Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Fleas, Black Smears, More Bites, Pictures Included..Dog coming soon..pls help!
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Mar 31 2010 23:18:15
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So, I've had bites now on and off since the end of December. Very sporadic. Sometimes once every 30days. We suspected bed bugs but have found zero signs besides bites even after turning our room upside down, nightly inspections of the bed and around the bed, inspecting constantly upon waking in the middle of the night. However, on Monday, that's when we found the black smear marks on our sheets and pillowcases. I have included a few pictures on the link at the bottom if anyone with experience might be able to possibly identify...is it a sign of bb feces?
Then today we actually found a flea in our bed and my husband caught and bagged it (we don't even have pets, but I know you can still get them). I would have breathed a sigh of relief thinking fleas were where the bites have been coming from all along if it had not been for the black smears on the sheets:( Now I'm thinking I could possibly have both!!!
So I've hired a bb dog to come this week trained by the Florida Canine Academy to detect for bed bugs. If you have any tips for me during the inspection, etc.....I'm all ears, thank you in advance. I also confirmed with the handler that if the dog alerts, he said he will tear the place apart to find evidence where the dog alerted. He is not affliated with a pest control co....just offers K9 detection service to confirm bed bug activity or not.
Also, please take a look at the link...here are the smears and photos of my latest bites (it had been probably 30 days with nothing and these showed up today).
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eyehatebug
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 0:13:57
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Are you sure you didn't just brush your shoe on the bed in one of your nightly searches? Or the sheets brushed on something as you took them out of the dryer? I am not an expert, but the smears look nothing like what I have seen online or in my home. However, the bites could be BB bites, but people react differently
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paulaw0919
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 0:15:20
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Black smears look like macara. Not sure what it is...but definately not bed bug related.
As for the "bite" like marks. Could be from the flea that you found. Seems like the likely cuplrit cuz you found it. On your bed no less.
Just food for though. I get these sometimes itchy bumps on my shoulders seasonally that if irritated or scratched at look like bites. My skin was way over sensitive for a very long time after bedbugs. Took me even longer (due to nerves) to realize much of what goes on on my skin is not related to bed bugs at all.
I understand that tention is very high at this time for you. (believe me, I've been there. My twins were babies and my oldest a toddler at the time of our infestation) If you feel a K9 will help, then fine. But if all the evidence you have is a flea and debris on sheets that's not feces or bed bug related I would think the bites came form the flea or they are maybe not even bites at all. I can tell you this...the dbris on the sheets that you posted is not from bed bugs. I personally...(coming from someone who had a few false positive k9 alerts in my home when the bugs were in fact gone) would not have a K9 or human inspection done until there is more to go by. I would save the cash for when you may really need it. (whether it be for future inspection or even treating yourself and family to something nice if /when the bugs are gone.)
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 0:27:51
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eyehatebug and paulaw0919,
thank you both for your replies. maybe i can rest a little easier tonight except for the fleas coming back, but to me they are not as bed as the thought of bed bugs. We have our pest control coming out soon to treat for the fleas now. said they should be gone after one spray in a day or two?
so interesting you both ask about mascara, marks out of the dryer, or a shoe. definitely not mascara as it was found on my husband's pillowcase
Also, the sheets were put on clean on Thursday without these marks so not from out of the dryer, and we don't wear shoes in our house. But what my husband and i first thought it was on monday morning was something that will probably make you all laugh. We bought these new LED flashlights to try and find bedbugs and it happens to have a black nylon rope string on it. So we thought that maybe it was the string rubbing off in the bed b/c we kept the flashlight in bed w/ us, but we tried that morning to rub the string all over the sheets in hopes that it would make the same type of marks, but it didn't do a thing. But I'm just glad to know it does not look bedbug related at all. Paulaw0919....question on the K9's. Can't they give false positives if you have had an infestation, treated, and then maybe some dead ones are still lying around and they can still detect the scent of that? Thank you both for your responses
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paulaw0919
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 8:09:22
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I'm not a K9 handler or an expert but to answer your question, I'm sure it's possible. The teams I hired were trained to only find live bugs only though. So go figure. We had most furniture gone, new mattresses, (encased) old carpets removed and wood floors redone....and vikane fumigation of our home. Then had alerts to my bed and the chidrens cribs. That was back in in 2007-08. If those same bugs were actually here I'm positive I would have some MASSIVE infestation by now.
