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HELP! New to BB and Being Driven Crazy, Overwhelmed and very SAD
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crazylittledaisy
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 6
Posted 3 months ago
Thu Aug 6 2009 12:40:22
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Hi there everyone,
I just discovered this forum, about a month plus into my treatment, and I feel completely overwhelmed and paranoid. I am afraid that I didn't follow the right steps (the pest control guys didn't give me the kind of info there is in this forum)... Anyway, here's my (sob) story and I hope someone out there can help me out with some advice.
At the end of June, I moved out of my boy's apt back into my tiny studio apt in Manhattan because we were getting along very terribly. (I had been subletting the apt to someone else). Heart broken and determined to move on by carving out a nice living space for myself, I unpacked everything within 3-4 days, pics up on the wall, the whole deal. It was just beginning to get hot and it has been very rainy, so I have been getting bitten as soon as I slept here but I thought they were from mosquitoes. After it continuing despite me sleeping with windows closed and spraying mosquito repellent everywhere, I suspected Bedbugs and then called my landlord. She said that she has had other complaints and quickly sent an inspector over.
Inspector (from Metropest) found bedbugs and gave me a checklist of things to do. Pretty much it involved washing everything and vaccuming everything and then putting them into big bags and tying it up. I did so, but I didn't realize that I was supposed to dry them for as long as some in this forum recommend. There was no indication of this on the checklist they gave me, and no one i knew had experienced bb before...(lucky them!) I usually don't dry most of my clothes, so I kinda dried some of them really dry and some of them damp, and then air drying them at my friends apt. (I didn't bring any over to theirs it seems, thank god).
Anyway, cutting the story short. I didn't stay at my place for 3 weeks in between the first (June 30th) and second treatment (July 21st), because I break out in hives around the areas ive been bitten and they scar, and I'm an actress/model... I specifically asked Metropest if I should stay in the apt between the first and second, and they said it was up to me, and I could still get bitten till my second treatment. I decided to stay out (now I find out that I shouldn't have...something about being a bait..) I came back a week after the second treatment...only to be bitten again! They told me I had to wait ANOTHER week and so I did and yes I did get bitten again a few days later. So they came yesterday to do a third treatment but they told me they didn't see any live bugs. (I also just got the super to caulk up holes and gaps in my baseboards, so maybe that would help)
Now, I've got no idea what happens from here. Just wait???
1) Since I am not sure that I did my laundry right, is it then enough if I took all the clean laundry I've done and then put them in the dryer for 45- an hour now to make sure that I actually got them?
2) Dry cleaning. I've spent close to 300 on them already, and now I'm afraid that I didn't seal them properly. I put them far away from my bed...put bags over the bags they came in, and put tape around the hangers, and hung them. I've also taken out a dress or two and wore them (those are at the dry cleaners now) Do I have to do ALL of them again? What are the other options? Does the putting them in a car thing work? Maybe I can rent a zipcar for a few hours and drive around with them in it....
3) Is there something I can put into the bags of books and shoes I vaccummed to kill them in case they are in there? I realize after reading this forum that my vaccumm might not have been strong enough to suck up the eggs. (It's a cheap vaccumm cleaner) What if I had accidentally packed a few in there, and they laid eggs and stuff? :(
3) I am feeling little powerless, I've gotten no help throughout all this...pretty much doing everything on my own, dragging 25 pound laundry up and down a fourth floor walk up and I'm really small. Its about a week into August and I haven't paid my August rent...I am thinking of moving and sealing everything in storage for 2 years, taking and double checking the stuff I only really really need. My friend suggested that I don't pay my August rent but I don't know if that is legal, when my landlord is actually responding, it's just that the pest people haven't managed to get rid of it yet. I don't want to be aggressive but yet I feel as if I am not really getting to live live in my apartment, and at the same time, I am also thinking of moving...Any suggestions? Can I tell them that I rather not pay rent this month until the problem is sorted out...and then just move if I find a place..? Should I definitely move? (they did reimburse me about 30% of my rent last month, not quite enough to cover all the expenses). I did incur more expenses this month again, cos I unpacked a few things after the second treatment since Metropest told me that nothing should be left after the second treatment...Another apts in the building has problems though we don't know which, and what is being done....
Sorry for the ranting and run-on sentences..any comments are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!!!
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momto2boys
newbite
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 29
Posted 3 months ago
Thu Aug 6 2009 13:09:45
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I'm very sorry for your bb troubles and your break-up too! When it rains it pours, eh? Here's what I've gathered from reading the forums.
1. Drying clothes alone will kill bb's, you don't need to wash. I've read that they need 2 hours in the dryer though.
2. A car will not evenly heat things hot enough to kill bb's. Perhaps you can spend another $300 to get a packtite and then you wont' have to spend any more on drycleaning. Some dry clean only things do well in the dryer provided they arent' washed first.
3. It sounds like your landlord is trying to deal with it and they did reimburse you some rent. I can't tell you want to do, but I might try to stick it out a bit longer.
Good luck and hugs to you!
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crazylittledaisy
newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 6
Posted 3 months ago
Thu Aug 6 2009 14:51:25
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Hi Momto2boys, thank you very much for your reply.
wow 2 hours in the dryer! I wonder if i can do that without rousing suspicion at the laundromat- I imagine people coming at me with clubs and pesticide sprays....:(
i dont know if I have money to spend on a packtite or more dry cleaning at the moment so maybe ill just wait for a little longer and see what happens. I'll re-dry my clothes though..
It's crazy that there's no standard way of dealing with this... All my checklist said was wash your clothes (not even in hot water even though I did!). After all that, the exterminators didn't handle my bags carefully causing some tears and holes in those bags (they dragged them on the floor), and causing one of them to open (i tied knots on the top of the bags), I ran around with tape trying to tape them and they said it was okay i didnt have to. :( ....
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AllAlone74
junior member
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 35
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 18 2009 11:25:50
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hey Daisy...you aren't the only one experiencing this type of situation. I have been going through a bitter break up and bbs for the past month (the break up happened after the BBs). After I discovered I had them I jumped ship because I thought i was going to go crazy...I stayed with the boyfriend while the exterminator was coming in...He turned out to be a total nightmare to live/be with and I had to go back home so now I'm back to being paranoid and bitten...The emotional stress is enough to send me into a nervous breakdown..I knew my boyfriend was no good before this but it is now confirmed...HE had no compassion for my fear of these bugs either...I am so sick of being told I am paranoid (I'M HYPERVIGILIANT DAMMIT!!!!) I bought a packtite and it should be coming in any day now and I'm just gonna packtite all my troubles away..
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cilecto
senior member
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 513
Posted 3 months ago
Tue Aug 18 2009 18:13:43
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People seem to get carried away ove the wash dry thing. Here are the facts as I understand them: Soap and water will kill most BB, but not eggs. All stages, including eggs, die after 20 minutes at 120F, note that all parts of your garment must hit that temp. You can gauge your w d with an infrared thermometer (radio shack). Drying clean items is fine, washing is so you don't set in stains and odors. Likewise, extended drying is for preventing mold and mildew in the bag. Pace yourself. If your stuff is securely bagged, then only deal with the stuff you really need. Finally, I hope you find the "space" for some peace and enjoyment of life. You're not alone in this. [b]
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