 20 2012 11:55:36
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Sounds similar to my problem. Very light infestation with NO sign of bugs except for miniscule (1-3mm) yellow things that my PCO says are nothing. However, I got bitten viciously for a month any time at night that I exposed any part of my skin -- then started getting a few bites from the hungry desparados in the daytime.
Finally, after 5 weeks, my building agreed to exterminate and I haven't had a bite in 5 days.
This problem made me insane. No one believed me, I couldn't feel comfortable in my home--which is where I do all my work. So, no livelihood, no relaxation and huge expense.Also, I'm physically disabled so slogging up to the 5th floor laundry with 3 loads at a time and bagging and hauling clutter , finally crippled me. I can walk again now but the pain is excrutiating.
I am very poor and this month has cost me about $2000--new bed, about 200 plastic bags, emergency new clothing, eating out and insecticides--and I am a month behind on life and this really tested my sanity. I spent more time crying this month than for the past 40 years!I went to Legal Aid to see if I should hold out rent until exterminator came and was told that CA is a no-fault renter state--that I could be given 90-days notice if I insisted on anything.
The saddest thing is that all of this could have been over 4 weeks ago if I had of been believed.I finally got some photos made and posted them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/diana_l/.
My only camera was in my computer which seemed to be the hub of the infestation as I got bitten 100% of the times I used it --even away from home. Because of my disability, I used and stored my computer in bed and I found out the suckers love all the warm hidey-holes of a laptop. ( I have sucessfully used spray air canister to eliminate them from computer).
I will probably have to pay for the next 2 exterminations myself and I don't know where I'll get the $s.
Thank goodness for this site. I spent alot of the last month at the public library reading the posts.
Good Luck -
nervousbreakdwn
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Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jul 20 2012 12:30:23
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Diana: I feel your pain. Crying has been the norm around my apt as well…
If we did not have an ALL tile apt, I would never know if they were all gone.
I prob only had about 4 areas (both feet, my knee/lower leg/ and hand that got bit) but nothing in any new area after the pest control and steaming of everything…
Hopefully yours subsides too and maybe recoup some of this money on your taxes this year with receipts? -
VictoryIsMine
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Joined: Oct '11
Posts: 175offline
Posted 11 months ago
Fri Jul 20 2012 14:47:23
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If you're getting treatment, try to relax and rely on monitoring. I would (highly) suggest that all your inspections and treatments be done by reliable, well-recommended professionals. I had a bed bug problem which started last year, and went through everything - the do-it-yourself and the professional way. You do not want to do it yourself, because the price tag (both financially and in terms of mental health) will end up higher than paying straight up for a professional. Research a company and ask for feedback from previous customers prior to calling them, and make sure they never make you feel like you're the next invoice on their month's quota--when they lose compassion, they lose their ability to do a good job, I found. With that said, there are extremely good professionals out there who may be able to take care of your problem with just one visit, if truly your infestations are "light" as you described, and if they're contained (say, to a bedroom) -- hence the importance of not self treating, as you may spread the problem and make it harder to treat. Many companies offer free follow up visits (some also offer free inspections, or inspection fees which can be deducted from the treatment cost).
As to delayed reactions: I've been FREE of bed bugs for a few months now, and I will still occasionally have some skin reactions, depending on stress, etc, etc, etc. TRY (and I know it's hard) not to get hung up on it. Once your mind finally relaxes your skin reactions will also start subsiding.
GOOD LUCK! I know how tough this ordeal can be.
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nervousbreakdwn
newbite
Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jul 21 2012 14:21:55
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SO we are in day 6 since pest control came out and sprayed, and literally everything we own aside from the 3 tables, a couch, and a bed is bagged up. ALL of the furniture has been hand steamed covering every single inch. Like I said, I dont think I couldve had these BBs for any longer then a week from carrying them home on my clothes before pest control came out.
Today I noticed two new bites during the evening. Usually, i only noticed delayed reactions in the morning in the same spot as old bites, but these two i discovered tonight were fairly spread out on my upper arm where there hadnt been a lot of activity before. I did have one on my elbow in the first week. I also notice that these two bites and one on my upper thigh/buttocks area look more like mosquito bites, are red, but do not itch very much…but they are kind of larger and and my skin is raised in those areas, whereas the initial BB reactions were small concentrated very itchy red spots. I have not been outside today, so I know it isnt a mosquito…I noticed them when I was watching TV on the couch, but had literally just steamed the couch two days earlier (prob the 3rd time I have steamed the couch, chair)…I steamed the couch and took off the clothes I was wearing to launder them again and took a shower…but I am wondering is this typical for delayed reaction bites…I am moving soon in a little over a week(the pest control guy comes again on the 10th day since he was last here this week)…I AM SERIOUSLY WORRIED THAT I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE GONE, if I keep experiencing different bite reactions!
Does anyone know anything about this?
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nervousbreakdwn
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Joined: Jul '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 11 months ago
Sat Jul 21 2012 17:21:13
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