It's surprising of what debris gets into the bed and where it comes from. All kinds of stuff. I guess one never notices those things until really looking closely for them. I totally understand about the flashlight. Those marks could very well be from that. Our ordeal with bed bugs was pretty severe/tragic back in 2007. Much less knowledge and tools then as well. I slept with a flashlight for about a year after the bugs were gone! Lol!!! And I can tell you I washed a few flashlights with my sheets by accident as well! Got kind of expensive at $20 a pop!
I haven't followed your story history here but I do want to add, in case you haven't yet....make sure to read up on the FAQ's here. Get very familiar with them and learn on how and where to look for bed bugs. It's scary yes, but if you have them or get them in the future, you will catch it earlier due to awareness. That alone will make it easier for a PCO to treat. If you hire a PCO or K9 handler...make sure they "Show you a Bug!" ( or at least some fecal spotting or cast-skin) Best to you.
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oldtimer
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 8:10:14
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Hi,
The black marks are pigment transference from an object with straight sides possibly only 1 cm - 2 cm wide and flat on all edges. (OK a lot of statement there but suffice to say I am 150% sure of this). The easiest confimer is if you look at the light patches they fold over to show where the sheet was creased as the item dragged across it.
With regards the fleas I would always suggest a plug in flea trap, even if you opt for chemical treatment use it as an adjunct to the process. If nothing else it will help you monitor the situation and provides valuable stimuli to keep any fleas active and moving following treatment. (its all about the logic).
Hope that help.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
paulaw0919
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 8:14:18
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Funny, David posted the same time I did. Hi David!! (good man that David Cain!) He gives good advise on the plug in flea trap. I would def get one of those.
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oldtimer
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 8:33:38
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Hi Paula,
Thanks for the comments, the ego massage reminded me of something I picked up at a flea talk I attended a week or so ago.
The tidy up is essential because the larval stage are not blood feeder and may be feeding from old organic materials such as fibers and wool. I will save you the potted history of the flea circus but it was an amusing evening.
David
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 16:10:56
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Hi Paula & David,
Thank you both so much for your advice. I'm relieved to know it's not fecal..probably was our flashlight's string
I plan on getting a flea trap and Orkin our pest control company recommended spray treatment. Although, I'm really hoping we don't have bed bugs too. I have a 2yr old and the spraying of the all the chemicals concerns me. Orkin told us to be out of the house a good solid 3hrs for the flea spray but I think we plan on being out all day. Is there any difference between the appearance of flea bites and bed bug bites? I know bb bites can resemble mosquito bites in some but was not sure on the flea bites? Every pest control company that came in our house to inspect said your bites look like bed bugs but we can't find evidence. Although, their inspections were really weak at best...10-15minutes max mostly searching the bed. We hired the dog already to come tomorrow morning, very nervous about it for some reason. But I will def. take anything with a grain of salt if no evidence is shown after an alert. The handler told me he will turn anything apart if the dog alerts to it to find the evidence (bugs, fecal, cast skins). I don't want to spend the money on it really, but if it can give me the peace of mind to either start sleeping at night again and chalk it up to fleas than it's so worth it. I will keep you updated on the finding..thanks again.
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NewBlood
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 17:05:43
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Is there any difference between the appearance of flea bites and bed bug bites?I know bb bites can resemble mosquito bites in some but was not sure on the flea bites?
Hey ScaredSayScared. From what I have read it is impossible to tell WHAT is biting you - as different people react to different insect bites in different ways. Bed bugs bites can resemble any other type of insect bite, no other insect bite, or may not even appear on you at all. I know that's not much help - but there it is. It COULD be something else - it could be anything. Without some solid proof of bed bugs it is impossible to say that it is bed bugs based on bites alone.
Every pest control company that came in our house to inspect said your bites look like bed bugs but we can't find evidence.
Again - how do they know what bed bug bites look like? A mosquito bite looks like a bed bug bite, so does a fleas. So do hives or other skin conditions or allergic reactions to dust mites or scabies (depending on the person) or some strange carpet beetle hair thing craziness that a great PCO here has mentioned. Are they expert dermatologists too? I went to a dermatologist who took a biopsy of one of my marks - the result was "could be anything". That's the point I guess I'm trying to make - it could be anything - if you don't see bed bugs it could very well NOT be them but something else.
Although, their inspections were really weak at best...10-15minutes max mostly searching the bed.
