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Feces on my pillow question??
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shift
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Posted 4 years ago
Fri Oct 31 2008 22:33:32
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After most nights I find little black pencil like dots all over my pillow. That is the only sign that I might have bed bugs as I have checked everywhere in crevices, box spring etc and found none. I also have not seen any shedded shells. I do get itchy especially on my neck but there are no bite marks and I get itchy in alot of places not just in very specific places. Are the black spots (I can't think what else they could be)enough of an indicator? Is that what bedbug feces look like? Can I be itchy with out seeing the bites?
Thanks
Shift -
your host
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 9:20:50
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Some people do not react at all to bites, others itch but see nothing on their skin. There's a wide range of reactions.
I don't think anyone here can say for certain. If you have bed bugs, they could be living anywhere, but the pillow is a prime suspect. If it was a cheap pillow, I would replace it (seal it in a bag to dispose of it). If not, you could encase it.
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shift
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 12:28:38
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Thanks Nobugsonme,
Do the little black pencil tip like dots sound like Bedbug fecal matter?
Sean
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 12:40:35
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Hi Sean,
It would help greatly if you could illustrate what you see with a picture.
It may be possible that they are related to bed bugs but it is also likely that they do not.
I have studied a lot of bed bug faecal matter over the years and although it is a little controversial to say there are only two forms I have seen.
- Round and flat on porous surfaces like a felt pen mark
- Spherical / ball like if deposited on non porous surfaces
Blood spots on sheets and pillows can be attributed to a number of things though of which bed bugs is only one. I generally advice people that it is a sign of an issue but not a definitive sign of bed bugs.
David
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shift
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 12:49:13
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Thanks David,
They are small round and flat spots on the pillow case like a felt pen. I also see little tiny black ball like things on the sheets sometimes. What else could these pillow markings be because they happen almost nightly and there are a number of them sometimes and I am a super clean guy with clean white pillow cases and I am super concerned.
Thanks a ton David,
Sean -
shift
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 12:52:36
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Hi David,
Unfortunately I don't have a digital camera with enough zoom to pic up the small dots on the pillow. I only have my cellphone and webcam digital cameras and they can't pick it up.
Sean
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oldtimer
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Posted 4 years ago
Sat Nov 1 2008 19:33:25
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hi,
If you cant take an image of it then try and collect some of them and have them sent to an entomologist for identification.
Without at least being able to see them I cant really advise of what they might or could be.
David
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oldtimer
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Nov 3 2008 9:32:42
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Hi,
Oddly enough I have had something that sounds similar arrive int he office over the weekend.
I will document my analysis and try and get a PDF online about it when it is complete. That way you can at least see what I am looking at and calling black flecks, the person who has sent them to be describes them as pepper flecks.
David
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oldtimer
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Nov 3 2008 12:19:30
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Hi,
I have now documented my analysis today and have produced a document for the website that can be found at:
http://www.Bed-Bugs.co.uk/documentbase/pepperflecks.pdf
I hope it helps in diagnosing your problem.
David
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shift
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Nov 3 2008 12:51:16
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Thanks David. I therefore wonder what that is unless it is blood droppings from the bedbug bite like it says it maybe. Supe frustrating all the same.
Sean
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Marixpress
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Posted 4 years ago
Mon Nov 3 2008 12:53:45
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ugh, reminds me of the night I found 2 on my pillow.
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oldtimer
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Posted 4 years ago
Tue Nov 4 2008 8:24:58
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I have modified the text of the document slightly to clear up some confusion following a few phone calls and email.
David
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CrazyMe
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 4:54:12
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Good morning,
Hi All,I think I found some small hard black fecal flecks (2 or 3) in the bed this morning. shaped sort of squarish--kind of hard, but a little crumbly. When dissolved, I'd say they were light brown (no red). It was almost as if they didn't want to dissolve though. Do you think that sounds like bb fecal matter? They did not smear easily.
This was on my sheets, so I was surprised it didn't absorb into the white sheets. Could it be dirt?
Thanks again for your help. I do feel like I totally can't tell what is going on and I'm hesitate to call my landlord/PCO again. (trying not to make bad "blood" as it where).
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oldtimer
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 5:12:03
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Hi,
An image would help at this stage or if you want to post some samples for me to look at.
Otherwise describing things rarely gives the detail to be certain. Visual confirmation is out gold standard.
David
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CrazyMe
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 5:37:22
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Thanks David
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39287491@N04/
(this broke apart a little when I pulled it off tape). it was not round, did not smear particularly, and was on my sheets. About the size of pencil point. originally squarish.
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oldtimer
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 6:05:04
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Hi,
OK I have downloaded the images but they pixilate too much when I zoom in to get to the detail I am looking for.
I think the best next step is to get some of them either to an entomologist or over here to have a look in person.
I dont think they are BB related at all but am not sure from the images what it is.
Hope this helps.
David
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CrazyMe
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 9:21:34
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Thanks David. Sorry about the bad photographs. I don't have the greatest digital camera.
Honestly--the more I thought about it, it seems unlikely that the feces would be solid, slightly crumbly on my sheets.
Mostly because I check my sheets so often--and because I was up about an hour before---I doubt the stuff, if it was feces, would have had time to solidify if fresh from a bug.
My SO was over last night---he heard me get up--and remains convinced it's just some dirt he tracked in on his feet (it was in the general foot area, for what it's worth).
Thanks again for your help--and sorry I'm so paranoid!
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CrazyMe
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Jun 11 2009 9:30:01
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Also for what it's worth--- it did NOT smear like bedbugdude's awesome video:
[+] Embed the video Get the Video Plugin It smeared a little (I basically had to FORCE it to smear) it almost reminded me of the way old wood may smear or maybe something else.
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