Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Reader questions (do not fit into other categories)
FECAL SPOTS
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dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Mon Nov 26 2007 22:50:33
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Does anyone have experience with fecal spots? The kind that look like ink spots on bedsheets? Not the poppy seed specks I have heard about or the blood spots from wounds but fecal matter, like the kind you find on the mattress as well. I know they can be many colors, including black and brown. But, when you rub peroxide on them, should they turn red? Has anyone tried this?
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I have only heard about people rubbing peroxide on fecal SPECKS, or soaking them in that or water.
Fecal stains on beds--the thick ones you see on mattresses in photos: I have only seen them in black or rust color (and there has always been black involved). I have also only seen them in photos. I have a hunch this is related to climactic conditions (like humidity), which would explain why some people get that, and others never do (and get only harder specks instead).
FWIW.
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dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Mon Nov 26 2007 23:08:04
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think rubbing peroxide on those spots should make them turn red too?
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Hydrogen Peroxide will foam and change color.
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dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 9:43:43
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Hi Doug,
To be clear, if you have an 'ink spot' type mark that is already soaked into the sheets, putting peroxide on it will turn the color to red and make it foam? Is that correct? And this 'ink spot' can then be determined to be feces.
Thanks,
Dawn -
dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 12:14:47
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any one else have any insight?
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itchyincharmcity
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 12:16:06
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I think fecal spots are basically digested blood so I would expect to see the same reaction. But I have never seen a fecal spot in real life so I am just guessing.
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Hi,
From my experience I have found that there are two types of marks associated with bed bugs.
The fecal traces or droppings that you usually see around the nesting areas. Depending upon the surface that they are dropped onto they will either ball into a sphere or soak im to form a round dot. There are pictures of both of these in my gallery the best for the sphere type droppings is captioned "Close up of a nesting area showing multiple shed skins, eggs and live samples".
There are also in many cases tell tale blood spots on the sheets themselves which are often round or if the sheet gets washed they will often form cross shapes. They are less visual to capture but a few can be found in the gallery as well.
I personally believe that the ones on the top side of sheets are as a result of people rolling around and night and open wounds coming into contact with the sheet rather than a bed bug squatting and squirting out a drop. The only way to test this would be to do a trace metal analysis of the blood samples on the grounds that bed bug digested blood will have a different chemistry than normal human blood samples.
I would also be interested to see if anyone else would support the theory that the sweet musty smell that people report when crushing a bed bug might be due to a concentration of arsenic. Arsenic is a natural low level atmospheric pollutant and as it has no nutritional value to the bed bug should pass through the digestive track metabolized and most likely concentrated as the food is extracted. If there is anyone in a medical facility with access to a flame absorption mass spectrometer (I think thats what they used to use in the pathology lab) I would be willing to collect and ship samples to test.
Regards,
David Cain
Managing Director
Bed Bugs Limited
London UK -
dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 13:34:09
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Thanks David. These fecal marks that 'soak in' to the sheet as you note above is what I'm referring to. Will they turn red or brown if you use something to try to remove them from the sheet?
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If all you want to do is remove the marks I would suggest a strong cleaning product, if that does not work retire them to the home improvements draw as dust sheets.
Human blood is very difficult to remove from material and once it dries into cotton you may as well forget trying to get them out again as it seems to bond to the fibers themselves. I have used the macro lenses on the camera to get very close into the fibers and although a fascinating picture it does show that the cross that develops seems to leach down the strands of the weave.
You may want to take advice from a stain specialist though.
David
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dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 13:54:45
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i'm not worrying about getting them out. i'm just asking if you can determine whether or not spots are bed bug spots by using hydrogen peroxide or some other material to see if they turn red.
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nyjammin
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 15:55:24
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Are bbs the only "bug" that produces black markings on the mattress encasements or pillow encasements and bite? I heard other bugs do this as well. I don't believe what I heard, just wanted to ask. Maybe specialists can weigh in on this matter.
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currentinsomniac
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Posted 2 years ago
Tue Nov 27 2007 20:05:14
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We've been finding black "ink-like" spots of fecal matter on my son's pillow case. What's weird though is that they start black and eventually turn to a rust color. I know that it can't be anything else but fecal matter because it is in an area that no part of his little body or head would lay on or touch. But I found that the color change was interesting. Is it possible that the newer it is the blacker it is?
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itchyincharmcity
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 11:36:08
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I found some brownish smudge on my pillowcase and freaked out until I realized I went to bed after a few drinks with my prune-colored mascara still on. Don't drink and sleep!
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angie
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 11:51:53
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I would like to know if anyone has seen black spots on the walls just above the baseboards? This is new or at least I haven't noticed them before. The spot was behind my daughters hamster tank and when I was looking for the bb's(as I do every day,several times a day) I found them. I thought they might have been mold spots but when I smeared them with a wet Q-tip they smeared reddish-brown. Does this sound like bb yuck? The spot where they are has a small space and the apartment below me has a bad infestation and they refuse treatment. I'm afraid to puull the board off but I am later today with vacumm close by.
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jennifer09
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 12:07:12
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Hi Angie,
yes I found black spots on my walls above my baseboard, around my light socket, in the middle of my wall (behind pictures). They are where the bbs were living. :( -
currentinsomniac
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 12:21:15
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angie - Since BBs use baseboards a lot to travel on or hide in, that's probably what you found. Make sure those pests aren't finding a way into the hamster though. It's probably too hard for them to climb glass, but we won't want your pet to become an alternative little snack in the event they can't find you.
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angie
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 12:41:12
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They can't get to Hammy cuz of the screen lid and the glass but my 6 yr old sleeps right there. That will change tonight though!!
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bugobsessed
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 12:51:52
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Angie, be sure they can't get up the glass of the tank. Maybe smear some vaseline around the bottom, because they certainly can get in the screen. If you've seen a newly hatched nymph like I have, you'll know that they're small enough to fit through. They're visible with the naked eye, but barely. Think of the size of the comma on your keyboard.
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angie
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 12:53:16
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I totally forgot about the new ones and that made me gasp! I am going to do that right now!!
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itchyincharmcity
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 13:17:00
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Yeah, a little hamster doesn't have too much blood. If he got bit a lot there could be serious consequences for the poor thing.
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goawaybugs
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Posted 2 years ago
Wed Nov 28 2007 14:02:27
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Is the water or peroxide test dispositive? I found a couple specks that look a bit like ink blots under the magnifying glass when squashed, but they're specks not stains. Water or peroxide seems to have no effect on them.
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dawnsimonds2
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Posted 2 years ago
Fri Nov 30 2007 12:05:06
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david cain,
if you had tried using peroxide can you please just tell us if the black spot will turn red or brown? that's all we need to know right now.
thank you,
dawn
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