Then you haven't received a good bed bug inspection yet. They should be checking for hours (from what I've been told) for these things because of how well they've hid. Doing a small look at the mattress for them won't reveal anything if they're not in the mattress!
We hired the dog already to come tomorrow morning, very nervous about it for some reason. But I will def. take anything with a grain of salt if no evidence is shown after an alert. The handler told me he will turn anything apart if the dog alerts to it to find the evidence (bugs, fecal, cast skins). I don't want to spend the money on it really, but if it can give me the peace of mind to either start sleeping at night again and chalk it up to fleas than it's so worth it. I will keep you updated on the finding..thanks again.
Take it with a POUND of salt! I had treatment done without any evidence other then dog alerts. I was declared free of bed bugs two weeks later when nothing was alerted too. The marks have never stopped - going on 7 months now. I have had 6 dog searches with 2 of them (before treatment) saying bugs (but no bug/spec/casing was found) and now 4 searches have said nothing - but the bites don't stop. I really stress to keep to the "show me the bed bugs!!!!" motto that is said on this forum - otherwise you will be out thousands of dollars, weeks of lost time for laundry/cleaning and tons of sanity. If they can't find the bugs if anything is alerted too then DON'T proceed with the treatment. (On that note I do still love the PCO I hired - they were very professional, but I still am unsure if I do have, or ever had bed bugs).
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Apr 1 2010 22:43:21
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Hi Newblood,
Thanks for your information. Wow, I really feel for you. I'm sorry you have gone through all of that and still don't know what was causing your bites...I hope you can get some closure one day and that they stop. But yes, that is our plan...if the dog alerts and we don't have evidence we will not proceed with a treatment.
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NewBlood
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Posted 3 years ago
Fri Apr 2 2010 10:18:02
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That's excellent scaredsayscared. I really recommend you don't budge on that either - I did and now regret it. Not because of what it cost me or the time invested but because I still don't have any clear answer as to what it is. It's not really the companies fault either - so please don't take that - they and I acted on the alerts and they were extremely nice and professional during the time I was under their warranty - coming out 6 (!!) times even though there was no evidence of them save for bites.
I suppose that's what I want to warn you about. Find a bug - if you don't and the the treatment is 'successful' and the bites don't stop you'll end up in my situation - limbo. Not knowing. It has been said they are very difficult to find - but you CAN find them given enough time. I realize that as time goes by the risk of introducing them to friends/family grows - as well as to other places/things you don't want them in (your car, or place of work for example). If you don't get any positive alerts from the K9 team you are having in that may give you some piece of mind. If you get positive alerts AND positive signs of them then you can begin the treatment process (long and expensive but it WILL work - it just may take awhile with the right PCO). If you get positive alerts and no signs of bed bugs... I'd take precautions (begin bagging stuff so you don't introduce things to your car or work) and warn folks you MAY have them due to the alerts but that without evidence you can't be sure. Watch and wait. I know that's painful (believe me I know) to do when the bites don't let up - but unless you want to leap down the rabbit hole without needing too... well... you'll end up as crazy as I am.
I think you mentioned that today is when you'll have your inspection - so good luck! Hopefully there's no positive alerts (AND that you don't have them) and it's something else bugging (pun intended) you!
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Fri Apr 2 2010 14:45:41
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Hi Newblood,
So we did have the inspection this morning. It went pretty well I guess. He checked our entire 2bdr townhome, garage, plus cars. Out of that we did have one alert on the side of the bed I sleep no less and the handler asked us if he could take off our encasements on the mattress and box spring to see if he could find evidence for us. He searched over our mattress and box spring in detail even took off more of the fabric on the box spring and found no bed bug evidence. He did find some black spots that he believed resembled flea dust/poop? but did not resemble bed bug fecal he said. That was in the box spring and he collected a sample of it to send to his entomologist in NY to confirm if it's from fleas. So we will await the results from that. Before leaving he said he was 97%
sure we don't have bed bugs...he couldn't say with absolute 100% certainty but felt very confident it's been fleas this whole time especially since we did locate and catch one in our bed. As to why the dog alerted there though?? But he said if there were bed bugs he should have seen evidence after an alert which we did not. So for now we will treat for fleas..hope that helps and remain vigilant for bed bugs. We have the passive alert monitors under our mattress and climb ups too, so I think we will keep them in place for a bit, but they have also yielded nothing.
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