Do you ever get that "I give up" feeling? « Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums

Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Tales of Bed Bug Woe

Do you ever get that "I give up" feeling?

(7 posts)

frakkin_crawlies

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat May 8 2010 20:19:03
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I got bedbugs because I let a friend who had an infestation stay at my house for ONE NIGHT, back before I knew anything about how nasty these little bastards are.

I ended up having to move several times for completely unrelated reasons. Couch surfing, basically...

Now I am in a new apartment, incidentally with the friend who I most likely got them from. Both of us have taken all the precautions we could in between then and now, but I found a molting in a drawer the other day, and I think I actually found a live bug today (first time I have ever actually seen a live one, and it doesn't really look like all the pics I have seen, but I am pretty sure of what it is).

Now, aside from the phantom itches that I am currently going through, I also have this sense of total resignation. We are gonna do all we can to deal with it, but neither of us can afford PCO treatment, and we are not looking forward to talking to landlords about this (we live in what is lovingly known as "the landlord state", to give you some idea of how much power renters have here).

But after my initial freakout and subsequent sleeplessness when I first found out about the bloodsucking bastards, I have come to the realization that I may have to live with this for a long time. It's like I am resigned to the reality of constantly living out of Ziploc bags and phantom itching.

I went through the depression, the anxiety, all of it. And now...it's not like I don't care, because I do and I want to solve the problem. But I feel like this is my reality from here on out, and I can't bring myself to freak out anymore.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?
EnvirocarePestControl

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Posted 3 years ago
Sat May 8 2010 21:00:11
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It's quite normal to feel helpless and this is true for any extreme stress in life not just bed bugs. I've dealt with many customers who felt that there wasn't much they could do.

I would get some climbup interceptors immediately and put them on all the legs of your bed. They are fairly inexpensive (usually $60 and they come in a case of 12 which is plenty for two guys in an apt) .

These are not to confirm that you have bed bugs since you already are certain you have them but to catch anything trying to get to you and feed on you while you sleep at night.

If bed bugs don't have their meal (you) they will die off in time, because it ultimately will limit their reproductive ability. If you catch bed bugs in the interceptors, get some tape to pick them out of the interceptor, and toss them in the trash immediately.

This advice is not meant to be interpreted as a solution by any means but, it should help you out for the time being.

Also wash everything immediately, vacuum the home completely and throw out the bags in the vacuum when finished. A great idea is also to caulk and silicone any gaps on your baseboards or any holes you find especially peeling/chipped paint (bed bugs plant their eggs in there).

Try to keep this habit (cleaning/vacuuming) going until you can afford to treat your apt because treating the apartment ultimately will need to be done. Try to hire a company that uses a combination of approaches (vacuum, steam, chemical treatment) as opposed to a company that uses only one type of approach. For a typical treatment you are looking at pricing ranging from $200+. Don't shop on price alone but more so on how dynamic the companies approach is.
bbvictim2010

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun May 9 2010 0:06:47
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I am too in the resigned mode. I don't know when I am gonna get these things out. I am really doubting if there is really success story. I am willing to throw everything. I threw a lot of expensive stuff **appropriately** and am ready to throw the rest as well - I just hope these vampires won't follow me
hoo2677

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun May 9 2010 22:27:09
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It's been close to a year since my house was deemed "clear of bed bugs" by a dog. It took about eight months of doing everything suggested on this site and somewhere around seven treatments to clear up what in retrospect was a large infestation. I am way less crazy and fidgety than I was last year this time, or even six months ago. The bed legs are still in bowls, and the little fits of paranoia still set in, but life is so much better. There are zero signs of bed bugs in my house and in the building.

As I started to move out of bags and back into drawers, I found that each step I took to relax precautions caused a little regression of paranoia and anxiety. Letting down my guard a little at a time, a drawer at a time, caused stress for a couple of weeks. When things seemed safe and uneventful, I'd fill another drawer. I still shake my clothes out before putting them on. I still occasionally get out the magnifier. Itches and sensations can drive me into a small panic, but it's so much easier to use rational thought to cope than it was a year ago, when it seemed completely absent.

It's Mother's Day and my heart goes out to Mom's spending their special day trying to figure out a strategy to get their lives back from this insidious pest.

I wanted to post to share a success story. If you take all the steps on this site, sanctioned by the moderator and the "old timers" you can beat these insects at their own game. If you live in multi-family housing it is way more complicated, because the behavior of other people does affect you.

I want to encourage you to get in touch with your local Public Health agency and let them know. Our cumulative voices will help to make change in policy. They may be able to recommend help. Talk to your neighbors as identification early on is a HUGE key to succeeding in getting rid of bed bugs. Don't worry about stigmas, we need to break them.

Bed bugs make you feel out of control of the outcome, and unless you have heat treatment, it takes a long time to win this fight. But you can do it. I did it and there were times it seemed so hopeless. I never experienced the level of despair I did with bed bugs. You are so dependent on others for the outcome.

Peace

tarrabyte
cilecto

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Posted 3 years ago
Sun May 9 2010 22:29:59
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Bravo, tarrabyte!
bugnut

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Posted 2 years ago
Thu Jul 1 2010 18:02:27
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Envirocare,

It is misleading to day that the BBs "will die off in time" If you mean a year or so and hope they don't decide to hitch a ride on your bag/shoes/laundry - or set up shop in your couch where they can get to you more easily.
HuntforBedBugBinLaden

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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Jul 6 2010 17:08:41
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I have started to play nasty tricks on them- it is not solving my problem, but it is making me feel better. My favorite was putting some diatamaceous earth in a balloon filled with air and taping it to the wall. I also made myself some bed bug arm bands, constructed out of duct tape.